Specialized License Plates

You can obtain several different License Plates in Minnesota, ranging from Veteran to Personalized/Vanity to Habitat Conservation. Some plates come with additional yearly contributions while others have one time payments associated with them. Most plates can only be displayed on passenger class vehicles, but a number of plates are also available to one-ton trucks, recreational vehicles and motorcycles. Some plates are available at the License Centers, while others need to be special ordered. See this Special License Plate Brochure for images and information on specific plates.

  1. Plates at the License Center
  2. Plates that Must be Ordered
These plates are available at the License Centers and are issued immediately
  • Critical Habitat including:  Deer, Loon, Angler, Chickadee, Lady Slipper, Buck, Pheasant, Moose, & Turkey Designs
  • Support Our Troops
  • Minnesota Golf
  • Remembering Victims of Impaired Drivers
  • Minnesota State Parks and Recreation
  • Law Enforcement Memorial

What do I Need to Apply for Special License Plates?

In most cases you must be the vehicle owner and complete and sign an Application for Special Plates. Most plates can be issued and applied for with only the Application, however other plates require additional information. Please see below for specific information on Special Plate types.

Critical Habitat, Support our Troops & Collegiate Plates

All of these plates, with the exception of the Collegiate Plates, are available immediately at the License Centers. These Plates only need the above application completed and signed by the vehicle owner, no additional information is needed. Note: You do not need to have attended one of the colleges or universities to get a Collegiate Plate.

What Will I Pay?

All of these plates have an annual $30 contribution ($25 for Collegiate) to their respective programs, due at the time of registration renewal. 

Veteran/Military License Plates

In addition to the above application, you will need to bring in an original or certified copy of your discharge papers (DD-214). If you are still in active duty, a letter from your commanding officer stating that will suffice. The discharge papers must indicate that you served during the conflict or that you received the conflict service medal of the plate you are applying for and that you were honorably discharged. For Military Plates, you need to provide a copy of your organization membership card. Please visit DVS’s Veteran Plate Information page or contact us for additional information.

What Will I Pay?

Veteran/Military Plates vary in amount and must be special ordered from the State of Minnesota. Proud to be a Veteran plates require an additional $30 one time contribution to the WWII memorial fund.

Personalized Plates

Minnesota offers the option to personalize your license plate with custom letter and number combinations. When filling in the application, we request that you list more than one combination to ensure that your application is accepted. Unfortunately, there currently is not a way to check plate availability online or by phone. We can check availability in our office, we recommend you bring several options for us to check.

What are Acceptable Letter/Number Combinations?

The State of Minnesota reserves the right to deny a Letter/Number combination for any reason. Plates deemed inappropriate or combinations that are too similar to license plates issued by the State of Minnesota will be denied. Please review the chart below for a general outline of unacceptable letter/number combinations.

The following Characters/Sequences are Not Allowed:

  • Combinations of 2 or 3 letter characters with 2, 3, or 4 number characters (ABC123 or 213ABC; AA12 or 12AA; AA123 or 123AA; AA1234 or 1234AA)
  • Combinations with all number characters - there must be at least 1 alpha (letter) character.
  • Combinations that duplicate any plate or plate services used by the department (Y or T class truck series, CT class trailer series, etc. )
  • Combinations of the same or similar letter or number characters, even if separated by spaces or hyphens. The characters I & 1, naval zero and 0, or O are deemed to be same and may not be duplicated to create new combinations. For example, the following are considered the same choice and cannot be used: "AB", "A B," or "A-B" and "TIM" or "T1M"

What Will I Pay?

Personalization fee is $100. 

Other Special License Plates

For information about other Special License Plates, please visit DVS’s Special License Plate page or contact us.