Types of Special License Plates in Connecticut

SUMMARY: Types of Specialty License Plates in Connecticut

If you're a Connecticut resident, there are many specialty license plats to choose from. You can order vanity plates, license plates for charitable organizations, and military license plates if you're an eligible veteran. Classic car tags are also available for qualifying vehicles.

Keep reading to learn more about the types of specialty license plates available in Connecticut.

NOTES:

Vanity Plates in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offers vanity plates for personalization of your tags. You can customize standard CT license plates and several specialty plates.

Vanity plate combinations must meet the following criteria:

  • Have no more than 7 characters.
    • No more than 5 characters for motorcycles.
    • No more than 5 characters for veteran motorcycles and classic motorcycles.
  • No dashes or extra spaces between letters.
  • Can have 1 dot, which CANNOT be at the beginning or end of the plate number.

You can use the online Vanity Plate Service website to check the availability of a combination. Even if your combination is available, the CT DMV can still deny your request.

Vanity Plate Fees

The fee for a standard vanity plate is $94 IN ADDITION to standard Connecticut registration fees and renewal fees.

Fees for personalized special plates vary. See the Special Order Plate Application (Form M-22) for a complete list of fees.

Learn more about vanity plate applications by visiting our Applying for Specialty License Plates page.

Organizational Plates

There are a number of organizations in Connecticut that sponsor various specialty license plates, including tags for:

  • Charities and non-profits.
  • Colleges.
  • Law enforcement organizations.

Read below for more information about the specialty license plates available from the CT DMV.

If you've already chosen a plate and you're ready to apply, you'll find more information by visiting Applying for Specialty License Plates.

Charity & Non-Profit Plates

There is a wide variety of charity, non-profit, and organizational plates that are available to anyone in CT.

The plates allow you to show your support for various causes or organizations, and a portion of the fees goes to the group or a related charity.

Charity and non-profit plates are available for:

  • Causes, such as:
    • The Children First Foundation tag.
    • The Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation plate.
  • Service organizations like:
    • The Knights of Columbus license plate.
    • The IUOE Local 478.
  • Cities and towns, including:
    • The City of Norwich.
    • The Town of Stafford.
  • Recreational organizations, for example:
    • The Candlewood Lake Authority.
    • The New England Air Museum.

Plate fees are charged IN ADDITION to regular registration fees and renewal fees. Charity and non-profit license plate fees vary, for example:

  • The Conserve Wildlife plate is:
    • $50 to order ($94 for a vanity plate).
    • $15 to renew.
  • The Olympic Spirit plate is $70 to order ($159 for a vanity plate).

CT College Plates

The Connecticut DMV issues collegiate license plates that help support alumni associations or scholarships at several area universities.

Currently, you can get a plate for:

  • Central Connecticut State University.
  • The Penn State Alumni Association.
  • University of Connecticut.
  • University of Hartford Alumni Association.
  • University of New Haven.

You'll pay a tag fee PLUS standard registration fees and specific renewal fees for college plates. For exact fees, contact the representative for the plate that you want.

CT Military License Plates

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles issues several different military tags to qualifying service members, veterans, and their families.

Available license plates include tags for:

  • U.S. military veterans.
  • The Military Order of the Purple Heart.
  • The National Guard Association of Connecticut (Active and Retired).
  • U.S. Submarine Veterans.
  • Gold Star Families.

Military plates are available ONLY to those who are eligible. Your service record must reflect your participation or award.

Learn more about military plate options on the CT DMV website.

Classic Car Tags in Connecticut

You can get a classic vehicle license plate from the CT Department of Motor Vehicles IF your vehicle is:

  • At least 20 years old based on its model year.
    AND
  • Currently registered in Connecticut.

Fees for classic vehicle plates vary:

Forms

M-22
Special Order Plate Application
Order vanity AND/OR specialty CT license plates from the DMV.
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