License Plates & Placards in Kentucky

Many people like to add a personal touch to their vehicles, and personalized license plates are a great way to do so! Whether you want to show your military pride, school spirit, or just a special nickname, Kentucky offers a variety of license plates for you.

• Regular Issue

• Regular Personalized

• Special Issue

• Disabled Issue

• Miscellaneous Issue

• Military Issue

• Military Personalized

• Military Motorcycle

• Military Motorcycle Personalized

• University Issue

• Independent College

By clicking on the link to the type of plate you're interested in, you'll find its initial price, price each time it's issued, annual renewal price, and expiration date. You'll also find information about eligibility, specific ordering steps required, and any special remarks about the plate. Some pages offer the advantage of checking for plate availability.

Any standard passenger car (cars, vans, SUVs, pickup trucks), motorcycle, or military issue plate can be personalized. Check letter and number combination availability (click on the plates you're interested in).

Personalized Plate Combinations

For passenger cars, the character combination can include six alpha and/or numeric characters, as well as a space or dash.

For motorcycles, the character combination can include five alpha and/or numeric characters, as well as a space or dash.

Note that the combination of characters on a personalized plate can only be present on one plate at a time; this means you can't get the same personalized plate for both your motorcycle and your family car.

Antique Plates

To qualify for an antique plate, your vehicle must be at least 25 years old and used mainly for parades, exhibitions, and shows.

Apply for the plate at your county clerk's office. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet must agree to issue the plate.

The plate costs $59, but doesn't have to be renewed. However, the plate cannot be transferred to another vehicle.

Application Procedure

Below are the plate application forms available online.

• TC96-218-Personalized Plates

• TC96-015-Special Plates

• TC96-205-Disabled Plates

• TC96-207-Volunteer Fire Fighter Plate

• TC96-220-Legislative Plates

• TC96-221-Judiciary Plates

• TC96-228-Disaster/Emergency Service Plates

Standard personal plate application fees are $25.00, to be paid when you apply, and registration fees are $15, to be paid when you pick up the plate; however, some plates require different prices. Check the page of the specific plate you want for fees.

If you're interested in ordering a plate for the current year, orders must be made between January and September; any orders after September apply to the following year.

Take your application and appropriate fees to your County Clerk's office, and expect to wait four to six weeks for arrival.

Renewal

Personalized plate registrations expire December 31st of each year, so you'll need to renew them in December. The cost of renewal is $46. Your property tax may also be due at the time of renewal.

When you renew your plate registration, you'll have the option of getting a plate and decal, or the decal only. Your personalized plate is reserved for you each year, so you won't need to reapply for it every year. If you choose not to renew it, it will no longer be reserved.

Transfers

If you're transferring a vehicle with a personalized plate, you'll need to return the plate to the County Clerk's office, where you'll be provided with a standard replacement plate. If you want to reclaim your personalized plate, you can do so when you request a personalized plate for your new vehicle, or exchange it right there.

Your property tax may be due at the time of transfer.

Lost or Stolen Plates

Unfortunately, you can't request the same plate number for the same calendar year in which your plate has been lost or stolen; however, you can apply for the same plate number for the following year. Until that time, you might want to go ahead and order a new plate.

Damaged Plates

If your plate has become damaged, simply take it to your County Clerk's office. The clerk will submit a request for the plate to be remade, and you'll be issued a standard passenger car or truck plate in the meantime. You'll receive notification to pick up your new plate at the clerk's office when it arrives.

Surrendering License Plates

The state requires Kentucky residents to return their license plates after relocating to another state. Learn more on our KY License Plate Surrender page.

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