Types of Special License Plates in Ohio

SUMMARY: Ohio Specialty License Plates

Your Ohio vehicle can have one of the many specialty license plates offered by the state, including personalized license plates, plates for causes and organizations, and military tags for those who qualify.

NOTES:

Ready to apply for a specialty plate? Visit Applying for Specialty License Plates for complete details.

  • Applying for disabled parking tags? See our page Disability Placards & Plates for more information.
  • Read below to learn more about types of specialty license plates available from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

Ohio Personalized Tags

Personalized license plates must be 4 to 7 characters long, including spaces.

Some tags have less space:

  • Motorcycle tags can have up to 5 characters.
  • Special tags with logos can have up to 6 characters.

To make sure your personalized plate combination is available, do a quick search online.

A $50 personalization fee is charged IN ADDITION to standard registration fees. When it comes time to renew your personalized tag, you'll pay a $50 renewal fee PLUS regular renewal fees.

Special Interest & Group Plates

The Ohio BMV offers:

  • Special interest plates.
  • Collegiate plates.
  • Sports license plates.

The fees for specialty license plates vary. IN ADDITION to plate fees, you may also have to pay:

  • A new license plate fee.
  • Vehicle registration or renewal fees.
  • Service fees.

NOTE: Specialty plates can be personalized for an additional fee.

Read below for information about the types of specialty license plates offered by the OH BMV.

Special Interest Plates

Special interest plates in Ohio feature different hobbies, causes, and organizations. For example, you can get license plates that support:

  • Feline spay/neuter programs.
  • Breast cancer awareness.
  • The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum.
  • Ohio's rivers.

Special plate fees are charged IN ADDITION to regular registration and renewal fees.

Fees vary, and a portion of the additional fee is given to the featured, or related, organization. For example:

  • The Stop Bullying plate:
    • $35 to order AND $35 to renew.
    • $25 goes toward programs that provide bullying prevention training.
  • The Breast Cancer Awareness plate:
    • $35 to order AND $35 to renew.
    • $25 helps fund programs for cancer patients.

For a complete list of special interest plates and their fees, visit the OH BMV website.

Visit our Applying for Specialty Plates page to learn how to apply.

Collegiate Plates

Collegiate plates are available for many of Ohio's colleges and universities, such as:

  • The Ohio State University.
  • Kent State University.
  • Ohio Northern University.

A fee for collegiate plates is charge IN ADDITION to standard registration and renewal fees.

Most plates, like the Ohio State license plate, are $35, with $25 going toward a general scholarship fund for the university you select.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website has a complete list of plates and fees.

For application instructions, see our page on Applying for Specialty Plates.

Professional Sports Plates

Several plates featuring OH sports teams are available, including:

  • The Cincinnati Bengals.
  • The Cincinnati Reds.
  • The Cleveland Browns.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • The Cleveland Indians.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets.
  • Columbus Crew.

You'll pay a fee for your sports plate IN ADDITION to registration fees and renewal fees. A portion of your fee helps support charities selected by each team.

Professional sports license plate fees may vary. Examples of fees include:

  • The Cincinnati Bengals plate:
    • $35 to order.
    • $35 to renew.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers plate:
    • $35 to order.
    • $35 to renew.

For application details, visit our Applying for Specialty License Plates page.

For a complete list of professional sports plates, visit the Ohio BMV website.

Military License Plates in OH

A number of specialty license plates are available to veterans and retirees of the United States military.

Military plates are available for:

  • Honors and awards, such as:
    • The Combat Action Ribbon plate.
    • The Purple Heart license plate.
  • Wars and conflicts, including:
    • The Grenada plate.
    • The Persian Gulf tag.
  • Veterans and retirees, including:
    • The U.S. Armed Forces Retired plate.
    • The Honorably Discharged Veteran tag.

You can get a military license plate ONLY IF it reflects your service record, and you must present proof of eligibility, such as your discharge papers.

For a list of available plates, fees, and eligibility requirements, visit the OH BMV website.

For details about military plate applications, see Applying for Specialty License Plates.

Ohio Historical License Plates

You can get an Ohio BMV historical license plate if your vehicle is:

  • At least 25 years old.
    AND
  • Used only for special events and activities, such as parades.

The historical plate is a one-time fee of $10 PLUS a $21 license tax.

To learn more about historical plate applications, see our page Applying for Specialty License Plates.

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