Louisiana Specialty License Plates: Types, Fees, and Renewal

Louisiana specialty license plates come in three broad families: personalized prestige plates with a custom letter and number combination, organizational plates that route a donation to a sponsoring cause, and military and veteran plates that recognize qualifying service. Every application runs through the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, and the fees range from $0 for qualifying disabled veterans up to $250 per year for a single-letter prestige plate. The rules live in Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes.

Personalized Prestige Plates

A prestige plate replaces the standard sequence with letters and numbers you choose. Any owner of a private passenger vehicle or a qualifying commercial passenger vehicle can apply, and the OMV assigns combinations on a first-come, first-served basis so no two owners share a plate.¹ Reapply on time each year and you keep priority on your combination.

The OMV will not approve any combination that could carry a connotation offensive to good taste and decency.¹ Review covers ethnic, racial, vulgar, or indecent connotations and combinations that could mislead.²

Prestige Plate Fees

Prestige plates add an annual surcharge on top of your regular registration. For plates with more than one character, the surcharge is $25 per year. Single-letter plates cost $250 per year.¹ Worth knowing before you decide on a one-character vanity plate. The surcharge recurs every year because prestige plate holders reapply annually.

Organizational Plates

Organizational plates let you display an affiliation and direct part of your fee to the group’s work. Louisiana has plates supporting causes from environmental education to organ donation, along with plates for universities and civic organizations. To qualify, the organization must have an existing agreement with the OMV, and you provide proof of membership or affiliation when you apply.

The fee pattern is consistent: base registration plus a donation earmarked for the organization plus a small handling fee retained by the state. The environmental education plate takes a $25 donation to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries with a $1 handling fee.³ The organ donation plate uses the same $25 donation, routed to the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, with a $3.50 handling fee.⁴ Amounts vary by plate, but $25 is the most common donation figure.

Military and Veteran Plates

Louisiana issues several plates recognizing different branches and eras of service, including plates for World War II, Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm veterans. Eligibility requires proof of qualifying service, and the standard documentation is a DD Form 214.⁵

Disabled Veteran Plates

The disabled veteran plate offers the strongest benefits of any specialty plate in the state. You qualify if you are a Louisiana resident with a service-connected disability rated at 50 percent or higher by the VA.⁶ That threshold is lower than many states require.

The plate is free. There is no issuance fee, and disabled veteran plates are exempt from the standard renewal cycle.⁶ The plate carries a “DV” designation with the international accessibility symbol, and the holder gets the same parking privileges as someone with a mobility impairment plate. The OMV will issue a free hang tag with the accessibility symbol on request, though a lost or destroyed hang tag requires a reissuance fee to replace.

The plate can go on passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans. The secretary may issue a plate for each vehicle registered in the qualifying veteran’s name.

How to Apply

Every application runs through the OMV. The general process is the same across plate types; the supporting documents differ.

Prestige plates: file the Request for Personalized Prestige License Plate (form DPSMV 1619) with a photocopy of the vehicle’s registration certificate and proof of insurance. Submit online at ExpressLane.org, by mail, or in person. If the vehicle is not yet titled in your name, include the titling paperwork.²
Organizational plates: submit a standard vehicle application with proof of membership or affiliation, usually a membership card or letter from the sponsoring group.
Military and veteran plates: attach a copy of your DD Form 214 or equivalent proof of service. Disabled veteran applicants must show a VA rating of 50 percent or higher.

The OMV reviews each application and verifies supporting documents. Plates that require organizational or military verification involve coordination with an outside entity, which can extend processing time. Missing or inconsistent paperwork is the most common reason for delays, so check your documents before you send them. If you apply online, the OMV will follow up with instructions on any additional documentation and fees.

Fee Structure at a Glance

Every specialty plate starts with the base vehicle registration fee, calculated at 0.1 percent of the vehicle’s selling price per year with a minimum base value of $10,000. Because plates are sold in two-year increments, the minimum registration cost is $20.⁷ On top of that, each specialty plate adds its own surcharge or donation.

Other military and veteran plates that do not fall under the disabled veteran exemption pay the standard registration fee and may carry an additional surcharge depending on the plate. Confirm the exact amount with the OMV for any plate not listed here.

Transferring and Replacing Plates

Transferring to a New Vehicle

If you sell or buy a vehicle, you can move your specialty plate to another vehicle registered in your name. The transfer fee is $3.⁸ Plates cannot move between owners. When you sell your vehicle, either keep the specialty plate for your next one or surrender it to your local OMV office or by mail to the OMV in Baton Rouge.⁹ Do not leave a specialty plate on a vehicle you are selling.

Replacing a Lost or Stolen Plate

Apply for a replacement as soon as you notice a plate is missing by completing form DPSMV 1799. The replacement runs $10 plus an $8 handling fee, with any additional charges based on plate type and vehicle value.¹⁰

Renewal

Most specialty plates follow the state’s standard registration renewal cycle, and the OMV sends reminders ahead of the deadline. Renewal fees generally match what you paid initially: base registration plus the specialty surcharge or donation for your plate type. Renew online through the OMV’s ExpressLane system, by mail, or in person.²

Prestige plate holders should watch the timing. Miss the deadline and you lose priority on your combination, and someone else can claim it. Disabled veteran plates are the exception to the whole renewal picture: they are exempt from the standard renewal requirements.⁶

1
Justia. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 47 RS 47-463.2 – Special Personalized Prestige License Plates for Passenger Vehicles
2
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Personalized Plate Regulations
3
Louisiana State Legislature. RS 47-463.43 – Special License Plates; Environmental Education Account
4
Louisiana State Legislature. RS 47-463.73 – Special Prestige License Plate; Louisiana Organ Donation
5
Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles. Policy 46.00 World War II Veterans License Plates
6
Louisiana State Legislature. RS 47-490.4 – Military Honor License Plates for Certain Disabled Veterans
7
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration, Title and Plate Fees
8
Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles. Specialty License Plate Policy – Plate Transfer
9
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Notice of Vehicle Transfer
10
Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles. Policy – Lost or Stolen License Plate / Validation Sticker