How to Get a Vanity or Special Plate

Getting a vanity plate with letters you choose, or a special plate such as a veteran, Gold Star, National Guard or conservation plate, in New Hampshire: who qualifies, how to apply, and what each costs.

Checked against its sources October 17, 2026.

On this page

Cite this page

This guide is written by Granite Record from the official pages it links to. Where a citation allows only one source, cite the official page for the part you rely on. The date below is the day the page was read.

MLA: “How to Get a Vanity or Special Plate.” Granite Record, https://graniterecord.org/guides/vanity-and-special-plates. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.
APA: Granite Record. (n.d.). How to Get a Vanity or Special Plate. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://graniterecord.org/guides/vanity-and-special-plates
Chicago: Granite Record. “How to Get a Vanity or Special Plate.” Accessed November 2, 2026. https://graniterecord.org/guides/vanity-and-special-plates.
BibTeX: @misc{guides-vanity-and-special-plates, title = {How to Get a Vanity or Special Plate}, howpublished = {Granite Record}, url = {https://graniterecord.org/guides/vanity-and-special-plates}, note = {Accessed 2 Nov. 2026} }

At a Glance

A vanity plate carries letters and numbers you choose, approved by the Division of Motor Vehicles. A special plate shows that you belong to a group the law names, such as veterans, Gold Star families or the National Guard, or supports a cause, such as conservation or the state parks. Each plate is set by its own section of RSA 261, which says who qualifies and what it costs on top of your regular registration.

What kind of plate do you want?
- Letters you chooseA vanity plate, with letters and numbers the DMV approves.
- A plate for a group you belong toA veteran, Gold Star or National Guard plate, with proof that you qualify.
- A plate that supports a causeA conservation (moose) plate, a First for Veterans plate, or the state park symbol.
Apply when you register or renew, or change your plate type during the year.
If the DMV turns down a vanity plate, it refunds or credits the vanity fee.

Step by Step

A vanity plate

Choose your plate

A vanity plate carries the letters, or letters and numbers, that the DMV’s rules allow, and no two plates may be the same. Under the DMV’s rule (Saf-C 513.62), a vanity plate may not:

include a zero;
have more than 7 characters;
have more than 2 ampersands, plus signs or minus signs, or two of them side by side;
have any character other than letters, numerals, ampersands, plus signs and minus signs;
be only numerals, or only numerals with those symbols;
have characters that are hard to tell apart;
refer to, in any language and read any way, intimate body parts, profane or vulgar acts, profanity or obscenity, violence, illegal activities, illegal drugs, gangs, or slurs, discrimination or bigotry.

The most characters each kind of vanity plate can have
Plate	Characters
Passenger	7
Apportioned, Conservation, Commercial, Trailer, Veteran, State Park, Active Duty Military	6
Antique	6, or 4 with the Old Man replica
National Guard, Decal, Veteran Decal	5
Motorcycle	5, no ampersand
Walking Disability, Purple Heart, Street Rod, Conservation State Park, Disabled Veteran	4
Veteran Motorcycle	4, no ampersand
Purple Heart Motorcycle, Walking Disability Motorcycle	3, two of them letters, no ampersand

The DMV’s Vanity Plate Search shows whether a choice looks available, but it cannot save a plate for you, so it may be gone by the time you apply.

For a special plate, find yours in the table under “A special plate”, below: who may have it and what it costs.

Vanity plates (DMV)

The law: RSA 261:89

Apply when you register, or change your plate during the year
A vanity plate is issued only on application. When you register or renew, bring the DMV’s Application for Vanity Plates to your town or city clerk’s office. Once the clerk has done the town’s part of your registration, you can also apply at any DMV office that processes registrations, or mail the application, the town portion of your registration and a check for the fees to: NH Dept. of Safety, DMV – Registration Bureau, 23 Hazen Drive, Concord NH 03305. An approved plate is mailed to you.
To change to a vanity plate at another time, bring the application and your current registration to your town or city clerk’s office or a DMV location. To change to another plate type during the year, the DMV asks for a completed Application for Replacement Plates and Decals, the plate fees, a new registration fee, and any other fees for the plate you want.
Vanity plates (DMV)Vehicle registrations (DMV)
The law: RSA 261:89
Pay the fees
A vanity plate costs a special vanity plate service fee of $60, on top of your regular registration fee and the number plate fee of $4 a plate, and $60 a year for each set when you renew. The DMV prorates the vanity fee by the month. Changing your plate before your next renewal adds a one-time plate fee and a certified registration fee, which the DMV’s Vanity Plates page lists.
If the DMV turns your choice down, you get a letter in the mail with a set of number plates and a new registration. The vanity fee you paid is credited to your customer account, and you can choose a new plate or ask for a refund.
The law: RSA 261:89, RSA 261:75

A special plate

Show that you qualify

Each special plate is issued on application, and the plates for a group need proof that you belong to it. For a Gold Star plate, that is a report of casualty (DD Form 1300) or an official casualty notice; proof of your relationship, such as a birth certificate; or a marriage certificate or a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

To change to a special plate during the year, the DMV asks for a completed Application for Replacement Plates and Decals, the plate fees, a new registration fee, and any other fees for the plate you want.

Special plates and who may have them (RSA 261)
Plate	Who qualifies	What it costs	The law
Veteran	A veteran of the U.S. armed forces, or one discharged with a general discharge under honorable conditions, with proof of veteran status	The regular registration fee and the $4 a plate fee	RSA 261:87-b
Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart, former prisoner of war, Pearl Harbor survivor	A veteran the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rates permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, or who received a vehicle from the U.S. government as an amputee or paraplegic; a veteran totally blind from a service-connected disability; a former prisoner of war; a Purple Heart recipient; a Pearl Harbor survivor, with proof	The first set is free	RSA 261:86
Gold Star Mother, Father or Family	The mother or stepmother, the father or stepfather, or an immediate family member of a person killed while on duty in the U.S. armed forces	The regular registration fees, and no plate fee	RSA 261:87-c
National Guard and active duty	A member or retired member of the National Guard of any state, or an active-duty member of the armed forces	The registration fee	RSA 261:91
New Hampshire First for Veterans	Anyone who applies	$60, then $30 a year when you renew	RSA 261:97-g
Conservation (moose)	Anyone who applies	$30, and $30 a year when you renew	RSA 261:97-a
State park symbol, on any plate	Anyone who applies	$85, at registration and at each yearly renewal	RSA 261:75-c

Some special plates can carry letters you choose too: a Gold Star plate, and a conservation or First for Veterans plate, for which you pay the vanity fee as well. The state park symbol can go on a vanity plate.

The law: RSA 261:86, RSA 261:87-b, RSA 261:87-c, RSA 261:91

Common Questions

Can I choose the letters on a special plate?

On some. A Gold Star plate can carry a combination you ask for, if it meets the rules for any plate and is not already in use. A conservation or First for Veterans plate can be a vanity plate if you pay the vanity fee as well.

What happens if my vanity plate is turned down?

The law has the DMV refund or credit the vanity fee you paid, and issue you a plate of the same kind as the one you asked for. Under the DMV’s rule (Saf-C 508.04), you may also ask the Director in writing to issue the plate, explaining in detail why it should be.

Can a vanity plate be taken back after it is issued?

Yes. The law has the DMV recall a vanity plate that does not meet the law and the rules, whenever it was issued, and refund or credit the unused part of the fee. A complaint about a plate goes to the Director in a signed letter explaining why it does not meet the rules; anonymous letters are not accepted.

Can my spouse keep my plate after I die?

For some plates, yes, until they remarry: a Veteran plate, a National Guard plate of a retired member, and a former prisoner of war, Purple Heart or Pearl Harbor survivor plate.