How to Get a Personalized License Plate in Louisiana

Tired of road raging? Take the high road and switch to road phrasing! Get a personalized license plate in Louisiana, express your individual personality and make your presence known wherever the road of life may take you. It's as simple as A-B-C, and 1, 2, 3.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet access
• Vehicle's registration

Instructions

1. Logon to Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of Motor Vehicles Web site and download an official application for a personalized license plate.

2. Print the application.

3. Date the application.

4. 'Write in the vehicle's VIN.

5. Provide your name and address.

6. Fill in your vehicle's make, model, body style, year, color, present license plate number and its expiration date.

7. Indicate your driver's license number.

8. Sign your application.

9. Find out if the personalized license plate messages you are interested in are available on the Louisiana Personalized Plate Inquiry system.

10. Choose three available options for your personalized license plates in order of preference using capital alphanumeric character combinations. You are allowed seven characters on your personalized license plate message; numbers, letters, hyphens, spaces and periods are allowable, but count them as separate characters.

11. Put your phone number on the application.

12. Remit your application and all applicable fees to Office of Motor Vehicles, Attention: Special Plate and Title Unit, P.O. Box 64886, Baton Rouge, LA 70896-4886.

13. Receive notification that your personalized license plate message has been approved.

14. Receive your personalized license plates in the mail in approximately 4 months.

15. Affix month and year tabs on your permanent personalized plates upon receipt and use.

Tips & Warnings

• Permanent personalized license plates usually arrive within 4 months. If you move, be sure to contact Louisiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of Motor Vehicles and give them your new address. If you do not advise the Office of your move, receipt of your personalized license plates may be complicated or delayed.

• Be advised that if your plate is approved, it may undergo some changes during manufacturing. Certain characters' widths may cause the spacing specified to be reduced or eliminated.

• The address on your vechile's registration must be correct. Contact the Office and make all changes to your address before placing your order.

• The Office will not honor requests for personalized license plates that contain prohibited characters, logos, offensive or misleading messages or alphanumeric combinations that are already in use. Keep this in mind while choosing your plate message.

• Personalized license plates cost more than a standard license plate. Be aware that additional fees will likely apply on top of the standard license plate fees that you are accustomed to paying.

• Blank or incomplete areas on your application will cause the application process for your personalized license plate to be delayed. Be sure to fill in all requested information completely and truthfully.

• If your vehicle is sold, traded or its ownership transferred after the issuance of the personalized license plates, you must contact Lousiana's Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of Motor Vehicles, to report the transaction. You must also follow the appropriate guidelines to release the plate to the new owner, transfer the plate to your new vehicle or return the plate to the department. Be advised that additional paperwork may be required.

• Requests for personalized license plates for vehicles that are not legally registered in Louisiana will be denied.