Is It Going To Cost You More For Your Personalized WA Plate?

Those personalized license plates on the front and back of your vehicle may cost a few more dollars if the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department gets what they are asking.  In the agency's legislative request presentation for the 2025 session, WDFW would like the House and Senate to approve a hike in the cost to renew personalized license plates.

Personalized plates became available after the November 1973 election when Referendum 33 passed.  that established the ability for residents to personalize their plate for an additional fee.  That fee was earmarked to go to WDFW for conservation efforts.  As the years have passed, the State began to include groups, organizations, and sports teams into the personalization mix.

The last time the fee structure was addressed by the elected chambers in Olympia was 2013.  At that time, the legislature determined the initial fee for a personalized plate should be $52 with the annual renewal $42.  Keep in mind, that fee isn't the total cost of getting a personalized plate, it is just the fee that the legislature assessed.  A portion of that fee, $10, goes to WDFW for their conservation work.

Get our free mobile app

$52 Doesn't Sound Bad For A Personalized Plate

The broader RCW states that the lawmaker imposed fee is on top of other fees set by the agency (in this case the Department of Licensing) or taxes due.  The cheapest personalized plate, according to DOL, is listed in the chart below:

If you want to step up a level and get a WSU plate or a plate to recognize which branch of the military you served, well, that gets a little heavier on the wallet:

Both options are subject to the yearly renewal fee.  WDFW is asking legislators to bump the renewal fee to the same price as the initial fee of $52.  The conservation agency estimates the increase will net them an additional $1.6 million dollars over the course of the biennial budget.

The increase, if approved, will not impact all personalized plates.  University, Military, and non-profit organization plates would not be subject to jump.  The rate of personalized renewals are so consistent that WDFW stated in their proposal that they don't believe they will see a decrease if the additional $10 is approved.

If you are thinking about getting a personalized plate, you should act sooner than later.  DOL is still advising on their website that the production of plates is still significantly delayed, due to COVID-19 closures, and they do not have a timetable for that delay decreasing.

In Case You Were Wondering

License plates have been manufactured by inmates, primarily at the Walla Walla State Penitentiary, since 1923.  There are roughly three dozen inmates that work in the license plate factory.  Some plates are also made at the Correctional Complex in Monroe.