DMV Offers 212 Different Picture and Professional Plate Designs
Highest Sellers Commemorate Military and Regions of New York State
From Army veterans to tributes to Long Island and New York City, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles offers a range of custom plates that prove popular with motorists.
DMV offers 212 different picture and professional plates for New Yorkers to choose from. The plates cover a wide range of categories from important causes to signs of the zodiac.
“DMV is pleased to offer so many options for New Yorkers to show their love for our state, their favorite cause, their favorite sports team and of course to honor their military service,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “We know custom plates are popular, so we encourage everyone to look at the options and see if there is one they would like.”
Here is a look at the top 10 most-sold custom plates of 2024.
The most popular plate, with 1,673 sold last year, is the Army Veteran plate.
New York offers more than 50 different types of military plates.
To qualify for any of those plates, a veteran must provide a copy of their DD-214 form or Certification of Military Service (NA FORM 13038), discharge papers or a New York State driver license displaying veteran status.
The second most popular plate was the Long Island regional plate, with 930 sold last year.
In 2023, the plate and its image of the iconic Montauk Point lighthouse won the Best Plate Award from the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
ALPCA President Cyndi McCabe said at the time, "Besides the legibility and the sheer beauty of the license plate, I was personally taken by how the Montauk license plate encapsulates the region's rich maritime heritage, blending the iconic lighthouse symbolizing coastal navigation with the broader tapestry of Long Island's history and culture."
Third and fourth place was a tie.
The New York City regional plate tied with the Medical Doctor plate at 798 sold each.
To qualify for a medical plate, a doctor must provide a copy of their current Registration Certificate issued by the New York State Education Department. The vehicle registration must be in the name of the medical professional only.
Two other veteran plates came in fifth and sixth place.
DMV sold 694 plates to Marine Corps veterans, and a general Veteran plate that does not specify military branch sold 596 plates.
The Buffalo Bills’ 2024 season may not have had the hoped-for ending, but they scored in New Yorkers’ hearts as the top-selling sports plate. In 2024, 517 loyal Bills fans chose to share their love of the team on their license plates.
NASCAR fans were off to the races, with 462 buyers displaying their fandom on their vehicles. Just be sure to keep to the speed limit, NASCAR fans!
Volunteer Firefighters ranked next among the buyers of custom plates with 359 sold last year, although we rank our volunteer firefighters much higher than that.
Rounding out the top sellers is the Dale Earnhardt memorial NASCAR plate, which sold 316 copies in 2024.
You can learn more about New York’s picture and professional plates on the DMV website.
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