14-025 Code Vt. R. 14-050-025-X - DMV RULE NO. 16 - REGISTRATION PLATES

Section I Special Plates

(a) Special number plates marked with initials, letters or combination of numerals and letters (vanity plates) are available for all number plate types except U. S. House and U. S. Senate, State House and State Senate, State Speaker, zone, safety organizations, service organizations, Veterans, Pearl Harbor, Purple Heart, former prisoner of war (POW), vehicles registered under the International Registration Plan (IRP), Amateur Radio Operator, snowmobiles and boats.

(b) There are seven (7) spaces on Vermont plates and the applicant may request any combination of letters and numbers with the following exceptions:

(1) No more than two (2) numbers allowed in combination with letters. The department considers an "O" as a zero except that special Amateur Radio Operator plates may be issued with one (1) zero (0), slashed as a number and any number of "O's" (oceans) as required up to a maximum total of six (6) characters.

(2) No dots, dashes, hyphens, apostrophes, ampersands, or number signs are allowed on special plates. Only letters, numbers, or spaces are allowable. A special plate must begin with a letter, or number, or space. No special plate may begin with "Z".

(3) When a plate is issued that contains the letter "I" the department will not issue the same combination of letters with a number "1" in place of the "I". For example: "EIEIO" and "EIEIO".

(4) The small letter "c" is allowed on special plates as long as the plate does not begin or end with this letter. Exception: It may not be issued for small trailers, motorcycles, mopeds or ATV's.

(5) Antique and exhibit vehicle special plates are limited to 4 characters which cannot consist of one alpha and two numeric or one alpha and three numeric.

(6) State plates are limited to 5 characters.

(7) Vehicle registration plates smaller than 6" x 12" in size, which can only accommodate 6 characters/spaces.

(c) A special (vanity) plate may be issued to each series of plate types, for example, as a pleasure car plate and also as a truck plate if it displays a "TRK" designation on the left edge of the plate or any other plate type except those listed in (a) above.

(d) Special plates are available for vehicles qualifying for disabled plates (wheelchair symbol). Up to a maximum of five (5) spaces are allowed since the wheelchair symbol takes up one and one-half spaces. If the plate has been issued for a regular plate the department will not issue it as a disabled plate also, unless the registrant has a change of status and surrenders the previous special plate.

(e) To retain the same initial or letters each year, the application and fee must be received by the department within 60 days after expiration.

(f) The primary purpose of motor vehicle registration plates is to identify motor vehicles. The special plate is a nonpublic forum. Nothing in the issuance of a special plate creates a designated or limited public forum. All new applications for special plates will be carefully reviewed and will be issued only when it has been established within reasonable means that the requested number or letters and/or combination of letters, numerals, and spaces are appropriate for display on a motor vehicle. The following is a non-exhaustive list of combinations that will not be issued:

(1) Combination of letters, or numbers with any connotation, in any language, that is vulgar, derogatory, profane, scatological or obscene;

(2) Combinations of letters, or numbers that connote, in any language, breast, genitalia, pubic area, or buttocks or relate to sexual or eliminatory functions. Additionally, "69" formats are prohibited unless used in combination with the vehicle make, for example, "69 CHEV";

(3) Combinations of letters, or numbers that connote, in any language:

(i) any illicit drug, narcotic, intoxicant, or related paraphernalia;

(ii) the sale, the user, or the purveyor of such a substance; or

(iii) the physiological state produced by such a substance;

(4) Combination of letters, or numbers that refer, in any language, to a race, religion, color, deity, ethnic heritage, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, or political affiliation; provided, however, the commissioner shall not refuse a combination of letters or numbers that is a generally accepted reference to a race or ethnic heritage (for example, IRISH);

(5) Combinations of letters, or numbers that suggest, in any language, a government or governmental agency;

(6) Combinations of letters or numbers that suggest, in any language, a privilege not given by law in this state;

(7) Combinations of letters or numbers that form, in any language, a slang term, abbreviation, phonetic spelling or mirror image of a word described in (1) through (6).

An applicant whose request for a specific combination has been denied will receive written notice of the denial, the basis for the denial.

(g) If a special plate has been issued that is found to be described in (1) through (7) above that plate may be revoked. The registrant will be issued written notice of the revocation. The notice shall be made in the same manner as license or registration suspensions or revocations set forth in 23 V.S.A. § 204, and shall include the right to a pre-revocation hearing. When a special plate is revoked pursuant to this section, the registrant may select a different, appropriate special plate at no extra cost or may select a regular plate and receive a refund of the special plate fee.

Section II Special "Safety Organization" and "Service Organization" Plates

(a) The Safety Organization and Service Organization plates approved by the Commissioner shall contain a symbol or logo occupying not more than two (2) characters of the (7) character spaces on the plates.

(b) Each safety organization and service organization shall designate a single appropriate official of the organization as the contact for the Department and the authority for the issuance of the plates to members.

(c) Each organization will be responsible for notifying the Department of Motor Vehicles when an individual's membership in a qualifying organization ceases or is terminated. The individual shall surrender any special registration plates issued by the Department and shall be so notified by the organization and the Department.

(d) Each applicant for special safety organization and service organization plates shall provide a written statement in a form approved by the Commissioner from the appropriate official of the organization authorizing the Department to issue the plates or shall provide other written authorization approved by the Commissioner.

(e) The name of the authorized organization member must appear on the registration of the vehicle to receive the special plates or the plates cannot be issued.

(f) Each type of special safety organization or service organization plate shall be issued with a numbering series to be determined by the Commissioner. Exception: Vermont Amateur Radio Operator license plates shall be issued with the registrant's FCC Call Sign as the license plate number.

(g) A vehicle may only be registered with one plate type.

For example, a disabled plate cannot also have the conservation plate or any other plate type symbol on it. A Veteran plate cannot also have the Pearl Harbor etc. symbol on it. A Veteran plate cannot have the conservation plate etc. symbol on it and a service or safety organization cannot also have the Veteran or POW etc. plate symbol or any other specifically designated plate type symbol on it.

Section III Manner of Display

Consistent with the provisions of 23 V.S.A. § 511 which describes the manner of displaying number plates issued by the Commissioner, all such number plate(s), whether displayed on the front or rear of a vehicle operated on the highway, shall be displayed (attached) to the vehicle in the position designated and provided by the manufacturer.

Section IV Number of Plates

Two registration plates are issued to and must be displayed by all registered vehicles except for the following types of vehicles for which one plate is issued:

-- Trailers

-- New car dealers

-- Finance car dealers

-- Farm machinery dealers

-- Trailer dealers

-- All-terrain vehicle dealers

-- Motorcycles

-- All-terrain vehicles

-- Antique vehicles

-- Contractors' trailers

-- Used car dealers

-- Auction car dealers

-- Highway building equipment dealers

-- Motorcycle/moped dealers

-- Transporters

-- Mopeds

-- Exhibition vehicles

-- Zone

Notes

14-025 Code Vt. R. 14-050-025-X

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 3, 1990 Secretary of State Rule Log #90-16
AMENDED: June 12, 2000 Secretary of State Rule Log #00-31; September 20, 2007 Secretary of State Rule Log #07-036

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 23 V.S.A. §§ 304, 511