NYS DMV Personalized Empire Plates Look Up & Ordering FAQs

Who can look up and order personalized Empire plates on-line?

Anyone can look up a personalized plate number. However, to order your plates on-line, you must have one of the following types of vehicle:

passenger vehicle
small commercial vehicle -- including vans, pick-ups and sport utility vehicles (SUVs)
motorcycle which has not been taken off the road.

Please note! - You cannot order "plates for the disabled" on-line.
Plates with the International Symbol of Access must be ordered through our Custom Plates Unit.

If you want to order personalized Empire plates for a type of vehicle not listed above, or if you have plates for the disabled, call the Custom Plates Unit at 1-518-402-4838 for assistance.

What can I use for my personalized plate number?

Passenger and Commercial plates:

You can put up to eight (8) characters on your plate, including:

letters, A through Z,
numbers, 0 through 9,
spaces, and
a state image which you enter by using the "at" sign, @ on your keyboard. You can have only one state image on your plate, and it cannot be the first or last character on your plate. The image counts as one character. See examples... with pictures.

Motorcycle plates:

You cannot put a state image on a motorcycle plate. You can put up to six (6) characters on your plate, including:

letters, A through Z,
numbers, 0 through 9, and
spaces.

Use of spaces:

Spaces may be used to control the placement or grouping of characters on your plate, as in "GO 4 IT". Use the spacebar to insert a space. Each space counts as one character. Each space you include will count toward the total length of your plate number. Leading spaces will affect placement on the plate.

Restricted combinations:

All plates are screened before delivery. DMV will not issue plates with obscene or objectionable plate numbers. Plates that may give the appearance of an official plate or are in the configuration of special registration classes will not be issued.

Do not use the letter "O" between two numbers to make what appears to be a number, as in "2O3", "2OO3", or "JAN2OO3".
The letter "I" cannot be the first or last characters on a plate when the rest of the characters are all numbers, as in "I45678" or "45678I".
Do not use the number zero (0) between two letters to form a word, as in "P00L" and "P0LE".
Do not combine the number zero (0) and the letter "O" to form a word or number, as in "PO0L" or "2O03".

Once I find a personalized plate that I like, how do I order it?

Ordering your plate is easy. You can order it on-line, by phone or by mail. Here's how:

My address has changed since I last renewed my registration. Can I order plates on-line?

No, you should NOT order your plates on-line if you have changed your address without notifying DMV. Otherwise, your new plates and registration documents will be mailed to your old address, and the post office may not forward them.

Instead, you can follow these instructions to order your plates by phone or mail.

The mail-in order form (CP-62.1) includes a checkbox for changing your address. However, this will update only the registration of the vehicle you are ordering plates for. To update your other DMV records, including your NYS driver's license (or non-driver ID) and any other NYS vehicle registrations you may have, you will need to send a letter or submit a "Change of Address" form (MV-232), which can be downloaded from the DMV Forms page.

Do NOT e-mail your address change request!
See Name or Address Change for instructions on changing your address at DMV.

I am temporarily living away from the address on my current registration. Can I still order plates on-line?

You may order your plates on-line if your mail will be accepted at the address on your current registration. Otherwise, call our Custom Plates Unit at 1-518-402-4838 to order plates.

My name has changed since I last renewed my registration. Can I order plates on-line?

No, you should NOT order plates on-line if you have changed your name without notifying DMV. Otherwise, your new registration will be issued with your old name.

To change your name with DMV, you must bring supporting documentation to your local DMV office. You may also renew your registration and update your license during that visit.

For more information, see Name or Address Change in the DMV FAQs section.

My registration expires soon. Can I order plates on-line?

Whether or not you received a renewal notice, if your registration expires in 60 days or less, you MUST renew your registration before you can order your plates. These are separate transactions, each with their own fee. Once you have custom or personal plates, you will pay both fees the next time you renew your registration. (Go to Registration Renewal to renew your registration.)

How much does a personalized Empire plate cost?

The initial cost of a personalized Empire plate is $43 for passenger and commercial vehicles, with an annual fee of $25. Motorcycle plates cost $25.50 initially, with an annual fee of $15. The annual fee will be paid when you renew your registration and is in addition to your vehicle renewal fee. There is no additional charge for ordering your plates on-line.

How do I pay for my plates?

You can pay for your plates using one of the following credit cards:

American Express®
Discover Card® / Novus®
MasterCard®
VISA®

DMV will also accept debit cards (or check cards) issued by Visa® and MasterCard® if they do not require you to enter a PIN, personal identification number.

How will I know what amount is being charged to my credit card?

You will be shown the plate order fee before you are asked to complete the transaction. The fee amount is also shown on the confirmation that you receive after submitting your order. Your credit card statement should also identify a charge for "DMV".

Is it safe to use my credit card on the Internet?

DMV uses SSL (secure socket layering), which is the industry standard for Internet commerce. It encrypts your credit card and personal information to ensure security of credit card transactions. Your credit card information will ALWAYS be encrypted during a DMV Internet Office Transaction. [DMV Privacy and Security Statement]

Why do I need an order number?
- How will I know if my transaction worked?
- Will I get a receipt?

If your personalized Empire plate order is successful, then after a few moments you should see a confirmation page displaying an order number, the fee amount you were charged and other important information about your transaction. Alternatively, if we are unable to process your transaction, you will see an error message giving an explanation of the problem, along with instructions for resolving the error and an order number, if applicable.

In either case, you should write down your order number!

Remember... You will need your order number if you contact us about your transaction.

After your plate order has been processed, we will attempt to send you an e-mail confirmation using the address you entered on the payment screen. This e-mail confirmation will also include your order number.

Note... Your confirmation is NOT a receipt and does NOT constitute legal proof of a valid registration. Your only receipt and proof of current registration is the receipt stub and window sticker that DMV will mail to you.

How long will it take to get my new personalized plates and registration?

Your new custom plates will be mailed separately from your registration document. You should allow 6 to 8 weeks for the custom plates to arrive. Your registration document should arrive before your custom plates.

If you do not receive your new custom plates and/or registration documents, you may contact the DMV Custom Plate Unit at 518-402-4838. Be aware that any confirmation you receive on-line or by e-mail is not legal proof of a valid registration. The only legal proof of a current registration is the receipt and window sticker that the DMV mails to you.

Can I cancel my on-line personalized Empire plate order?

No. Once a plate order has been accepted by the DMV Internet Office, it cannot be canceled on-line. You will have to call the Custom Plate Unit at 1-518-402-4838 for assistance.

What are the hours to look up and order plates on-line?

You can normally look up and order personalized Empire plates on-line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Most orders will be processed immediately.

However, for your convenience, some plate orders may be accepted and held for processing the next business day. This includes, but is not limited to, transactions conducted on weeknights between the hours of 8:00 pm and 6:00 am or on weekends. When this happens, your order confirmation will say "accepted." Once your plate order has been fully processed, you will be sent a "processed" notification by e-mail.

First...	Select your plate type. Match your vehicle class. Choose from "Passenger", "Commercial" and "Motorcycle". For example, "Passenger"
Next...	Enter a plate number. Create your own personalized plate number, and we'll tell you if it's available. For example, "MY@PLATE" ( What can I use for my plate number?)
Then...	See a sample of your plate. If you like it, you can order your plate on-line! * Tip! - If you ever need to contact us about your transaction, be sure you know your order number.

On-line *	Just click on the "Order Now!" button beneath the picture of your plate, and use your credit card to place your order over the Internet. Be sure to read our checklist of what you'll need if you want to order your plate on-line. If you are planning to order your plates on-line or by telephone, please be sure to have your current vehicle registration and credit card information ready.
Phone * or Mail	Click on the "order your plates by phone or mail" link to see complete instructions for ordering your plates by phone or by mail, as well as a table showing the standard fees that are charged for each type of custom plate.

Overview... Looking for a personalized plate is easy.

Checklist... What you'll need to order plates on-line.

Questions... about Empire plates look up and ordering.