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Looking for the national tool? Check vanity plate availability (all states).

New York Vanity Plate Checker

New York vanity plates are as diverse as the Empire State itself - from Manhattan finance professionals to Upstate farmers, from Yankees fans in the Bronx to Bills Mafia in Buffalo. New York uniquely allows the @ symbol to represent the state's iconic silhouette. With 8 characters available, you have more room for creativity than most states.

6/8 characters

Popular New York Plate Ideas

Click any idea above to check availability, or enter your own custom plate.

New York Vanity Plate Rules

  • Up to 8 characters for passenger vehicles
  • 6 characters for motorcycles
  • @ symbol represents the state silhouette
  • Cannot start or end with @ symbol
  • $60 initial personalization fee
  • $31.25 annual renewal fee
  • Cannot use spaces (use @ as separator)
  • Subject to DMV approval

Tips for Getting Your New York Plate

  • 1Check availability at transact2.dmv.ny.gov without an account
  • 2Use @ symbol creatively as a separator (e.g., NY@LOVE)
  • 3Yankees and Mets combinations are extremely competitive
  • 4Buffalo sports plates are less competitive than NYC teams
  • 5The 8-character limit gives you more creative options
  • 6Upstate-specific terms have better availability
  • 7Motorcycle plates have lower fees and different rules

New York Plate Info

Initial Fee$60
Annual Renewal$31/year
Max Characters8
AllowedLetters, numbers, and @ symbol
Processing Time4-6 weeks
Visit New York DMV

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Did You Know?

  • •New York is one of few states allowing 8 characters on plates
  • •The @ symbol represents the state silhouette and can be used mid-plate
  • •New York requires both front and rear license plates
  • •The Empire Gold plate design was introduced in 2010
  • •Yankees plates consistently top sales in the NYC area
  • •Buffalo Bills plates surged after the team's playoff runs
  • •New York processes over 100,000 vanity plate requests annually
  • •Motorcycle personalized plates are cheaper at different fee tiers

Popular Specialty Plates

  • ✓New York Yankees
  • ✓New York Mets
  • ✓New York Giants
  • ✓New York Jets
  • ✓Buffalo Bills
  • ✓New York Knicks

+ 9 more specialty designs

Learn More