Personalized license plates

Submitted by Several_Acadia t3_z830k7 in newhampshire

I just moved here from Mass and have noticed sooooo many people have personalized/custom license plates. I think most are hilarious & creative, I’m even trying to convince my boyfriend to get one. But we have been wondering why is this such a big thing in New Hampshire?

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gman2391 t1_iy9jlam wrote

It used to be a lot cheaper to have a vanity plate in nh than mass. The price increased from $25/yr to $40/yr in 2010. Its $50/yr in mass for reference.

So it probably started out because it was relatively inexpensive and now it's a cultural thing

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Several_Acadia OP t1_iy9o3jz wrote

Replying to gman2391 (#775,217)

Okay I was thinking it had something to do with price! Mass also has a lottery for a special number plate (not sure about for letters too) so I was wondering if it was easier obtaining one here. My bf and I love seeing them! Have always just been curious. Thanks!

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KrissaKray t1_iy9pj3k wrote

Because it's cheap af to do in comparison to some other states.

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nosamwilliam t1_iy9qtao wrote

Noticed this too. They’re everywhere.

Not as bad as California but still noticeable. I’ve only lived in a handful or states though so I don’t have much to compare to.

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ElisabetSobeckPhD t1_iy9y30n wrote

I think the biggest factor is there's a very low population relative to other states, which means the percentage of cars with vanity plates is higher. Like there's probably 1000s of people that wanted to get a license plate that says "TESLA" in california, but only 1 person gets it.

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Empty-Hope1814 t1_iy9y3fp wrote

Because long long ago a person from mass moved here and did it and then the next yuppy that sees that thinks oh how fun! It then spread like a cancer, Evolving into people just writing “My(insert whatever the badge on the trunk says here)”. I wouldn’t specially if your from mass most Likely an awful driver so that just gives people one more way to remember your car and how much they hate you.

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ralettar t1_iy9zxyt wrote

I read once NH has the highest percentage of vanity plates.

Also though there’s only the moose for other options. It’s not like you can get a Red Sox or Patriots plate

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ProlapsedMasshole t1_iya0h2u wrote

Replying to gman2391 (#775,217)

That's not why. It's because you can can go to your Town/City clerk's office to get them.

Absolutely massive difference between dropping by the office in Rye and having a nice catch up with Donna while submitting your request as opposed to sitting in the Lowell DMV for several hours for the same thing. I've done both, it's 100% this.

Edit: I don't recall the exact differences, but MA also has more restrictions on what you can choose (repetitive numbers, no initial numbers, etc) as well as 6 characters vs 7.

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Rolling_Beardo t1_iya1661 wrote

I’ve always assumed because compared to other states it’s pretty cheap.

So not a specific reason it’s just affordable for more people.

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External_Dimension71 t1_iya6jub wrote

When I lived in NH I had all vanity plates. 2 cars and boat trailer. See a lot of good ones over the years

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LilacSlumber t1_iya9gqf wrote

Moved here from TX about 7 years ago. We love trying to figure out some of them. Some are tought to figure out, but it feels like I won Wheel of Fortune when I finally get it.

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goingTofu t1_iyaazu1 wrote

I always wondered this and then when I moved to NH and registered my car I realized the reason. They specifically ask you if you want a vanity plate when you register. So even if you weren’t thinking about it, the act of them asking will trigger people to consider it. In MA you have to plan ahead and it’s more of a process

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HFVS t1_iyacaca wrote

They are pretty cheap and many available. For shits and giggled I searched my first name and it was available but I'd rather not want the attention of a vanity plate.

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soxfan91 t1_iyadkvz wrote

Replying to goingTofu (#781,245)

Also comes down to rules—in MA, numbers have to be at the end of a vanity plate where that isn’t the case in NH, so you can be more creative if someone has the one you think you want. It’s also slightly cheaper in NH, $40 instead of $50.

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B1ggestsport t1_iyadp3x wrote

It's cheap, but also most of NHs population is in a smaller area then most states so you will see them more

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Least-Car6096 t1_iyaf6qs wrote

We’ve lived here 8 years and love our vanity plates. We couldn’t wait to get them when we moved up (from 25 mins south in MA.) They’re so fun and cheap- why not right?

A few years back I finally landed my dream plate. Couldn’t believe no one else had it already. Then Covid happened, self explanatory. The lease was up on my car in the middle of the chaos so we decided to turn it in/take it off the road since it was only driven like twice a month with remote work & school, quarantines, ect. We figured we’d wait a few months and see how things are going before we get a new car. No sense in buying another driveway decoration if we’re gonna be home for another year (spoiler alert: we were.)

But as soon as my beloved vanity plate was unregistered to my car, someone snatched it up immediately!!! Of course I checked a few times a month in hopes that I could keep it once I got another car. But sadly, no. It’s gone. Less than a month after my car came off the road. I still check the website occasionally- secretly hoping and praying that the person who snatched it up has a lapse in their registration like I did. If I ever saw that it was available again, I’d be running straight for town hall the same day.

^^^after re-reading my story before posting I’m like wow I guess this is a prime example of how looney NH folks truly are about their vanity plates. Emotional attachment to a license plate is pretty weird huh? I’ll never not be devastated until I get her back one day 😩🥹

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Falsse_Flag t1_iyah1z8 wrote

Because when you go to get your plates they ask if you want to spend $10 (?) and get vanity plates.

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SheeEttin t1_iyajt74 wrote

I just like seeing the clever ones, like the white Nissan Cube with the plate C6H12O6, or the Honda Element with the plate INMY, or the variations of the conservation plate with &SQRL.

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bigdamncat t1_iyakr07 wrote

I moved here from Michigan where a vanity plate costs $500 a year ($100 a year just to get a U of M or MSU token on your plate). It's cheap af so I'm assuming that's why, haha. I only ever saw a handful of vanity plates in Michigan and you always knew it was some rich jerk showing off. I hated them previously because of that reason, now I'm neutral on them.

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Quirky_Butterfly_946 t1_iyakrxa wrote

Replying to LilacSlumber (#780,901)

I was behind a car for at least a half hour trying to figure out their plates. it read WHOHAHA. Until I finally realized it was from Finding Nemo. They even had a sticker in front of the plate that read Shark Bait. Not one of my more lucid moments, but I loved it

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NewHampshireGal t1_iyalxf2 wrote

Fun fact: NH ranks #2 in number of vanity plates. Virginia is #1.

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kyoto93 t1_iyapr54 wrote

Replying to SanchitoQ (#783,196)

My personal favorite is “PB4WEGO”, the DMV tried to recall it for profanity 15 years after it was initially issued but the governor stepped in and stopped it from being recalled

Edit: spelling error

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AuthorSnow t1_iyaqdxj wrote

It’s cheap and fun so why not?

It’s not complicated

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CoffeeAutomatic2934 t1_iyb45lx wrote

Replying to AuthorSnow (#784,584)

Yes very cheap. I have vanity plates on many of my old junky cars because it adds to the fun of them. Not sure had a nh plate on a car that wasn't a vanity plate.

MA vanity plates are so expensive it's more of an obnoxious flex then a fun thing. Seeing MA vanity plates far more garuntees a spoiled brat or cocky a-hole in a porsche, far more then an average person with a mild sense of humor who just happens to want to share that humor through a silly gesture on their car.

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Bad_idea54 t1_iyb4ofy wrote

I'm a NH to Maine transplant and they're really popular over here too.

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Welcomefriends85 t1_iyb7k3h wrote

I moved here a year ago from the west coast. Agree. I have never seen so many personalized plates in my life.

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earpain2 t1_iybbuyr wrote

Trying to snag low number plates is also a game we play.

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AlertCow7301 t1_iybd0b5 wrote

We actually studied this in a Communications class at UNH - the unusually high number of personalized license plates in the state.

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itsMalarky t1_iybeqrc wrote

best i've seen is 9FE (nine iron)

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Beneficial-Hand4310 t1_iybhsm4 wrote

Replying to Pristine-Elk-2902 (#789,193)

This is the answer. Would love to say my NH brethren are just so creative... But compare the cost of a vanity plate in NH to virtually any other state.

Btw... Does anyone know the genius with the moose plate that says " knuckle"? Post pic as op and iou gold

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AlyssaB89 t1_iybip6r wrote

So I know which of the 52 white highlanders in the grocery store parking lot is mine lol… also it’s better than a bumper sticker

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SunnPop t1_iybsbbm wrote

Mine says CACAW

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ShortUSA t1_iybsul8 wrote

A few years ago I learned NH had the second highest percentage of vanity plates. First was VA.

Regarding your question as to why so many... They're called vanity plates for a reason!

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dontpan1c t1_iycxys5 wrote

They're cheap and easy to get.

I'm WEWTRBO

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beagletronic61 t1_iyd2v94 wrote

I would like to suggest that the cost to register a vehicle is substantially less upfront because there’s no state sales tax. Let’s take a car that has a selling price of $20,000 and a base MSRP also of $20,000 (just for round numbers). The cost to register this car in NH is $360 (plus approx $35 to the state for the GVWR). If you buy this car in MA, you have an upfront bill of around $1250 (based on 6.25% sales tax). So the upfront cash outlay is substantially less in NH which makes a vanity plate purchase less unappetizing in that moment. On top of that, NH also has the third highest median income.

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beagletronic61 t1_iydai44 wrote

Replying to Szabaka (#809,255)

The annual fee in NH is calculated on the original BASE MSRP of the car and decreases on an annual basis from 1.8% for current model years and drops .3%/year until it hits the bottom value on the chart.

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Several_Acadia OP t1_iyddvvb wrote

Replying to SunnPop (#794,756)

That’s awesome and for some reason I feel like I may have seen your car before. That one sticks out to me as my dad used to yell that to us if he lost us in public LOL

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Accomplished-Ad7885 t1_iydqho9 wrote

My f350 duallys plate says THICC. I just thought it was Appropriate

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bassboat1 t1_iydvfsd wrote

It lets us get our point across without offending anyone:)

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ThunderySleep t1_iyehh7g wrote

Cheap, small state so higher availability, enough of them people notice it's a thing and then want to get their own.

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Tra1nGuy t1_iyeiu04 wrote

My dad’s golf hatchback that he had for years had a plate that said GMBH. I still have it! He has a dodge grand caravan without a custom plate now sadly. I wonder if it was a joke referring to where volkswagon is from.

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