How much do personalized plates cost in California?
Passenger-plate fee guide
Initial fee
$103
Personalized plate add-on
Annual renewal
$83
Personalized plate renewal add-on
First-year estimate
$186
Initial fee + annual renewal
Cost breakdown
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Initial fee | $103 |
| Annual renewal | $83 |
| First-year estimate | $186 |
The supplied guide calculates the first year as the initial fee plus one annual renewal. These figures generally exclude ordinary registration, taxes, local fees, and optional specialty-background charges. A $0 fee means no separate charge for that item, not free vehicle registration.
Amounts are reproduced from the supplied fee guide and have not been independently reverified. Confirm the current total and billing schedule with the state agency before ordering.
Plate format and characters
Usually 2–7
A–Z, 0–9 and spaces; ordinary punctuation unavailable. Some backgrounds max out at 6.
Specialty backgrounds can change both the character limit and the price. Availability and content approval also apply.