If you are interested in having your own custom licence plate, you’ve come to the right place to learn more about what you should consider before ordering and the necessary requirements so it isn’t rejected.
How Licence Plates Work in Ontario
Each province issues Licence Plates in Canada. The province name is typically displayed at the top or bottom of the plate and changes depending on whether it is a private or commercial vehicle. Current Ontario licence plates have light blue characters on a white background. The standard size is 12 inches per 6 inches, with the phrase “Yours to Discover” at the bottom and a configuration of four letters and three numbers (ABCD-123). At the top is the name of the province in capital letters: “ONTARIO”.
How to Get a Personalized Licence Plate In Ontario
If you want to get a custom car plate, the most common provider to buy it from is directly from the Government of Ontario. There are plenty of options to choose from depending on your preferences and what you want to put on the plate. To purchase a custom licence plate online for a car you must have the following:
- A valid driving licence number.
- A copy of a registrant identification number (RIN)
- No outstanding traffic tickets such as speeding, careless driving or others.
If you don’t have any of the above, you can go to a Service Ontario office or call 1-800-AUTOPL8 (2886758) to order a new custom number plate or convert a regular licence plate to a personalized licence plate.
What Are the Criteria to Order a Custom Plate?
Like other vehicle procedures, Ontario licence plates must meet certain rules or criteria to be approved before production. Some of these criteria are:
- The combination of numbers and letters must be unique, not in use for other cars.
- The length must be between two and eight characters.
- It cannot have more than four identical numbers or letters in a row
- Interchangeable numbers and letters are not allowed (for example, S/5, A/4)
Additionally, there is a list of topics and terms that have been banned on licence plates. These are the topics specified by the Ontario government page:
- Sexual messages
- Abusive, vulgar or derogatory language
- Offensive slang in any language
- Religion
- Drugs and alcohol
- Political opinions and figures
- Violence or criminal activity
- Discrimination
Your custom number plate will be reviewed by a committee to make sure it meets these requirements for approval or rejection.
How Much Is A Custom Licence Plate In Ontario?
The cost of your licence plate depends on the type of customization and the type of vehicle that will carry the plate.
- A custom licence plate without a graphic for a passenger or commercial car is $310 (two to eight-character limit)
- A custom licence plate with a graphic for a passenger or commercial car is $336.40 (two to eight-character limit)
- A custom licence plate without a graphic for a motorcycle is $310 (two to five-character limit)
Keep in mind that any NSF fees (non-sufficient funds), Highway 407 tolls or other outstanding fines will need to be paid at the time of purchasing your custom plate.
How to Buy a New Personalized Licence Plate in Ontario?
To buy a new licence plate in Ontario or order a replacement is quite easy. You can order online from the Government of Ontario website by following these simple steps:
- Read over the criteria and make sure your combination is not banned.
- Head over to the “Order Now” button and click.
- Enter your valid Ontario driver’s licence number or RIN.
- Choose your type of vehicle (personal, commercial, motorcycle).
- Choose if you want a graphic or a logo.
- Type in your combination of characters, including letters and numbers.
- Look up and check if it is available.
- Select the one available and confirm
- Complete the purchase by paying the total amount.
Before the pandemic, Service Ontario offered a 28-day Service Guarantee Period, however, this delivery guarantee is suspended for now but on their website it still states you should receive your new licence plate within 4 weeks of ordering via mail.
What Happens to Your Licence Plate If You Move Out of Ontario?
Generally, you must change your licence plate if you move out of Ontario within a certain grace period. For example, if you move to Alberta, you can still use your Ontario plates for 90 days before you need new plates.
Fortunately, you don’t need to return your personalized plates when you move out. Instead, you can keep them without attaching them to another vehicle. All you need to do is go to a ServiceOntario centre and ask the staff member to detach your licence plate. This means your personalized plate is registered as inactive, and you can bring it with you without issues.
What Happens If Your Personalized Plate Is Damaged, Stolen, or Lost?
If your personalized plate is damaged, stolen, or lost, you can go to a ServiceOntario centre to get a plate replacement. However, you won’t receive another copy immediately. You’ll receive a set of regular plates and have to wait six months for the replacement personalized plates.
Once the replacement personalized plates are ready, you can pick them up at a ServiceOntario centre. A replacement personalized plate will cost $100.70, while a replacement graphic licence plate costs $54.60.
How To Check If My Combination of Characters is Available In Ontario
You may not be the first person to think of a specific combination of letters and numbers. It is very common for this to happen, so it is advisable to have a couple more options in case your first choice is already taken by someone else. To know if your combination is available, you must start ordering your personalized licence plate on the Service Ontario page. The transactional page will show you the options available as part of the purchase process, it’s worth nothing that there is no other way to look up and verify this information.
Custom Licence Plates With A Logo Or Graphic
Probably the most exciting part of buying a personalized licence plate for your car will be choosing a graphic or logo that reflects your love for a sports team, community organization, or post-graduate institution. Ontario has over 60 graphics to choose from in several categories:
- Arts and Entertainment
- Charity
- Community Organizations
- Environment
- Government
- Heritage
- Novelty
- Professional
- Sports Teams
- Universities and Colleges
Personalized Licence Plates for Veterans
Retired Canadian Army members, also known as Veterans, may also purchase a custom licence plate with the veteran graphic. To acquire it, the person must visit a Service Ontario office in person with the Application for Veteran Plate Eligibility Certification form completed, signed and stamped by the Royal Canadian Legion, Ontario Provincial Command.
What Are Sample Plates and Vanity Plates?
Sample plates are mainly bought for decoration or plate collectors. You can order one like this if you’re one of those collectors or if you just want to decorate your garage or room but remember that you can’t attach it to any vehicle legally. The cost of a sample licence plate without a logo is $16.95 and with a logo or graphic is $33.90.
A vanity plate is a licence plate bearing letters or numbers designated by the owner of the vehicle. In other words, it’s a fancier way of saying custom licence plates.
Can I Purchase a Custom Licence Plate for Someone Else?
Are you looking for a unique birthday gift? Well, surely this may interest you. You can purchase a gift certificate for a personalized licence plate at a Service Ontario center. Gift certificates are not available for sample plates or replacement plates. If you transfer ownership of a car, personalized licence plates can be transferred only once to anyone before it is attached to a vehicle.
Key Advice from MyChoice
- You can buy personalized licence plates through ServiceOntario’s website.
- You can buy sample plates for novelty or decorative purposes, but you can’t legally attach these to vehicles.
- If you move to a new province and have to change plates, you can register your personalized plates as inactive and keep them as decorative items.