Wondering how to get a personalized licence plate in Ontario?
To verify how the process works, screening and replacement steps, we reviewed Ontario’s personalized-plate ordering page, Ontario’s graphic-plate guide, and Ontario’s plate-replacement guide.
In this article, we’ll go over the following:
- How to request a plate, including Ontario’s message-screening process.
- The character limitations and how that changes if you’re adding a graphic to your plate.
- The requirements you must fulfil once your personalized plate arrives.
- Circumstances that would lead Ontario to reject your request.
- What to do if your plate is damaged, missing, or stolen.
How Do You Get A Personalized Licence Plate In Ontario?
Once received, you must register personalized plates at a ServiceOntario location before you can place them on a vehicle.
Before you order the plates, make sure you’ve paid all fines and tolls. You can order a personalized plate online using your Ontario driver’s licence number or registrant identification number (RIN), or at a ServiceOntario centre if you don’t have a licence number or RIN.
Choose your plate, add characters, pick a graphic if desired and pay. Ontario will review the message you choose for your plate. If it is approved, Ontario will mail you your new personalized licence plate.
How To Get It Step By Step
- Pick out two or three message ideas that are easy to read and make sense. Unique messages might not meet the content restrictions, so it’s a good idea to have backups. Note that text-only and text-with-graphic messages have different character limitations and prices.
- Make sure you have a driver’s licence number or a Registrant Identification Number (RIN). Also ensure any NSF fees, Highway 407 tolls and fines are paid before ordering.
- Complete the application to confirm your message is available. You can apply online or visit a ServiceOntario location if you can’t confirm your identity online. Select your vehicle and plate type and enter your message. Pick out a graphic if applicable. Double-check your message for misspellings before placing the order.
- Pay the fee and save the receipt. Ontario currently lists a four-week mailing time for personalized plates.
- Once your plate arrives, register it to your vehicle with ServiceOntario before attaching it.
Ontario Personalized Plate Character Limits And Costs
| Plate | Character limit | Current listed price | Delivery or next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger or commercial, no graphic | 2 to 8 | $310 | Personalized plates will be mailed and should take four weeks to arrive. Once the plates have been received, register them at ServiceOntario. |
| Passenger or commercial, with graphic | 2 to 6 | $336.40 | Order the plate as a personalized graphic plate. After your plate is delivered, register it to your vehicle. |
| Motorcycle, no graphic | 2 to 5 | $310 | Personalized plates cannot be registered to a limited-speed motorcycle. |
Personalized Ontario plates that contain a graphic can be between two and six characters. Passenger plates without graphics allow for more.
What Messages Can Be Rejected?
Ontario may reject plates that create readability concerns or contain prohibited content. This includes messages with more than four of the same character, like AAAAA, confusing character combinations such as S/5 or A/4, and any reference to sexual content or acts, drugs or alcohol, abusive or derogatory language, violence or criminal activity, religion, discrimination, many political or official references, and more.
Remember that although you may not mean for your plate to sound offensive, it may read differently when pronounced out loud. Keep spacing, phonetics, numbers, other languages, graphics and abbreviations in mind when applying. Having the characters available does not guarantee that the plate will be approved. Always have a few choices.
How To Check If My Combination Of Characters Is Available In Ontario
Use the availability check in Ontario’s order process to see whether the combination of characters you want is available. Keep in mind that availability doesn’t guarantee ministry approval. After you submit your request, the ministry will review your message.
What Happens After Your Plate Arrives?
Personalized licence plate holders are still responsible for keeping plate records, insurance information, vehicle permits, and mailing addresses up to date.
Bring your new licence plate, the letter that came with it, your existing plates, your vehicle permit, and valid identification to ServiceOntario. ServiceOntario must register the personalized plate to your vehicle and decommission your old plates before you attach the new ones. If your insurer tracks licence plate numbers, advise them of your new plate number.
Read More: See How Ontario Licence-Plate Renewal Works
Lost, Stolen, And Damaged Personalized Plates
| Problem | Replacement cost | Timing and documents |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged or lost personalized plate, with or without a graphic | $100.70 | Replacement plates for damaged plates are shipped within six weeks. If your personalized or graphic licence plate is missing, you must wait six months before you can replace it. Visit ServiceOntario for more information. |
| Stolen personalized plate, with or without a graphic | $54.60 | Police information must be added to the replacement declaration. Plates can only be replaced after six months. |
| Non-personalized graphic plate | $54.60 | A non-personalized graphic plate may be available for immediate replacement at a ServiceOntario centre. |
You can request replacement personalized licence plates through ServiceOntario. If your personalized plates are missing or stolen, ServiceOntario can remake them and provide interim regular plates for free.
To get interim regular plates, you’ll need identification, the vehicle’s valid insurance and permit, and the other or damaged plate, if applicable.
Once your personalized plates arrive, bring back the interim plates, along with your letter, permit portions, and proof of insurance, to register your plates.
How To Order A Personalized Plate With A Graphic
If you’d like to include both text and a graphic, then you’ll need to order a personalized Ontario graphic plate. These plates allow only two to six characters but offer more than 60 graphic options, including professional sports teams, provincial symbols, universities, and community organizations.
Personalized Licence Plates For Veterans
You can only order veteran graphic plates in person. Bring your:
- vehicle permit;
- valid identification; and
- an original copy of the Application for Veteran Plate Eligibility Certification that has been stamped and signed by the Royal Canadian Legion, Ontario Provincial Command.
Can I Purchase A Custom Licence Plate For Someone Else?
Gift certificates are available through ServiceOntario. They are not available for replacement or sample plates.
You cannot transfer a licence plate once it has been registered. However, you can buy a personalized licence plate as a gift. A transfer form will be provided with the personalized licence plate, allowing you to transfer it to someone else before attaching it to a vehicle. It can only be transferred once.
What Happens To The Plate If You Move Out Of Ontario?
If you have a personalized plate in Ontario and move to another province, you can ask ServiceOntario to detach the plate from the Ontario vehicle record and keep it. This doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to drive beyond the timeframe that the other province allows for registering your vehicle. Each province has its own rules and timelines about licence plates and vehicle registration, so this information isn’t providing you with a grace period.
Read More: Use the Ontario Address-Change Checklist