How much is a custom licence plate in Canada?

Isn’t it interesting how in just eight characters or fewer, a licence plate can say something so small yet so personal? Maybe it’s a message for other drivers to connect with, or just a little something to help you smile after spending forever looking for your car in an overcrowded parking lot in the middle of the holiday season. That’s the appeal of a custom licence plate. It lets you add a bit of your personality to your car.

While the numbers do vary by province, many people in Canada apply for personalized plates every year. For example, in 2024, more than 58,000 drivers in Saskatchewan were using custom plates. In this post, you’ll see how much these plates cost throughout Canada (which depends on where you live) and which types of ideas are not allowed on custom plates. If you’re ready to order one, keep reading.

What is a custom licence plate?

First things first, what is a personalized licence plate? A personalized (or vanity or custom) licence plate is a licence plate number that is requested by the driver. In exchange for paying a fee, a driver is able to choose a blend of letters, numbers, blank spaces, and/or hyphens that they want their licence plate to read, rather than simply using the licence plate number issued by the Ministry of Transportation in their province.

How much is a custom licence plate in Canada in 2025?

The cost of a custom licence plate varies by province, but most fall between $75 and $350. We break down the cost of purchasing a custom licence plate in each province and territory below:

Please note that prices can change annually, and extra charges may apply for commercial vehicles, specialty graphics, or to transfer or replace an existing personalized plate. Further, some provinces may allow you to order personalized specialty plates for an additional fee.

What to consider when choosing your message

When you’re thinking about your message, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind:

• It has to fit the character limit for your plate type

• It should be easy for law enforcement officials to read at a glance

• It cannot interfere with how your plate is recognized or recorded

• Some provinces have extra rules for motorcycle plates, commercial plates or specialty backgrounds

When choosing a message, it helps if you think about how it will read to someone who has never met you. If it feels respectful, easy to understand and appropriate in a public space, there’s a good chance your message will pass the review. For more information on licence plates in Canada, such as driving with out-of-province plates in Ontario or driving with out-of-province plates in Alberta, contact BrokerLink.

What are the rules and restrictions in Canada for having a custom plate?

Personalized or vanity licence plates give drivers a chance to create a message or slogan using the letters and numbers of their choice. That said, drivers cannot choose any combination they want. First, the combination has to be available, and second, it must not go against any of the restrictions or rules set in place by the province.

Every province and territory in Canada screens the message you choose for a custom licence plate. That means that when you send in your characters, the plate office will review them first. They’re looking to make sure that the message is suitable for public roads and easy for others to read.

Most provinces use human rights and decency standards when they decide what to approve. This means your message must follow a few basic guidelines and cannot include:

• A discriminatory, negative, or derogatory message toward a person or group

• References to violence, criminal activity, or risky driving behaviour

• Terms describing alcohol, drugs, or weapons

• Political, dignitary, or police-related wording that often leads to complaints

• Wording that infringes upon intellectual property rights

• Combinations that are confusing or look too close to an existing plate

• Wording that is crude, graphic, or sexual

Examples of ideas that didn’t make it through

In Ontario, thousands of ideas came through in 2023, but more than 5,000 didn’t make it through the approval process. Some of those were:

• IAMCOP

• LOLCOPS

• GUINNE5S

• CHASEME

That same year, British Columbia also saw many creative ideas, but close to 2,600 didn’t make it through the review. Some examples were:

• YSO SLO

• XRSIST

• AK15

• OMG MOV

Lastly, here are some of the ideas that Alberta has rejected in recent years:

• AK7

• VYRUS

• TOTL BS

How to order a personalized licence plate in Ontario

If you are interested in purchasing a custom Ontario licence plate, then you will be pleased to discover that doing so is relatively simple in Ontario. Nowadays, you can complete the transaction online or over the phone by calling 1-800-AUTOPL8. However, you can also visit a ServiceOntario centre if you prefer. In order to buy a personalized plate, you will need your:

• Driver’s licence number, or

• Registrant identification number (RIN)

• Visa or Mastercard for payment

You should also have an idea of what numbers and characters you would like your custom plate to contain. Please note that before you can order a custom plate in Ontario, you are required to pay any outstanding fines, non-sufficient funds fees, or Highway 407 toll fees. Also, if you have recently moved, you will need to change your address before you can place your order. Once any applicable fees and fines are settled, the process for obtaining a vanity plate typically looks like this:

1. Enter your driver’s licence number or RIN online, or relay it to the person on the phone or at ServiceOntario.

2. Select the type of licence plate you wish to order. Choose the one that applies to your vehicle type:

   • Passenger plate

   • Commercial plate

   • Motorcycle plate

3. Decide if you want your custom licence plate to include a graphic or not. Note that the fees for plates with graphics are higher.

4. Enter the licence plate numbers and/or characters you want.

5. Check the availability. If the custom licence plate of your choice is not available, try another one.

6. Once you find an available combination that you want, explain the meaning behind your plate choice.

7. Fill out your personal details.

8. Complete the purchase process by paying for your custom plate. As noted above, custom licence plates in Ontario can only be paid for with a Visa or Mastercard credit card.

9. Await the arrival of your custom licence plate, which should arrive in the mail within four weeks of completing your purchase.

Remember that your personalized plate will go through a review process after completing your purchase. If your plate is not approved, you will be refunded and receive an explanation of why it was rejected. You will also have the option of appealing the decision within a set time.

Is a custom licence plate worth it?

Custom licence plates are especially popular with collectors and electric-vehicle (EV) drivers, particularly those with Tesla models. Please note that Ontario does not allow custom green licence plates for EV owners, so if you want a personalized licence plate in Ontario, you will have to give up your ability to use high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes as a single occupant.

So whether a custom licence plate is worth it will depend on you and you alone. Sure, you don’t need a personalized plate, but it can certainly be a fun and personal upgrade. A plate that reads like a nickname, slogan, or pop-culture nod is a fun way to learn something about the people driving around you. Just make sure that the idea for your custom licence plate is one you’ll still love months from now because personalized graphics and plate fees are typically non-refundable.

Learn more with BrokerLink

If you want to purchase a custom licence plate anywhere in Canada, it’s important to understand how much it will cost you, especially considering all of your other car insurance-related costs, like paying to add collision car insurance, accident forgiveness coverage, or comprehensive car coverage to your policy. Further, if you are involved in an accident, this can raise your car insurance rates, making it even more expensive to own and operate a vehicle.

A BrokerLink insurance specialist can also explain how to get a pink slip for your car and the difference between title and registration. So what are you waiting for? Contact us to have your questions answered! You can reach us by phone, email, or in person at any one of our locations throughout Canada. You can also use our free online quote tool to request a free car insurance quote in minutes.

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