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What is the Difference Between Custom License Plates & Vanity Plates?

Vintage Car with an Old License Plate

Custom Car Tags vs Vanity License Plates

If you’ve been considering adding a personalized touch to your vehicle, you may be questioning the difference between vanity plates and standard license plates.

Vanity plates and custom car tags are unlike your usual license plate, since they are able to be personalized.

So, what are vanity plates? How about custom car tags? Is there a difference between them? Well, the answers to these questions are somewhat unclear and there isn’t a black-and-white difference between them.

What is a Vanity Plate?

Car with a Decorative Front License Plate

There isn’t a clear-cut way to define vanity plates. Cyber Drive Illinois is one of the few places that provides a definition and contrasts vanity plates with other personalized license plates:¹

“Vanity plates contain up to 3 numbers or 1 to 7 letters only”
“Personalized plates contain both letters and numbers”

However, outside of this specific difference, the terms “personalized license plates”, “custom car tags”, and “vanity plates” are mostly interchangeable.

Vanity plates may apply to purely decorative license plates more frequently, but the term still applies to official tags you would get from the DMV.

Typically, these terms refer to personalizing required license plates to read specific phrases or names. An important distinction comes into play when considering which states require front license plates.

What States Require Front License Plates?

License Plate Art Featuring Many States

While many motorists seem to want novelty or unofficial front license plates, there are only a handful of states that allow them. 21 states require the rear license plate only. This means the other 29 states require both front and back license plates that have been issued by your state. See the following list for which states do not require front license plates:²

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Indiana
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • West Virginia
Personalized Tropical Front License Plate

So What if My State Doesn’t Require a Front License Plate?

If you are living in one of the 21 states that does not require a state-issued front license plate, feel free to create your own personalized license plate. You can use this opportunity to:

    • advertise your business
    • show off your favorite sports team
    • display a design that suits you and your car

These front license plates do not need to show any array of numbers and are not regulated by your state government so feel free to get as creative as you would like.

Additionally, advertising with a custom car tag is an easy way to get your company’s name in front of potential customers or clients. Some organizations utilize business license plates as an additional means of marketing their products or services.

However, this does not mean that drivers within these 21 states have complete freedom. There may be restrictions on what phrases or designs are allowed. For example, plates that could be mistaken as official tags for police or government officials could potentially pose public security and safety risks.

Should I Get a Custom Front License Plate or Vanity Plate?

Your two main concerns are:

    1. Are you living in a state that requires a front license plate that has been issued by your state?
    2. Do you want a personalized car tag that is state-issued or simply a custom design front license plate?
      • If yes, you will have to ask about getting an official personalized license plate at your local motor vehicle service center.
      • If no, you have the option to design your own front license plate.

With these things in mind, you can now decide whether you’re looking for a state-issued vanity plate or a custom front license plate. If you are currently living in one of the 21 states that allow personalized front license plates, looking for front license plate ideas is a fun way to find inspiration.

Get 20% Off Front License Plates with Code CSIGNS20, Custom Auto Dealership Front License Plate



CustomSigns.com is your one-stop-shop for all of your signage needs including decorative car tags and political license plates. Whatever your signage needs, CustomSigns.com’s wide variety of signs, banners, and decals are sure to satisfy.

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Share Your One-of-a-Kind Style with a Custom Front Car Tag

UPDATED: October 8, 2019

Americans unite when sharing a passion for a cause. We’re also a nation of individuals who enjoy embracing (and sharing!) our one-of-a-kind identities. Today, our need for self-expression is most often shared via all forms of social media, along with any other ways that allow us to proudly express our individuality.

One exceptionally popular way for expressing your individual style is with a personalized license plate that displays something unique that you want to share with others. And, if you live in one of 19 states that do not require official license plates on your front bumper, the sky’s the limit to your creativity!

(These states do not require a front plate: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.)

Fun fact – There are nearly 10 million vehicles in the United States with custom license plates that allow drivers to express themselves with personal mantras or to use as an inspired way to market your business, products, or services to the masses.

The Customsigns.com Advantage

CustomSigns.com has the personalized plates for you. We offer a hip, trendy line of colorful custom license plates that are sure to be noticed wherever your travels take you!

In addition to a variety of custom templates and options, our license plates feature UV protective coating that will last through the sun-drenched days of summer and those freezing temperatures from old man winter!

Designing Your Custom License Plate is Easy

  • Choose from dozens of popular templates or design your license plate from scratch with our easy-to-use Design Wizard
  • Upload the pictures, images, or logo of your choice
  • Choose your text, along with font style, size, and placement

Get Inspired With One of These Popular License Plate Ideas

  • Market your business to the masses by including your company name, logo, phone, and/or social media information (Or, create a custom car magnet  perfect for advertising everywhere your travels take you!)
  • Applaud our brave service members and veterans, proud military spouses, military parents, and children
  • Support your favorite nominee or ballot issue during election season or all year long with a political candidate license plate
  • Give a one of a kind family reunion gift by adding names, monograms, and/or family photos to personalized license plates
  • Proudly display the Greek letters of your sorority or fraternity on campus and all around town
  • Show off your pampered pooch or favorite feline everywhere you’re out and about
  • Celebrate life events, including ‘Just Married!’ or your favorite ‘Mr. & Mrs.’
  • Pay tribute to a loved one by proudly displaying a memorial license plate in his or her honor

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Give One of Our Fun Front Tag Ideas a Go!

Known for enjoying life’s adventures? OFFWEGO

Have a favorite furry feline? MEOWWW

Are you a true blue Harry Potter fan? HOGWARTS

Have no internal compass on the roadways? IM LOST

How about your love of the beach and surfing? SALTLIFE

Love all things food and going on culinary adventures? FOODIE

Hate peas? IH8PEAS

Make it memorable and fun! At CustomSigns.com, our goal is to provide you with the highest quality products, at the best prices, provided by the best customer service, and delivered to you exactly how you designed them. In most cases, if you design it, we can do it! Most order ship next business day.

License Plate FAQs

What is the difference between a custom license plate and a vanity plate?

These terms are often used interchangeably and share the same meaning.

In the US, if a vanity (or personalized license plate) is government issued, the owner of the motor vehicle has paid an additional fee for specific license plate letters and/or numbers that usually represent a recognizable phrase, slogan, abbreviation, or personalized names or initials. Rules vary by state.

If the license plate is not government issued, for example, a front license plate displayed in a state that does not require one, then a vanity, or custom license plate, is one that can be specially designed to display almost any text or images. Individual states may have rules in place governing what can and cannot be displayed on unofficial license plates.

How Do I Get a Personalized License Plate?

To personalize a license plate required by the Department of Motor Vehicles, visit a local motor vehicle service center in your state. Non-government issued license plates can be purchased through any license plate retailer.

NOTE – We are unable to produce custom plates that may pose a security risk, including, but not limited to, anything that resembles an official license plate for police, fire, law enforcement, government, or other security agency. Some states, like Texas, have cracked down on custom plates, particularly plates that suggest vulgar and crude meanings.