Your words. On a plate. Legally possible.
Give the Idea Finder a few things that matter — a name, a hobby, a year — and it turns them into New Hampshire vanity plate ideas that already fit the DMV's real format rules, previewed on a realistic plate.
Free finds the ideas. Pro cross-references each one against our plate records and tells you what we know — taken, likely open, or unknown, with dates.
One idea in, real options out
Say you give it “Ben”, “hockey”, and 87. You'll get ideas like BENHOC, HCKY87, and BH87 — each shown on a plate, each already valid for a specific plate type, never an idea the DMV's format rules would reject on sight.
Tell it what matters
Up to five words, plus your favorite letters and numbers — useful on their own for a short plate type, or combined with a word.
Get format-valid ideas
Every suggestion passes the actual length and character rules of a real plate type — Passenger, Veteran, Conservation, and the rest — and shows which type it fits.
Check what we know Pro
Pro labels each idea taken, likely open, or unknown from our plate records — with the observation date, never a guarantee.
Free
Everything you need to find an idea you love.
- Full multi-concept Idea Finder
- Realistic plate previews
- Format-checked against real series rules
- Save favorites with a free account
Pro data-backed
The same ideas, cross-referenced against our plate records.
- Taken / likely open / unknown on every idea
- Observation dates & confidence notes
- Likely-open ideas ranked first
- More results, unlimited favorites
Built on sourced data, labeled honestly
The plate type catalog comes from the NH DMV's own Complete List of Plate Types — dated, versioned, and never promoted past what the source says. Availability labels always carry their observation date, and we never claim a plate is guaranteed available to register. Read the methodology
Browse every plate type
19 Vanity plate types — Passenger, Veteran, Conservation, and more — with length limits, character rules, and who can request each one.
Browse the plate catalogThe Low Plate Board
Why New Hampshire's low-number plates aren't a public database — and what we actually know about how they're allocated.
Read the explainerA few plate types to start with
From open-to-anyone to eligibility-gated. See the full catalog
Before you ask
Is this run by the DMV?
No. nhplates.com is an independent reference site, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles. Always confirm plate availability directly with the DMV before applying for one.
Can I get a low-number plate through this site?
No — New Hampshire's low-number plates aren't allocated by public request. They're issued at the Commissioner of Safety's discretion, with no published waitlist, lottery, or criteria, and the underlying registration records are confidential under RSA 260:14. See the Low Plate Board page for the full explanation.
What plate types does the Idea Finder cover?
Launching with the 19 Vanity plate types the NH DMV documents — Passenger Vanity plus the vanity variants of Veteran, Purple Heart, Conservation (Moose), Motorcycle, Trailer, and more. Each carries its own maximum length and eligibility rule straight from the DMV's Complete List of Plate Types.
Does a match here mean the plate is available?
No. Results reflect the latest snapshot in our records, and every result is dated. This site never checks live DMV availability — it's a reference, not a real-time lookup.