The Penn State plate is a great way to personalize your vehicle and show your Penn State pride. An added bonus is that when you buy one you’ll be supporting Penn State scholarships, athletes, and Alumni Association student and alumni programs.
Any Penn State fan can get one—students, parents, friends, you name it. You don’t have to be an alum or an Alumni Association member. You just have to be the registered owner of a qualified motor vehicle in Pennsylvania (a qualified vehicle weighs less than 9,000 pounds and is not a motorcycle).
No, the Penn State plate is not available in any other state. But a different Penn State plate—the Penn State Alumni Association license plate, which features the University shield—is available in 10 states for purchase by Alumni Association members.
A one-time fee of $179 gets you a plate. As long as you keep your vehicle registration active (Pennsylvania vehicle registrations must be renewed annually), you’ll never have another charge for your Penn State plate.
$155 of the fee is fully tax-deductible and will support scholarships, intercollegiate athletics, and Alumni Association programs for students and alumni. You’ll get an acknowledgement letter via U.S. mail from Penn State that is a record of your donation. For specific questions about how to properly apply the tax deduction, consult your personal tax adviser.
No. When your new plate arrives in the mail it will include a new vehicle registration card and sticker. Your registration due date and the dollar amount on your yearly registration will remain the same.
No, the Penn State license plate is issued in number sequence and cannot be personalized. Likewise, requesting a specific number is also not possible.
Not if you’re trying to make it a surprise. Only the registered vehicle owner may purchase a plate so you’d need to work together to make it happen.
Download the application and payment forms here. To request hard copy forms, call 877-778-7467 or e-mail pennstateplate@psu.edu. Send your completed forms with a check for $179 (payable to Penn State University) to:
Penn State License Plate
Penn State Alumni Association
Hintz Family Alumni Center
University Park, PA 16802
Do not send your completed forms to PennDOT. Doing so will delay delivery of your Penn State license plate. Make sure you sign the application form or your application cannot be processed.
Specialty plate applications generally take about six to eight weeks to process and produce.
Call 877-778-7467 or e-mail pennstateplate@psu.edu. Staff will be on hand during regular business hours.