Personalized Vehicle Plates

[Pikachu711]

What are your thoughts on getting personalized "vanity" plates for a vehicle? The reason I'm asking this is that a personalized plate would call attention to your vehicle more than a regular vehicle plate.

I'll be registering a car that was left to me from a relative in her will. I'm considering getting 'vanity" plates here in Nevada but I'm not entirely sure if this is the best decision if I want to blend in with other vehicles that don't have personalized plates.

I'm considering plates with the following themes:
(1) USAF Veteran tags
(2) Amateur (Ham) Radio tags
(3) Regular plate with personalized text

As I mentioned earlier, if I get "vanity" tags they will make my car stand out as opposed to blending in with other vehicles without vanity tags.

There's also an issue of applying for a ham radio set of tags. As some of you are already aware amateur radio call signs can be easily looked up online. So much for my privacy and keeping my identity to myself. This is one option I doubt I'm going to select. I've already had ham radio plates on a car in the past and didn't give much thought to someone looking my personal information up online. It's only a few keystrokes away.

My goal is to blend into the background regardless of where I'm parking at the moment. Will some type of personalized vanity plates make the "stealth" factor less effective.

 

[sparky1]

Personally, I would NEVER get a personalized tag--they also cost more---
sparky1.

 

[ice_maiden]

My son has Army Vet Plates here in Texas... he also has a lead foot.... We have noticed a bit more leniency from the police since he has switched to the Vet plates. No excuse for his lead foot but still the difference was noticeable.

Also I don't think his Vet plates cost any extra...just if he had personalized numbers/letters, but I could be wrong.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

It seems they would only make you more noticeable and they cost more.

 

[Pikachu711]

ice_maiden, I'm leaning more toward USAF military plates as this may give me some leniency when/or if a law enforcement should occur. If I do choose to go with this option I will just get whatever number/letters appear on the generic military plates regardless. It's only one minor additional fee for the veteran's plates so it's not going to be an expensive process.

I'm not inclined to get ham radio plates again. As I mentioned in my earlier posting anyone can enter my ham radio call sign in any internet search engine and ID me. This includes my email address for ham radio contacts. I'm not too fond of surrendering my personal information for anyone to find online.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Oh, if the military tag is a minor amount it may be a good option and give you some slack with the man. I'm all for vanity plates as it lets people voluntarily help fund licensing bureaus instead of raising rates.

 

[GotSmart]

My thought also was military plates. Anything to give you an edge with the police.

 

[Darth_Muerte]

I never considered military plates. Can any ex-military get them? Do you have to take your DD214 to the DMV?

 

[Patrick46]

I've had personalised plates on a number of my rigs, but I've always used them for that little extra advertising they offer my business. I almost always drive hot-rods and customized vans, and they're usually covered with big loud graphics, flamejobs, and alotta signwork anyway...so my plates said things like "ARTWRX", and "SIGN-IT".

(we're got 6 spaces to work with, plus a dash or blank space here in Oregon. I believe Cal allows 7 spaces...lucky buggers!!)
I'll be putting customised plates on my newest hot-rod truck I'm building, but there again, it's to help promote the truck...which'll be anything but stealth!! (I'm gonna go for national coverage on this one.)

Custom vanity plates cost nearly double what regular state issue plates cost here.

So, if stealth is what your after, then I'd forgo the attention and costs of vanity plates.
As for the military plates...I donno, I see more attention on that one too, albiet positive from LEO's...but still more visible.

 

[user 423]

Maybe something like this?

 

[GotSmart]

We blonds are actually much smarter than you brunets. We just pretend to make you guys feel better about yourselves.