Alaska License Plate Lookup

Alaska State law requires displaying 2 license plates in your vehicle with month and year tabs whether it’s a car, truck, or van. The only exception applies when you purchase motorcycles or trailers which will need only one license plate with a month tab and year tab. The AK license plates are located on the back and front dashboards of the car. On the top of the license plate, you will see “ALASKA” written in capital letters which verifies the car has been registered in the state. The common AK license plates have the following characteristics:

• Yellow painted plates with the sign saying ALASKA
• The “Mountain” license plates featuring white mountains and blue sky

There are numerous options of license plate designs you can choose from. Prior to selecting your AK license plate, here are the primary classifications of the plates:

• Standard
• Plates supporting a special cause
• Custom style

To obtain the type of license plate you want, you should apply to the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles but keep in mind that not all custom-style plates will be approved.

How to register my vehicle in Alaska?

To receive any type of license plate you need to register your vehicle with the Alaska DMV. Once you purchase your car you will have 30 days to apply for a license plate. Usually, your car dealer is the one handling all the paperwork. In case you need to apply in person here are the documents you must possess:

• Completed titles & registration application form
• Copy of the title
• Proof of VIN inspection
• Payment of all required fees

If you just moved to Alaska for work or any other purposes, keep in mind that you have 10 days to register your car. Non-residents have 60 days to operate the vehicle if they hold a valid registration from another state.

Vehicle Insurance Requirements

To register a vehicle in Alaska there are minimum insurance requirements that you should meet. The owner of the car should purchase an insurance policy that will cover:

• $50,0000 in case of single injury or death
• $100,000 for any accident that will involve injury or death
• $25,0000 for property damage

In case you fail to meet the following criteria your Alaska driver’s license will be under suspension.

Types of license plates and the application process

As we mentioned earlier, apart from the typical model, there are also specialty and custom style license plates you can obtain from DMV. Specialty issue license plates can be classified into the following categories:

• Personalized plates
• Supporting a special cause
• Vintage & historic marks
• Military tags
• Disability plates

Although you can submit any design or characteristic for custom style license plate, you should be careful not to suggest ideas that may include:

• Offensive, racist marks
• Comments that can be demeaning towards a group of people
• Ham radio call signs
• Special symbols

To personalize the license plate DMV will charge a standard registration fee along with the $30 for personalization. There are no charges for disability plates and as well as for most veterans, dependents, or survivors.

Alaska License Plate Lookup: Vanity Plates

You can apply to AK DMV online to get your specific lettering license plate. The personalized characters must be 2-6 and can include A-Z letters, 0-9 numbers, and spaces. The cost of vanity plates starts as little as $30 up to $100. Allow it less than 12 weeks to process vanity plate in Alaska.

You can learn further details about the personalized license plates by visiting this website or by calling at 1-855-269-5551.

Alaska DMV may ban issuance of specific license plates for one or more reasons. Check our Alaska Banned License Plates page for more details.

Supporting a cause license plates

There are many special causes and organization license plates that you can obtain through DMV. In addition to the supporting causes fees, you must also pay for the standard registration. Here are some available causes you can support by registering a license plate:

• Alaska Children’s Trust- $100
• Blood Bank of Alaska-$50
• Breast Cancer Awareness- $50
• Choose Life benefiting adoption- $30
• Veterans Commemorative-supports Alaska Veteran Programs and costs $100

You can acquire the full list of supporting causes from Alaska DMV and learn where you should apply or get additional information.

Alaska License Plate Lookup: Disability License Plates

Alaska DMV offers disability parking permits and plates for drivers with a disability. This special license plate will allow drivers to park closer to buildings. A person is eligible to apply if he/she meets one of the following requirements:

• Not able to walk 200 feet without stopping
• Can’t walk safely without using assistive devices or another person
• Have a lung disease or cardiac condition by Class 3 or 4 defined by the American Heart Association
• Have other serious conditions which will limit the ability to walk

To obtain this special license plate you should bring the permit form to a qualified health practitioner you will complete and sign it. The initial cost for this permit is free although additional sets of plates will cost $100. There are 3 disability license types: disabled w/ parking privileges, disabled veteran w/ parking privileges, and disabled veteran w/o parking privileges.

Alaska License Plate Lookup: Military Service License Plates

There are many military license plates that are issued to honor people who have served or currently serving with US Armed Forces. To receive this special license plate a person should provide proof of service which can include:

• Copy of discharge paper
• Verification letter from the Veteran’s Administration
• Military ID
• Or any similar proof of service

Per request, in addition to the service plates, you can also add some unit designations. To get the full list of designations visit here.

Alaska License Plate Lookup: Vintage and Historic Plates

If you have a classic car you can apply to Alaska DMV which issues two types of special plates:

• Historic Vehicle
• Collector’s car license plates

The requirements for historic vehicle plates are:

• At least 30 years old
• Used only for exhibitions

To obtain a historic vehicle license plate you should pay $10 but there is no need to renew it.

To maintain a collector’s car license plate the vehicle must be manufactured before 1949. In addition to this, it should meet all the current road safety and equipment requirements. To obtain this license plate you should pay $50 along with the standard registration fee.

How to renew Alaska license plates?

Every two years you should renew your registration with the Alaska DMV. The renewal month the DMV will send a renewal reminder (otherwise called pre-bill or mail-out) and it will include info about your car as well as registration fees. You can renew your license plate by submitting the following documents to AK DMV by mail or in-person:

• Renewal notice for your vehicle registration
• A copy of your current Alaska registration
• Renewal request letter which should include your license plate number OR
• Completion of the title & registration application form
• Payment of renewal fees

You can bring all the following documents to your local Alaska DMW office or mail them to this address:

State of Alaska
Division of Motor Vehicles
ATTN: Mailouts
3901 Old Seward Highway, Suite 101
Anchorage, AK 99503

If you want to renew your registration online here are the steps you should take:

• Visit the Alaska DMV website and check if your current address is on file with the DMV
• Enter your registration renewal number or license plate number and the last 2 digits of your VIN
• Make payments of renewal registration fees as well as vehicle registration tax, if applicable

Once you complete the following steps within 6 weeks you will receive new registration docs and license plate stickers by mail. The cost of the registration renewal fee for a typical, non-commercial vehicle is $100 plus $10 if you make the renewal in person. Additionally, motor vehicle registration taxes may be applicable too.

Lost or stolen license plates

If you lost or damaged your license plate you can get a replacement by submitting the following materials to the Alaska DMV:

• A copy of the registration
• Completion of the application form
• Payment of new license plate fee $5

Mail all the above documents to the following address:

State of Alaska DMV
1300 W Benson Blvd, Ste 506
Anchorage, AK 99503
ATTN: Correspondence

If your license plate is stolen you should first inform your local authorities and head to the DMV to get a new license plate. In case you to change your AK license plate you should surrender your previous plate to DMV. You can send your old license plate by mail or bring it to the DMV in person.