This information opens the doors for many to find a new way to fund their organization.

If you have lived in Montana for any time, you might realize there are a lot of different license plates floating around. There are license plates to help fund nonprofits, colleges, museums, and more.

There are almost 200 license plate designs to choose from in Montana. Most states have only a handful of plates to check out.

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Why does Montana have so many license plate designs?

Photo by Omer Haktan Bulut via Unsplash

Montana allows organizations to create license plates for those committed to those programs and help bring awareness. These plates cost more, and those funds go straight to those causes.

So, can anyone make a license plate?

We looked into it and it's possible for a few scenarios.

Montana Motor Vehicle Division

There are three categories that most of the sponsored license plates fall under.

Nonprofits
Government
Education

It makes sense for nonprofits to have the capability to create license plates. They can help fund their programs across the state and it's an easy way to get money.

Government plates are mostly for veterans but are limited in their designs.

Education institutions like colleges and public schools can make the look of the plates more fun and enticing for parents or students to add to their vehicles.

Does it cost a lot to create a license plate?

Canva Pro

It depends.

There is an upfront fee of over $4,000. That might seem steep for some organizations, but there is an upside. Your program can determine how much your license plate will cost to those who want one.

If you set the price at $40, you would only need 100 people to get your plate to recoup those funds. It's all positive funds after that.

Want to create a license plate for Montana? Make sure you have a unique and fun design.

20 Best Montana License Plate Designs

If you want to switch up your Montana license plate, here are a few options.

Gallery Credit: Will Gordon

20 License Plates Banned In Montana

This is just a small glimpse at banned license plates in the state of Montana. There are well over 4000 that could be added to this list.

Now why some of these are banned is beyond me. I don't find any of them offensive, that's for sure; the state of Montana has the right to refuse:

"any combination of letters or numbers, or both, that may carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency or which are misleading or a duplication of license plates provided elsewhere."- Montana Motor Vehicle Department

What plates are banned in your state? Hopefully, they are not as picky as Montana.

Gallery Credit: Megan Shaul, Will Gordon

Vintage Photos Of Montana

It's hard to imagine what Yellowstone National Park would look like in black and white. We are so used to seeing the colors that make it one of America's favorite travel destinations. Jezel Doughert's grandmother passed away and like many of us do, she spent hours going through years and years of history, from old yearbooks to news clippings, to pictures. Jezel sent me a piece of history that, if not for her, I wouldn't be able to share with you.

Gallery Credit: Megan Shaul