Michigan University & Specialty Plates

License Plate options in Michigan include university plates, specialty designs, fundraising plates, and other categories created for specific organizations or causes. These plates let registered vehicle owners display affiliations or support approved programs through a state-issued plate design. Michigan university plates can feature participating colleges and universities, with part of the related fee supporting designated programs. Specialty plates cover a broader range of interests and causes, giving drivers several options beyond the standard plate. Each plate type has its own eligibility, ordering process, fees, and registration requirements.

License Plate choices for university and specialty categories can vary based on the organization, cause, plate design, and registration status. Michigan offers special cause fundraising options that support approved groups and programs through additional plate fees. Some specialty plates may require an extra payment beyond standard vehicle registration costs, while personalized options can involve separate requirements. Reviewing available designs, eligibility rules, fees, and ordering details can help Michigan vehicle owners select a plate that matches their preferred university, organization, or supported cause.

How to Order a Michigan University or Specialty Plate

A Michigan university license plate or other Michigan license plates can be ordered through the Michigan Secretary of State using the ordering method available for the selected plate. University and special-cause plates support eligible organizations and causes through applicable plate fees and fundraising programs. Before placing an order, check the current plate category, eligibility, application requirements, and registration information.

• Special Cause Fundraising Options – Michigan SOS:
  • https://www.michigan.gov/sos/vehicle/license-plates/special-cause-fundraising-options

Order Online

Eligible university and specialty plates can be ordered through Michigan Secretary of State Online Services when online ordering is available for that plate category. Select the appropriate plate, enter the requested registration information, and follow the payment instructions. The available options can differ by plate type, so confirm that the selected plate is available for your vehicle before submitting the order.

Order by Mail

Some specialty plate categories can be requested using a designated Michigan Secretary of State application. Complete the applicable application with the required vehicle and owner information, include payment and any supporting documentation requested for that plate, and submit it using the address provided on the official form. University and special-cause plates may have different application requirements.

What Information May Be Needed?

The ordering process can require information connected with your vehicle registration and the plate request. Depending on the plate category, have information such as:

• Current plate or registration information
• Vehicle identification information
• Owner information
• Selected university or special-cause plate
• Personalization information, when available
• Applicable payment

Check the Correct Plate Category Before Ordering

Michigan offers several specialty categories, including university and special-cause fundraising plates. Check the official Secretary of State listing before ordering to confirm that the selected plate is available for your vehicle and transaction. Some plates may require a designated application or have specific eligibility conditions. Confirm the plate category, fees, registration requirements, and application method before completing the order.

Types of Specialty License Plates in Michigan

Michigan offers several types of specialty license plates Michigan drivers can choose from, including university fundraising plates, special cause fundraising plates, special organization plates, and collector plates. Each category has its own purpose, eligibility rules, ordering process, and plate-use requirements. University plates support participating Michigan universities through fundraising contributions, special cause plates support designated causes or funds, and special organization plates are tied to qualifying membership. Collector versions are intended for display rather than vehicle registration.

University Fundraising Plates

Michigan university fundraising plates feature the logo of a participating public university and support that university through plate sales. The current university plate program includes 15 options, covering schools such as Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan. A university fundraising plate costs $35, with $25 provided to the selected university. Registration and personalization fees can apply separately. The plate design identifies the university through its logo and provides a fundraising connection to the institution.

Special Cause Fundraising Plates

Special cause fundraising plates support designated causes, organizations, or funds through contributions from plate sales. Available designs include categories such as Agricultural Heritage, Breast Cancer Awareness, Donate Life, Lighthouse Preservation, Michigan 4-H, Support Michigan Veterans, Wildlife Habitat, and other approved causes. These Michigan specialty license plates cost $35, with $25 provided to the designated special cause fund for each plate sold. Registration and personalization charges can apply separately.

Special Organization Plates

Special organization plates are connected with approved organizations and have separate eligibility requirements. Michigan states that an applicant must be a current member of the organization to qualify for its plate. The plate number is five characters long and cannot be personalized. Current options include organizations such as Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Phi Beta Sigma, and Zeta Phi Beta. These plates are used for vehicle registration, unlike collector versions of the same designs.

Collector Specialty Plates

Collector specialty plates are made for display purposes only and cannot be used as vehicle registration plates. University and special-cause collector versions are available through the Michigan collector plate program. University collector plates display the university logo and SAMPL on the plate, helping distinguish them from registration plates. Collector plates cannot be personalized. Standard collector plates and other collector categories have separate pricing and ordering rules.

Michigan University License Plates

A Michigan university license plate is a fundraising registration plate associated with one of the universities listed by the Michigan Department of State. The current program includes 15 university fundraising plate options: Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, Oakland University, Saginaw Valley State University, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, University of Michigan–Dearborn, University of Michigan–Flint, Wayne State University, and Western Michigan University. Each university plate costs $35, with $25 provided to the selected university.

Central Michigan University

The Central Michigan University plate features the university’s branding and is part of Michigan’s university fundraising plate program. Owners can select this plate to support Central Michigan University through the designated fundraising contribution.

Eastern Michigan University

The Eastern Michigan University plate is one of Michigan’s university fundraising options. Its design identifies the university, and the fundraising program provides a portion of the plate purchase to the selected institution.

Ferris State University

The Ferris State University plate is available through Michigan’s university fundraising plate program. It provides a university-specific design and directs the designated fundraising contribution to Ferris State University.

Grand Valley State University

The Grand Valley State University plate carries the university’s identifying design and is available as a Michigan university fundraising plate. The program directs $25 from the $35 plate cost to the selected university.

Lake Superior State University

The Lake Superior State University plate is included among Michigan’s university fundraising choices. It gives registered vehicle owners a university-branded plate option with a designated contribution going to the university.

Michigan State University

The Michigan State University plate is one of the available university fundraising plates in Michigan. It features the university’s identifying design and supports the institution through the fundraising program. The current plate cost is $35, with $25 provided to the university from each plate sold.

Michigan Technological University

The Michigan Technological University plate is available as a university fundraising registration plate. Its design identifies Michigan Tech, and the plate purchase includes the designated university fundraising contribution under the state program.

Northern Michigan University

The Northern Michigan University plate is one of the 15 university options currently listed by Michigan SOS. It provides a university-specific plate design and contributes $25 from the $35 fundraising plate cost to the selected university.

Oakland University

The Oakland University plate is part of Michigan’s university fundraising plate program. The plate uses university branding and provides a fundraising contribution to Oakland University when purchased as a university plate.

Saginaw Valley State University

The Saginaw Valley State University plate is available through Michigan’s university fundraising program. It identifies the university through its plate design and provides the designated fundraising contribution from each qualifying plate purchase.

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan plate is one of Michigan’s university fundraising options and is listed separately from the U-M Dearborn and U-M Flint plates. The Ann Arbor option uses University of Michigan branding and supports the university through the fundraising program. The current fundraising plate price is $35, with $25 provided to the university for every plate sold. Registration and personalization fees are separate charges when applicable.

University of Michigan–Dearborn

The University of Michigan–Dearborn plate is a separate university fundraising option from the Ann Arbor and Flint plates. It identifies the Dearborn campus and provides the same $25 university contribution from the $35 fundraising plate cost.

University of Michigan–Flint

The University of Michigan–Flint plate is another separate U-M campus option in the Michigan university fundraising program. The plate identifies the Flint campus and follows the university fundraising plate fee structure.

Wayne State University

The Wayne State University plate is available as a Michigan university fundraising plate. It features university identification and provides a designated contribution to Wayne State University from the fundraising plate purchase.

Western Michigan University

The Western Michigan University plate is included in Michigan’s current university fundraising plate program. The university-branded plate provides a $25 contribution from the $35 fundraising plate purchase to the selected university.

University of Michigan Plate Options

The University of Michigan plate program includes three distinct university options: University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, University of Michigan–Dearborn, and University of Michigan–Flint. These are listed as separate university fundraising plate types by the Michigan Department of State. This distinction matters when selecting a plate, since the campus names are treated as separate options in the state plate program.

University of Michigan Ann Arbor Plate

The University of Michigan Ann Arbor plate is the primary University of Michigan license plate option in the state fundraising program. Its design uses University of Michigan identification, and the plate purchase supports the university through the designated fundraising contribution. The current fundraising plate cost is $35, with $25 provided to the university for every plate sold. Registration and personalization charges apply separately when applicable.

University of Michigan–Dearborn Plate

The U-M Dearborn plate is listed separately from the Ann Arbor plate. It identifies the Dearborn campus and gives vehicle owners a campus-specific university fundraising option. The Michigan SOS list treats University of Michigan–Dearborn as its own university plate category rather than combining it with the Ann Arbor design.

University of Michigan–Flint Plate

The U-M Flint plate is another separate option in the Michigan university fundraising program. It identifies the Flint campus and follows the same $35 fundraising plate structure, with $25 provided to the university from each plate sold.

University Logo and Fundraising Purpose

University plates use university-specific designs and logos to identify the participating institution. The fundraising structure connects each plate purchase with the selected university. Michigan SOS states that $25 is provided to the university for every university fundraising plate sold. Normal registration and applicable personalization fees remain separate from the $35 fundraising plate charge.

Personalization and Collector Availability

Eligible university fundraising plates can have personalization options subject to Michigan SOS requirements. The current fundraising order form states that fundraising plate types are limited to a maximum of six characters, including spaces, for personalized configurations. University collector versions are separate from registration plates and are intended for display only. The collector program lists all 15 university designs, with each university collector plate costing $35 and showing the university logo with SAMPL on the right side. For current ordering instructions, Michigan SOS states that university fundraising plates can be ordered through Online Services or by mail using the designated application.

How Michigan University Fundraising Plates Work

A Michigan university license plate is part of the state’s fundraising plate program. These plates combine vehicle registration with a university-specific design and a contribution to the selected institution. Michigan SOS currently lists 15 university fundraising plate options. The same fundraising structure applies across the listed universities: the plate costs $35, and $25 is provided to the selected university. Normal registration and applicable personalization fees are separate.

How Much Does a University Plate Cost?

Michigan university fundraising plates cost $35. Michigan SOS states that $25 from each plate sold is provided to the selected university. The $35 fundraising plate charge is separate from normal vehicle registration fees. Personalization can create an additional charge when requested and available. The fundraising plate order form confirms that normal registration fees apply when a university plate is obtained as part of a registration renewal. This means the $35 plate amount should not be treated as the complete cost of every registration transaction.

Where Does the Fundraising Money Go?

The fundraising contribution is connected to the university selected by the vehicle owner. Michigan SOS states that $25 is provided to the university for every university fundraising plate sold. This creates a direct connection between the specialty plate program and participating universities. The university receives the designated contribution rather than the money being distributed across all Michigan colleges. Future renewals can include a separate $10 donation to the university or special cause under the current fundraising plate structure.

Are University Plates Different From Standard Plates?

University plates differ from standard Michigan plates through their design and fundraising purpose. A standard plate identifies the registered vehicle, whereas a university plate uses university branding and contributes part of the plate charge to the selected institution. Both are registration plates when issued for a vehicle. University plates can have personalization when the selected design and requested configuration qualify under Michigan SOS rules. Fundraising plate types are limited to six characters for personalization under the current order form.

Michigan Specialty Cause Plates

Michigan Specialty License Plates include special-cause fundraising designs that support designated causes, organizations, programs, or funds. Michigan SOS currently lists a range of special-cause options, including Agricultural Heritage, Breast Cancer Awareness, Children Trust Michigan, Donate Life, Lighthouse Preservation, Patriotic, Support Michigan Veterans, Water Quality, and Wildlife Habitat. The inventory can change, so the official SOS listing should be checked before publication or ordering.

Special cause fundraising plates cost $35, with $25 provided to the designated special cause fund for every plate sold. Registration and personalization fees apply separately. Michigan SOS allows special cause fundraising plates to be ordered through Online Services or by mail using the designated application.

Examples of Michigan Special Cause Plates

Current Michigan SOS listings include:

• Agricultural Heritage — supports agricultural education programs for grades K-12.
• Breast Cancer Awareness — supports the Michigan Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Program.
• Donate Life — promotes organ, tissue, and eye donor awareness.
• Lighthouse Preservation — supports the designated lighthouse preservation purpose.
• Michigan 4-H — represents the state’s 4-H-related fundraising option.
• Olympic Education — supports the designated Olympic education purpose.
• Patriotic — supports designated charitable organizations.
• Support Michigan Veterans — supports outreach activities benefiting Michigan veterans and their families.
• Water Quality — supports grants related to protecting Michigan waterways.
• Wildlife Habitat — supports Michigan’s Nongame Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund.

Other current options include Children Trust Michigan, Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Ducks Unlimited, Sickle Cell Awareness, and Veterans Memorial. The official Michigan SOS page should be used for the current list and the designated recipient connected with each plate.

The special-cause category differs from a university plate in its fundraising recipient. A university plate directs the $25 contribution to the selected university, whereas a special-cause plate directs $25 to the designated special cause fund. Both are fundraising registration plates and have the same $35 plate cost under the current SOS information.

Michigan Special Organization Plates

Michigan special organization plates are a separate category from university and special-cause fundraising plates. They are connected with qualifying organizations and have their own eligibility rules. Michigan SOS states that an applicant must be a current member of the organization to qualify for that organization’s plate. These plates are issued for eligible non-commercial vehicles, and the organization plate number is five characters long and cannot be personalized.

Who Is Eligible for a Special Organization Plate?

Eligibility depends on current membership in the organization represented by the plate. Michigan SOS states that applicants must be current members, and spouses or other family members are not eligible solely through the member’s status. Some organizations require proof of membership with the application. The plate application also requires applicant and vehicle information, including identification, vehicle details, and VIN. The current special organization plate fee is a $25 service fee in addition to the regular registration fee.

How Are Organization Plates Different From University Plates?

Special organization plates have a different eligibility structure from university fundraising plates. Organization plates require qualifying membership, and their plate numbers are five characters long with no personalization. University fundraising plates are tied to participating universities and do not require university enrollment based on the current SOS information. University plates cost $35, with $25 provided to the university. Special organization plates have a $25 service fee plus the regular registration fee.

Current Organization Plate Examples

Current Michigan SOS options include Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Michigan, Michigan Fraternal Order of Police, Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, and Police Officers Association of Michigan. Some listed organizations require proof of membership with the application. Availability and eligibility should be checked against the current Michigan SOS application before ordering.

Michigan Specialty Plate Eligibility

Eligibility depends on the type of Michigan specialty plate selected. University fundraising plates, special-cause fundraising plates, and special organization plates do not use the same qualification rules. The vehicle must still meet Michigan registration requirements, but the specialty category can determine whether membership, a particular organization connection, or another condition applies. Checking the plate category before ordering helps match the application with the correct requirements.

University Fundraising Plate Eligibility

A Michigan university license plate is associated with a participating university, but Michigan SOS does not state that the purchaser must be enrolled at or employed by that university. The current university plate page lists the available designs and explains the fundraising structure without establishing a university enrollment requirement. The program covers public universities such as Michigan State University, University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and other listed institutions. This means the university connection is primarily through the selected plate category and its fundraising purpose. The purchaser still needs a vehicle that can be properly registered in Michigan and must pay the applicable plate and registration charges.

Special Cause Plate Eligibility

Special cause plates are based on the available cause or fundraising category rather than university enrollment or organization membership. Michigan SOS lists the approved plate designs and identifies the designated cause, organization, or fund connected with each option. The current special-cause page states that these plates cost $35, with $25 provided to the designated special cause fund. Normal registration and personalization fees apply separately. The exact list of causes can change, so applicants should check the current SOS listing before selecting a plate. The available category and standard Michigan vehicle registration requirements determine whether the plate can be issued.

Special Organization Plate Eligibility

Special organization plates have the clearest membership-based eligibility rule. Michigan SOS states that the applicant must be a current member of the organization represented by the selected plate. Some organizations require proof of membership with the application. The plates are issued for eligible non-commercial vehicles, and the five-character plate configuration cannot be personalized. In short, a university fundraising plate is connected with a selected university, a special cause plate is connected with an approved cause or designated fund, and a special organization plate requires current membership in the represented organization. Each category has its own fee and application rules, so the current Michigan SOS plate page should be checked before submitting an order.