The U.S. state of Virginia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1906. Plates are currently issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
As of 2008, the DMV has 7,698,416 active registrations, 1,696,795 (22%) of which are special or personalized plates. In 2008, 1,624,146 pairs of license plates were sold, with 831,361 of them being personalized plates.
In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that fixed the size for license plates for road motor vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The first Virginia license plate that complied with these standards was issued eight years beforehand, in 1948.
Virginia offers over 200 optional license plates.[1] Most can be personalized for an additional fee.