West Virginia's U.S. 250th Plates Are Almost Gone

These could be worth a lot of money in the future

West Virginia 250th Anniversary License Plate

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By RC Staff

12 August 2026

Key Points

West Virginia’s America’s 250th anniversary license plate costs just $10 above the standard $51.50 renewal fee
Just over 500 plates remain statewide, and several regional DMV offices already have fewer than 20 left
Once this batch is gone, West Virginia has no plans to bring the exact design back

West Virginia’s DMV rolled out a commemorative plate for America’s 250th birthday, and the semiquincentennial souvenir has been steadily working its way out of regional offices since launch. Several counties are already down to their last few dozen, so where you live in the state matters here. For collectors, license plates are a durable niche. State specific designs with a hard production cutoff tend to hold value decades later, especially once a state confirms they won’t be reproduced. This one checks both boxes.

West Virginia Semiquincentennial License Plate Details

Getting the plate is as simple as renewing your registration. You can walk into any WV DMV regional office or handle it online at dmv.wv.gov, and the DMV’s toll-free line at (800) 642-9066 can help if you can’t make it in person. It’s first come, first served with no personalization, and if you’re trading in a plate with time left on its registration, that balance carries over to the new one.

Stock is regional. Beckley, Elkins, Franklin, Huntington, Moorefield, Parkersburg, Point Pleasant, Princeton, Summersville, Weirton, Welch, and Williamson each still have 20 or more. Berkeley Springs, Charles Town, Clarksburg, Fairmont, Flatwoods, Kanawha City, Keyser, Lewisburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, and Winfield are already under that.

Rare License Plates Can Resell

This isn’t a quick flip, and it shouldn’t be treated like one. State law only allows expired plates to change hands, and eBay’s policy requires a collectible plate to be expired and at least three years old before it can even be listed. Anyone hoping to cash in is looking at a multi-year hold.

The category has precedent, though. Pennsylvania’s D.A.R.E. plate was discontinued in 2005, and recent eBay sold listings show it still moving for $200 to $400 today on the strength of being a dead design with a hard cutoff. West Virginia’s version, with the New River Gorge Bridge and fireworks against a night sky, is distinct enough that out of state collectors could eventually want one too.

Pennsylvania DARE License Plate for Sale

These won’t be sold again after they sell out, and the available stock has already been thinning for months. The $10 add on is cheap enough that there’s little downside to grabbing one at your next renewal. Just know you’re buying a keepsake with long-term potential, not something you can legally flip next week, and there’s no established resale market yet since the design only launched in May.