Applications open through Aug. 14 for annual RMV drawing
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) has opened applications for its 2026 Annual Low Number License Plate Lottery, giving eligible residents a chance to obtain one of 237 low-number standard passenger license plates.
Applications will be accepted online through the myRMV Online Service Center beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 15, and will remain open until 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14. There is no fee to enter the lottery.
This year’s available plates include a mix of highly sought-after one-, two-, and three-character combinations, including 318, 7575, 8J, 66K, V3, and L99.
Lottery winners and alternate winners will be selected using an electronic random number generator. The RMV said applicants will be notified by email no later than Sept. 15, 2026, and the list of winners will also be posted on the RMV website by that date.
Eligibility requirements
The annual drawing is limited to standard white Massachusetts passenger vehicle license plates.
To be eligible, an applicant must:
- Be a Massachusetts resident.
- Have a current, active, registered, and insured Massachusetts passenger vehicle.
- Submit only one application, regardless of the number of registered passenger vehicles owned.
- Consent to the public release of the winner’s name and city or town of residence.
Companies, corporations, commercial vehicle owners, motorcycle owners, MassDOT employees, and their immediate family members are not eligible. Applicants also must have an active registration and cannot have outstanding violations or other obligations reported to the RMV.
The RMV will not accept requests for specific plate numbers. Available plates will be assigned through the electronic random drawing.
Winners must complete plate transfer
Applicants selected in the lottery will be required to pay the special low-number plate fee in addition to the standard vehicle registration fee.
Winning applicants will receive instructions by mail explaining how to transfer their current registration to the new plate. Winners must complete the plate swap and payment by Dec. 31, 2026. Plates that remain unclaimed after that deadline will be forfeited and offered to pre-selected alternate winners.
The RMV noted that all lottery plates remain the property of the Registry and may be registered only to the winning applicant named on the original application. The plates cannot be transferred to another person.
The 2026 lottery applies only to standard white passenger license plates. The RMV noted that it previously conducted a separate, one-time lottery for Massachusetts’ commemorative 250th Anniversary blue license plates.
