Higher Vanity Plate Fees bring small drop in Sales
Higher Price, Slow Economy mean fewer customized plates in NH
By Grant D. Bosse
December 9, 2010
Fewer New Hampshire drivers are paying a premium to customize their license plates, following a 60% increase in the fee. The New Hampshire Legislature increased the annual surcharge for customized plates from $25 to $40 as part of the 2009-2010 budget. The higher rate went into effect on August 1, 2009. One year after the fee increase, there were nearly 10,000 fewer vehicles with premium New Hampshire license plates. This drop-off represents a small fraction of car owners, as the percentage of vehicles with vanity plates has fallen from 14.8% to 14.3% of all cars on the road.
[pdf http://www.jbartlett.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/NH_Vanity_Plate_Followup_2010.pdf]