Should NH institute a new commemorative license plate to celebrate America’s 250th?

In 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This year, cities, states, and the federal government are hard at work planning how they will celebrate. Granite Staters deserve to be proud of their revolutionary history; New Hampshire was the first of the 13 colonies to declare independence from England, six months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. One proposal before the New Hampshire Legislature would give drivers the chance to participate in next year’s festivities by purchasing a special, commemorative license plate for America’s 250th.

A special, one-year plate

HB 260 sponsored by Rep. Stephen Pearson (R-Derry) authorizes the design, sale, and distribution of a new license plate recognizing the 250th anniversary of American Independence. It is a “cover plate,” meaning it would replace your front license plate. Cover plates do not bear your unique license plate number, making them less expensive for the state to produce. The law would be in effect starting two months after its passage and would last until July 4, 2027.

These plates would cost $25 to purchase, with money going toward the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) Administrative Fund. This state program supports historic and natural resource preservation in New Hampshire. The Legislative Budget Assistant estimates the plates would have an annual fiscal impact under $10,000.

Originally, HB 260 specified that the plate would feature the Battle of Bunker Hill (as depicted in the famous painting by John Trumbull, above). While this Revolutionary War battle was fought near Boston, New Hampshire soldiers played a significant role. Colonel John Stark—who would later become a general and is forever immortalized for his use of the phrase “live free or die”—led troops in inflicting heavy casualties on the British. Ultimately, though, the bill was amended to celebrate America’s 250th more generally.

New Hampshire law already allows the Department of Safety to issue special license plates for towns and cities celebrating major anniversaries, such as a town’s tricentennial. These plates can then be used in place of a car’s front license plate for up to a year during the celebration. The New Hampshire House of Representatives created a commemorative cover plate for the nation’s bicentennial in 1976 that members could use on their cars.

NH has a history with special plates

Granite Staters love personalizing their plates—a 2007 survey found New Hampshire to be among the top adopters of vanity plates in the nation. Of course, New Hampshire has lots of other license plate options. Most famously, there’s the Conservation and State Park plate, featuring a majestic-looking moose. Funds from purchases of that plate go to conservation projects. You can see a complete list of plate types on the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles website.

New Hampshire also offers a “Decal Plate,” which has space for a sticker from a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Nonprofits can in turn ask for authorization from the New Hampshire Legislature to sell decal stickers for fundraising.

Competing license plate legislation

So far the plan for a 250th commemorative plate seems uncontroversial, but not everyone agrees the state should issue license plates for special occasions or funds. The Decal Plate was proposed in 2015 to cut down on costs associated with creating and managing special license plates.

For example, another proposal this year, HB 105, would institute a “Love NH Lakes” conservation license plate, with proceeds going toward the Cyanobacteria Mitigation Loan and Grant fund. Cyanobacteria blooms are a blue-green algae that form on the surface of lakes and other bodies of water, and can be harmful to people and animals. The plate would feature an image of a loon. Mike Marchand, Wildlife Diversity Program Administrator at NH Fish and Game Department, told the Senate Transportation Committee he was afraid this plate would draw funds away from the Moose Plate program.

The question of whether Granite Staters should be required to have a front license plate at all has also come up in recent years, with HB 393 (2023) and HB 1138 (2022). Some states, including Alabama and Tennessee, only require rear license plates.

What do you think?

Should New Hampshire make a commemorative plate celebrating the 250th anniversary of American Independence? Let your state senator know by contacting them. The Senate will vote on HB 260 in May.