The second most expensive license plate in Texas was just bought for $34,500.
Yep, someone had more than $35 grand to spend on a license plate, including taxes and fees– all for the lucky number “8.”
There is only Texas license plate with the number 8, which is why it fetched such a high price at auction.
Texas uses a vendor, MyPlates.com to market and sell specialty and personalized license plates. Its most recent auction resulted in $78,000 in sales, with $46,728 going to the states’ general fund.
Texas license “3” sold for $33,000, making it the third most expensive license plate sold in Texas.
The only single letter plate being offered at auction this year is “J,” for $10,500.
“My Plates” are available through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Texans have purchased more than 345,000 My Plates since November 2009, the equivalent of over $62 million. The money goes directly to the state’s general revenue fund.
The most expensive Texas license plate is “12THMAN,” which sold for $115,000 in 2013.
Specialty plates can have names, acronyms, or animals and personalized in many ways:
Possibly the best license plate I’ve ever seen. Who knew this was a thing?
I looked it up and it is part of the Texas “Mighty Fine Burger” personalized license plate series. Interesting… pic.twitter.com/105vNRWZzZ
— doug comings (@dougcomings) February 20, 2018
Vintage Personalized TEXAS SUSANA Mini Bike Bicycle Vanity Name License Plate #Texas https://t.co/bgYBEucPBK pic.twitter.com/bOYQ6MtDyd
— Capi driver (@capipaula182) February 22, 2018
Plate owners can sell or gift their license number to someone else and its rights are transferable. Being able to transfer a license number to a family member or friend makes the license plate a financial investment. Once someone wins their bid for a plate at auction, they own the right to it for five years. After five years they have first rights of refusal to renew the plate at the state’s registration rate.
