Puffin License Plate Preorder - Oregon Coast Aquarium

A puffin license plate is landing in Oregon

The puffin plate is fully funded!

Thank you to everyone that helped us reach the 3,000 voucher preorder goal!

Voucher holders, keep an eye out on your email for helpful next steps. Didn’t get a chance to preorder? Keep an eye out on this page for news about when puffin plates are coming to your local DMV.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will puffin plates be available at the DMV?

Puffin plates are expected to land at your local Oregon DMV in late summer of 2026.

Preorder voucher holders will be contacted prior to this with next steps on how to redeem their vouchers once puffin plates become available.

Where's my voucher?

Vouchers will be mailed to preorder voucher holders approximately 60 days before they are able to be redeemed at your local DMV. A more concrete timeline will be established and communicated with voucher holders the closer we get to this date.

I didn't preorder! Can I still get a plate?

Yes you can get a puffin plate, just not yet! Currently we are in the production period, where the DMV is dotting i’s and crossing t’s and getting all of their license plate printers up to speed. Once the puffin plate is available at your local DMV you will be able to purchase/transfer your plates over to that as with any other custom plate background.

Puffin plates are expected to hit DMV’s in late summer of 2026.

Will I need to reregister my tags/pay my registration fee again?

This can vary person to person! For most preorder voucher holders, you will only need to pay the DMV’s transfer fee. If you didn’t preorder, you will need to pay the $40 for a custom plate in addition to a transfer fee.

You can learn more about the transferring plate process at the DMV2U website. Be aware that the puffin plate will not show up as an option for ‘special plates’ until closer to that issuance phase.

How do I get a custom phrase/vanity plate?

It’s totally possible to have a custom phrase on your plate! There are two ways to go about this:

Now: You can obtain your custom phrase now (on the background of the standard Oregon plate) and then transfer it over to the puffin plates once those become available.
Later: You can wait to apply for the custom phrase until you redeem your voucher later on.

You can learn more about DMV’s process to transfer existing custom plates or get a new custom plate on the DMV’s site.

What number plate will I get?

Unfortunately we cannot pre-assign or guarantee numbers. When you get a plate from DMV you will be issued the next number in their inventory.

Will there be ongoing fees associated with this plate?

Yes, each time you renew your plates you will be charged a $40 surcharge in additional to DMV’s regular renewal fees. Of this charge, about $35 directly supports animal rehabilitation efforts by the Oregon Coast Aquarium and about $5 will be retained by the DMV for administrative costs.

How do I give a voucher as a gift?

To give the Puffin Plate voucher as a gift, once you have your physical voucher you’ll sign as “Purchaser” and complete the bottom “Transfer of Voucher” section and provide the name of the person receiving the gift. Be sure that you also sign as “Transferor” in this section.

Wait, I didn't get a sticker!

If you didn’t receive an exclusive puffin plate preorder sticker with your initial confirmation letter, don’t worry. This just means you ordered early! We added the stickers later on as a bonus thank you to voucher holders, so not everyone would have gotten them with their confirmation letters.

If you didn’t get it with your initial confirmation letter, you’ll instead receive it with your voucher. See above for the latest timeline information regarding vouchers.

I do not live in or have a registered vehicle in the state of Oregon. Can I purchase a souvenir plate?

Souvenir plates are not available for purchase. Puffin Plates are only available with eligible passenger vehicles registered in the State of Oregon.

I have a question not answered here!

Still have questions? Email us at puffinplate@aquarium.org and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Hooray! Our

voucher goal has been met!

A new license plate is landing in Oregon!

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is one of three facilities in the Pacific Northwest, and the only in the state of Oregon, authorized to provide critical care to endangered marine animals like sea turtles, snowy plovers and Guadalupe fur seals. With the purchase of a puffin plate, you help support the Aquarium’s wildlife rehabilitation and animal care.

Why a tufted puffin?

The tufted puffin is one of Oregon’s most iconic species, beloved by coastal locals and travelers alike. They can be seen in the Aquarium’s Seabird Aviary, or through the spring and summer at their famous nesting site at Haystack Rock. While adored, these birds have declined significantly in Oregon over the last few decades, and we want to raise awareness around these incredible birds!

Helping marine wildlife recover

A hypothermic female olive ridley sea turtle stranded on a remote southern Washington beach. An endangered Western snowy plover chick abandoned in its nest, covered in sand and not even fully hatched. A northern fur seal pup entangled by a plastic balloon string in a RV parking lot. These are just three examples of injured wildlife that arrived at the Oregon Coast Aquarium for care.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Program rescues and rehabilitates threatened and endangered animals as well as indigenous wildlife deemed injured by human interference.

Aid & assistance

The Aquarium receives hundreds of reports of entangled and injured wildlife each year. The Aquarium partners with wildlife rehabilitation centers along the coast to promote injured animals’ long term care and chances of successful release, and is currently building its own Marine Wildlife Center to expand its capacity for wildlife rehabilitation & animal care.