Massachusetts Holds Lottery For Low-Number 250th Anniversary License Plates

Massachusetts has had the same patriotic license plate design since 1987, when the standard red, white, and blue plate with "The Spirit of America" across the bottom first came out. Last year, a special license plate came out to commemorate 250 years since the American Revolution — for an extra fee, of course. As if that wasn't special enough, CBS News reports that the new plates can now be paired with another long-standing state tradition: a lottery to obtain a low license plate number.

The new, attractive plate design has proven extremely popular, with 57,000 sold in the seven months since it became available. It's a variation of the standard colors, except with white lettering on a blue background, and Massachusetts in red print. Thirteen stars for the original colonies surround the year 1776 on the left, with the tagline "250 Years of Independence" replacing the standard motto at the bottom. After nearly 40 years with the same license plate, it's no wonder people are looking for a change.

Residents can now double down on the specialness of this patriotic plate by entering a lottery to get a low license plate number. This lottery is a time-honored tradition for the standard plate design that I've written about before. (I accidentally entered the lottery while researching that article and actually won, but I didn't follow through on claiming one.) It's usually a bit of a status symbol, but in some cases that low number can be a family heirloom, handed down through generations and dating back to the original issue of that number.

There are no historical claims to this new plate design, so everyone has an equal chance of winning one, though you won't get to choose your number. Plate numbers 1 through 999 are available, plus 1776 for maximum patriotism. You must already have an active Massachusetts passenger car registration to enter, which you can do at this link until April 17, 2026. Winners will be notified in May and have until August 28 to exchange their current plate for this one.

It does seem a little strange to enter a lottery to win the honor of paying more for your license plates, but many Bay Staters do it every year. It seemed perfectly normal to me when I lived there, which is also why I get to declare that Boston drivers are the absolute worst. It takes one to know one.