Just in time for the holidays, the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announces the seasonal release of available five-digit license plates starting Monday, November 8, 2021. Beginning that day, a limited number of five-digit license plates will be made available to the public through our new online tag reservation system on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please visit www.dmv.de.gov and select the READ MORE link in the Five-Digit Tag Release section to access the link to reserve a five-digit plate beginning Monday, November 8, 2021.

License plate numbers cannot be reserved in advance, by phone, by email or in person. The promotion will run only as long as license plate supplies last, from November 8th through December 17th. Customers are only eligible for one five-digit plate per driver’s license or ID and must meet residency requirements.

Important information about reserving your five-digit plate:

• There is one plate reservation per DL/ID allowed during this process. If more than one plate is reserved for an individual or entity, each additional reservation will be canceled by the DMV. Plates will be reserved and held at DMV until February 28, 2022, at which time all unclaimed reserved plates from this release will be re-allocated.
• All five-digit tags will be blue and gold. If choosing to upgrade your plate to black and white stainless steel or porcelain, the cost is $120 ($115 for the plate and $5 for the additional sticker). This upgrade can be completed during your visit to any Delaware DMV, or online through the Delaware Historic Plate Company. Upgrades can be completed any time after updating your title with the DMV to reflect an eligible tag number.
• The division also offers a variety of background plates which can be ordered to display your five-digit tag number. The cost of a background plate ranges from $15 – $50 and available options are displayed online and at each DMV location.
• Five-digit plates can be placed on cars or pickup trucks registered up to 10,000 pounds or less.
• Customers are responsible for all applicable transfer fees.
• Once you reserve your five-digit plate, you will receive a confirmation email with detailed instructions; please make sure that you have all your required documentation before heading to the selected DMV. You will need to bring the email confirmation and the drivers license or ID that was used for the reservation. The title must be in the same name as the DL or ID. The individual must meet residency requirements.
• Your confirmation email will contain the assigned five-digit plate; plates are issued on a first come, first served basis automatically through the online system.

The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles will be offering a three-month amnesty program for toll violators to resolve their toll debt for a fraction of the cost. Senate Joint Resolution 5, passed by the Delaware General Assembly, established the toll amnesty program for eligible toll violations on Route 1 and I-95. Anyone with outstanding toll violations incurred on Route 1 or I-95 between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2020 is eligible to participate in the toll amnesty program. From October 1 through December 31, 2021, civil penalties will be waived for outstanding toll violations if tolls due plus an amnesty fee are paid.

Starting October 1, letters will be mailed to the registered owners of approximately 640,000 vehicles with unpaid toll violations and civil penalties to notify them of the waiver period. Those with outstanding violations are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this unique amnesty program, which will only be offered for a limited time. To participate in this program or for more information, visit de.gov/tollamnesty for Frequently Asked Questions, online payment portal access, support resources, and more.

Governor John Carney, who signed the legislation creating the toll amnesty program on Friday, commented, “This 90-day toll amnesty program will help DelDOT collect unpaid tolls and provide relief for motorists who have outstanding violations from traveling I-95 and Route 1. These programs have been successful in resolving these debts in other states, and I encourage anyone with violations to take advantage of this opportunity.”

“The tolls on Route 1 are there to help cover the cost of keeping our roads safe and in good working order. Unfortunately, close to $143 million owed by toll scofflaws is now going uncollected with some drivers facing thousands of dollars in fines and fees for $1 violations,” said Senator Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, the prime sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 5. “I want to thank DelDOT Secretary Nicole Majeski, Controller General Ruth Ann Jones, and Governor John Carney for working with me and others to create a three-month amnesty program that will have a positive impact for all parties involved.”

Jana Simpler, Director of the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, said “Through this program, eligible participants have the opportunity to settle their accounts for a fraction of the amount owed. In preparation, please ensure your current vehicle registration address on file with the Division is accurate.”

After December 31, 2021, full resolution of any outstanding toll violations will require payment of all civil penalties.

Route 1 and I-95 register 70.6 million toll transactions annually, and about one million of those result in a violation. Of those violations, about 623,000 motorists have between one and ten violations.

Temporarily closed on March 17, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 State of Emergency, Delaware’s three toll plazas will resume cash collection at the I-95, Biddles, and Dover Toll Plazas on Thursday, May 21, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. Those drivers operating vehicles without a valid E-ZPass transponder mounted must again use the cash lanes to pay their tolls.

In addition, to the toll cash lanes reopening, all Delaware Toll Plazas will also reopen for walk-in services.

We continue to take every precaution to safeguard our employees and customers by following the guidelines set forth by the Delaware Public Health State of Emergency Declaration, (https://governor.delaware.gov/health-soe/)

More than 70 percent of vehicles passing through Delaware’s toll plazas utilize E-ZPass, and for information on creating an E-ZPass account please visit www.ezpassde.com.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) continues to review operational needs while keeping the health and safety of our employees and customers in mind.

Effective Monday, March 23, 2020, all four DMV locations will go to kiosk, drive-through and emergency appointment only. Dealer paperwork can be dropped off for processing and picked up when notified. Inspection lanes will remain open as no personal interaction is required, and the drive through windows at each location will have additional staff working to process DMV-related transactions. At no time will there be more than 10 people permitted in DMV lobbies.

To schedule an appointment for urgent business at DMV that cannot wait until after the current situation passes, please call:
Delaware City – 302-365-3208
Dover – 302-744-2568
Georgetown – 302-853-1034
Wilmington – 302-434-3208

Additionally, for DelDOT maintenance and operations field crews and contractors, crew vehicles will be limited to two persons so that there are no more than two people in a work vehicle at the same time.

If you are feeling sick, please do not visit public facilities and avoid public transportation. For more information on the state’s response to the Coronavirus, visit de.gov/coronavirus.

The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) continues to review operational needs while keeping the health and safety of our employees and customers in mind.

Effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 6:00pm, the Biden Welcome Center on I-95 in Newark will temporarily close to the public as efforts continue to limit crowds from gathering in response to the Coronavirus. Fuel will still be available at the gas station located on the north side of the property and bathroom facilities in the convenience store will also be available to motorists. The stand-alone Starbucks will continue to offer a full menu for drive through customers only.

At DelDOT’s four DMV locations, effective tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, business hours for Wednesdays will change to 8:00am to 4:30pm and there will be no evening hours to eliminate the possibility of overcrowding in the evening hours for the next two weeks. This may be extended and further changes may be implemented depending upon the status of the pandemic event.

If you are feeling sick, please do not visit public facilities and avoid public transportation. For more information on the state’s response to the Coronavirus, visit de.gov/coronavirus.