UT Dallas license plates are available through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Specialty plates with random letters and numbers are $30, while personalized plates are $70.
Faculty, staff, students and alumni at The University of Texas at Dallas have long proudly displayed their school colors on sweatshirts, baseball caps and coffee mugs.
Now they can take their Comet pride to the streets — with custom-designed license plates. The majority of the proceeds will go toward scholarships for UT Dallas students.
The orange, green and white UT Dallas specialty plates are available through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
The University’s Alumni Relations staff came up with the idea for the specialty plates. “We thought it would be exciting to see UT Dallas plates when you’re driving around the city and around Texas,” said Melinda Mendoza-Ellis, senior director of Alumni Relations. “It seemed like a wonderful idea to be able to show Comet pride and to also put money back into scholarships.”
Increased numbers of students and alumni in recent years, as well as greater campus involvement, spurred momentum for the project, Mendoza-Ellis said. Having more social media avenues also makes it easier to get the word out.
“Student Affairs has done a wonderful job with school traditions in recent years that have given the student body robust opportunities to feel part of the school. As such, alumni have an increased affinity for the University, and we hope that they will want to share their pride for their school,” Mendoza-Ellis said.
The UT Dallas community has two options when purchasing plates: specialty plates with random letters and numbers are $30, while personalized plates are $70. The plates allow a choice of up to six characters that can represent names, a favorite Comet slogan, a catchphrase or year of graduation.
Drive Comet Pride
Share your pride on social media by tagging your Comet license plate photos with #drivecometpride. To learn more about the license plates and the ordering process, go to the Drive Comet Pride website.
All plates must be renewed annually. For each specialty plate purchased, the University will receive $22 toward student scholarships.
Those who already have personalized license plates through the state of Texas and want to swap them for the new UT Dallas plates may keep their custom phrase if it is six characters or less, but the older plates must be exchanged when the new ones are issued.
Once ordered, the plates are picked up at the county tax office or can be requested to be sent to one of its substations. Learn more about the process on the Drive Comet Pride website.
Family members and alumni who no longer live in Texas can also purchase UT Dallas souvenir plates to display in homes or offices. Regular souvenir plates are $20; personalized souvenir plates cost $40, with half of the funds coming back to support University scholarships.
Souvenir plates may be ordered on the DMV website by clicking on the “Souvenir License Plates” tab.