What is the timeline for the online auctions?
We anticipate holding the 2nd Low-Number Whale Plate Auction in the fall of 2025. We will also be auctioning low-number Striped Bass license plates. This auction will feature a selection of plates from numbers 2-99.
Over the next few years, we will also begin to auction plates 1-999 for the Trout and Blackstone Valley plates.
How will my cell phone and email be used?
Your cell phone number and email address will be used respectfully and only for the auction. Your contact information will be used to share the opening of auction items for bidding and information about the event, assist you with the self-checkout process, acknowledge your support of the auction, and make sure you get your plate! You will receive updates from the MET about our grant programs and other events. You may unsubscribe from text messages at any time.
Who can participate in the license plate auctions?
All are welcome to bid! Anyone with a car registered in the state of Massachusetts may bid/buy a Whale or Striped Bass Plate.
Are the winning bid amounts eligible for a tax deduction?
Yes! Your contribution is truly appreciated! MET is a state Trust set up to receive funding from individuals, foundations, corporations and gifts of Wills and Bequests. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the tax-deductibility of your donation.
- Winning bid amounts are donations to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) and do not include fees to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV).
- The WHALE PLATE fee of $40 will be added to your regular RMV registration fee of $60 for a total of $100 paid every 2-years.
- The RMV will provide a link to pay additional fees including a plate swap fee, WHALE PLATE special fee and depending on your registration status there may be a prorated registration fee.
As a whale plate holder, you are helping to save whales and other aquatic life and safeguard our streams water habitats.
Can I put an MET plate on my leased vehicle?
Yes. You will need a Power of Attorney letter from your leasing agent in addition to a Registration and Title Application form signed by your car insurance provider. You must provide both to the RMV when registering with the new plate.
Can I put an MET plate on my commercial vehicle?
Unfortunately, commercially registered vehicles are not eligible for a charitable organization specialty license plate.
Can I gift or transfer my plate to another person?
Yes. If you are the winning bidder for a license plate configuration, you are allowed to transfer the plate configuration to any person of your choosing upon the completion of the payment as long as the person's car is registered in Massachusetts. To do this, you must write a letter assigning the plate to the other person and that person must present the letter to the RMV when registering with the new plate.
If I am purchasing the plate as a gift, whose name do I enter on the form?
Please enter the information of the individual that the car is registered to. The form information should match the information associated with the registration of the car (the car must be registered in Massachusetts.) *If you are gifting the plate to a spouse/partner/child, in which you are on the same car insurance - you would be able to do these steps yourself prior to gifting - as long as you have all of the recipients information.
How will I view the virtual event?
If you are registered, we will email and text you the direct link to join the virtual event. Dress code is couch comfortable!
How do I browse, bid, & buy?
All bidding will be done electronically on any mobile device or computer. You will receive a text or email when the auction is open for bidding. Simply click on the link to access your personal bidding account and enjoy the auction. Browse the auction by going to "Items" on the home page, and start bidding on your favorite items! Place your bid on selected items, set a maximum bid if desired, and Givesmart will continue to keep you in the running until you reach your maximum bid. You must be registered in Givesmart and give your Credit Card information to participate in bidding.
Can I bid on multiple plates, even though I only want to purchase one?
At the end of the auction, we will process payments on all winning bids, so you will be responsible for purchasing any plates that you have the winning bid on. If you only want one plate, we suggest choosing your top priority plate. If it seems like you are losing that plate in the final auction countdown, you can make a bid on your second preferred plate.
How can I keep active and know if I am outbid or have won an item?
You will be notified via text if you have been outbid. Keep an eye on your favorite items! If you are NOT receiving the text messages make sure you have the correct mobile number under your profile. The texts will continue to notify you when you have been outbid or reached your maximum bid. When the silent auction closes, you will also receive a text message if you won any items.
How will I know if I won an item
Winners will be notified via text and email after the auction category closes.
How do I get my whale or striper plate?
We will send the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) a list of the winners with their winning plate number.
You will need to:
- Contact your insurance agent to complete the Registration and Title Application (RTA).
- The RTA must have the insurance stamp applied, and all owners must sign the application (on the bottom of the form).
- Ensure section D9 on the RTA is completed, including a contact number and email.
- Email the completed RTA to MET’s Director: kim.tilas@mass.gov.
- Upon receipt of the valid RTA, the RMV will process the plate swap transactions and will send a link to the email address on the RTA for payment of the $40 Special Plate fee, swap fee, and there may be a pro-rated RMV registration fee depending on where you are in your registration cycle.
- Once payment is made, the plate will be mailed to the address on file. Please allow 10 days to receive the plate after registration payment.
- Customers can recycle their old license plates after the new one is received. Do not cancel your old plate. It will cease automatically.
Contacts: Kim Tilas at kim.tilas@mass.gov, (617) 947-1227. RMV Specialty Plates Department (857)368-8031.
About our Low-Plate Auctions
Since 1994, MET has reserved low-number Whale Plates. Over the next 2-3 years, we’ll auction Right Whale (RW) plates 1-999 and Roseate Tern (RT) plates 1-999, along with a selection of low-number Striped Bass plates.
The online auctions will continue in phases over the next few years where we will be adding low-number Trout and Blackstone Valley license plates.
The premier of our first low-number whale plate auction in early 2025 was at a time when right whales are in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Bay and the Outer Cape to feed on unusually dense concentrations of zooplankton.
The first auction was a huge success thanks to the generous people who bid on a selection of whales plates. Plates that you will now see on the road include:
RW3, RT5, RW11, RW22, RW25, RT25, RT30, RW33, RT43, RT53, RT55, RW65, RT73, RW80, RW100, RT100, RW150, RT150, RT300, RT133, RW133, RT300, RW330, RT333, RW500, RT500, RW750, RW963
Everyone who has one of our 4 license plates is contributing to crucial grantmaking efforts aimed at protecting and conserving our precious marine animals, aquatic life, and river and estuarine ecosystems. The funds raised will empower organizations dedicated to these vital causes, ensuring healthier habitats for generations to come. Proceeds from the auctions help bolster our grantmaking efforts! Plate sales have been in decline and our grant program funds are directly affected by this.
The key benefit of our auctions is more MET plates on the road! When you renew your registration with the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) you are continuously supporting MET’s wide range of initiatives. License plate renewals occur every 2 years and the additional fee of $40 is a donation to MET.
Auction Proceeds
By purchasing one of these exclusive plates, you contribute to crucial grantmaking efforts aimed at protecting and conserving our precious marine animals, restoration efforts in trout streams, striped bass research and angler education, and aquatic habitat improvements.
Proceeds from the auctions will grow our foundation to provide grants that help save whales, their food resources and monitoring of food distribution changes. Funds also help sustain important research and habitat restoration efforts for fish including striped bass and brook trout, and education programs about endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale and Roseate Terns and about conserving our aquatic ecological systems and biological resources in marine, estuarine, and fresh-water systems.
Impact of our license plates
Your contributions support conservation programs, educational outreach, and scientific research. Examples:
- Long-term funding for the Massachusetts Large Whale and Sea Turtle Conservation Program and Large Whale and Turtle Disentanglement Network. This 27-year-long partnership with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is an intensive effort to protect, restore and manage large whale and sea turtle species found in surrounding Massachusetts state waters. The program’s integrated approach combines monitoring and analysis of the population and habitat of North Atlantic right whales, with hands-on, at-sea rescues of right whales, as well as other endangered marine species, among them humpback whales, fin whales, and leatherback sea turtles
- Improved passageways for sea-run fish like river herring and eels and expanded forage food options for many other aquatic animals
- Funding for Informative environmental workshops and education initiatives
- Implementation of smart growth and/or low impact development through initial stage project approaches for river and estuarine modification and restoration
- Investigations on coastal feeding and migratory habits of coastal wildlife like seals, turtles, shorebirds and other species
- Activities that involve marine animal rescue, rehabilitation, and research on best practices for reintroduction of rescued and/or rehabilitated mammals into the wild
- Development of fishing gear that is safer for marine life by reducing the risk for injury and mortality
- Studies of stock structure, movements, local ecology and angler practices to improve hook-and-release release survival of striped bass and other recreational fish populations
- Tracking whale populations and studies of their behaviors to help develop strategies to mitigate threats such as ship strikes and entanglements
- Training Lobster Fishers in the use and application of gear restrictions and buoy line marking measures to protect marine animals