Specialty UFC license plate now available in Nevada

Fans of the UFC can now represent the sports organization on their vehicle and raise money for good causes.

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled the UFC’s specialty license plate Wednesday, representing the culmination of years of behind-the-scenes work.

The UFC specialty license plate is available for $61 on top of a vehicle’s normal registration fees. Of that, $25 from each plate sold will benefit the UFC Foundation. Annual registration renewals also net $20 per plate for the foundation. Personalized UFC specialty license plates area available for an additional $35 annual fee.

With the UFC calling Las Vegas home since 2001, it only made sense to create a specialty plate in the Silver State, said UFC Chief Operating Officer Lawrence Epstein.

“UFC is a global brand, but we’re proud that Nevada is our home,” Epstein said. “For more than two decades, UFC has been actively involved in supporting charitable organizations, both on the ground here in the Las Vegas Valley and across the entire state of Nevada.”

The plate’s design is simple, but incorporates the UFC’s main colors, black and red. The standard plate features the letters “HW” before the numbers, which stands for heavyweight, a popular weight division in the mixed-martial arts organization.

If a vehicle is already registered, a smog check and registration renewal aren’t necessary to purchase the UFC plate.

The UFC joins the Raiders and the Golden Knights as professional sports organizations with Nevada specialty license plates. As of April 30, the Golden Knights plates have 61,656 active registrations, while the Raiders have 30,218.

The recently launched UFC Foundation focuses on advocating for youth, public service, equality and for those overcoming critical and life threatening illnesses.

“We’re thrilled to launch our UFC specialty license plate program, which we believe will become a source of pride for our statewide fanbase, as a portion of their registration and renewal fees will go towards supporting local charities throughout the state of Nevada,” Epstein said.

The DMV offers 50 license plates that support charitable causes, including 10 styles of veteran plates that support the Nevada Veterans Homes, according to Kevin Malone, DMV spokesman. The DMV offers another 28 specialty plates available to the public that do not support a charity, such as 1982 replica plates and classic vehicle plates.

“Specialty license plates have raised $91.3 million for Nevada charities since 1998,” Malone said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.