NEARBY is open in 17 of the 19 states where we checked it on the official DMV site in the last 7 days: Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Missouri and more. It also showed open in Montana, Ohio, Oregon and Texas, but those checks are older or per-county, so they're marked * below.
The table below is from our last scan. Check it live in your state - no account needed.
No account needed - 3 free searches a day, straight from the official DMV lookups. A free account gets 5 a day plus alerts.
| State | Status | Since | Source | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CaliforniaCA | Taken | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 5 d ago |
| FloridaFL | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| HawaiiHI | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| IdahoID | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| IowaIA | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| KansasKS | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| KentuckyKY | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| LouisianaLA | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| MinnesotaMN | Taken | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 5 d ago |
| MissouriMO | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| MontanaMT | Open * | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 15 d ago |
| North DakotaND | Open | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| OhioOH | Open * | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 15 d ago |
| OklahomaOK | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| OregonOR | Open * | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 19 d ago |
| PennsylvaniaPA | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| South DakotaSD | Open | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 1 d ago |
| TennesseeTN | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| TexasTX | Open * | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 15 d ago |
| VirginiaVA | Open | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| WashingtonWA | Open | Oct 13, 2026 | Official DMV check | 1 d ago |
| Washington DCDC | Open | Oct 12, 2026 | Official DMV check | 1 d ago |
| West VirginiaWV | Open | Oct 11, 2026 | Official DMV check | 3 d ago |
| ConnecticutCT | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Registration lookup | 6 d ago |
| MassachusettsMA | Likely open * | Oct 14, 2026 | Registration lookup | 16 d ago |
| WisconsinWI | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Registration lookup | 18 d ago |
| AlabamaAL | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| AlaskaAK | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| ArizonaAZ | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| ArkansasAR | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| ColoradoCO | Likely open * | Oct 16, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 3 d ago |
| GeorgiaGA | Likely open * | Oct 16, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 3 d ago |
| IllinoisIL | Likely open * | Oct 16, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 3 d ago |
| IndianaIN | Likely open * | Oct 16, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 3 d ago |
| MaineME | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| MarylandMD | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| MichiganMI | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| MississippiMS | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| NebraskaNE | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| NevadaNV | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| New HampshireNH | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| New JerseyNJ | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| New MexicoNM | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| North CarolinaNC | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| South CarolinaSC | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| UtahUT | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
| VermontVT | Likely open * | Oct 13, 2026 | Imported plate list | imported 2 d ago |
The summary above counts every official DMV answer from the last 7 days. * Not counted: the check is older than 7 days, it's Wyoming's per-county search, or it comes from a registration lookup or an imported plate list ("Likely open" rows). Not allowed means the state's site rejected the text itself - usually its length or characters. "Since" is when we first saw the current status. States not listed haven't been checked for NEARBY yet, or we don't cover them - see all states.
NEARBY is open in 89% of this week's official checks - more open than the average 6-character plate we check (73% open).
We haven't seen a state turn NEARBY down on review. That's a good sign - but every state reviews requests, so it can still be refused.
Worried about rejection? The dashboard's rejection risk check reads a plate the way DMV reviewers do. See plates states have rejected.
Plates come back when owners let them go. Watch NEARBY free and we'll tell you the moment it opens in your state.
In the last 7 days, NEARBY was open in 17 of 19 states we checked on official DMV sites (Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC and West Virginia). Availability changes, so check it again before you order.
Yes. Add NEARBY to your watch list in the VanityPlate dashboard and we'll message you the moment a state shows it as open.
Order it from your state's DMV. Check that NEARBY is open in your state, make sure it fits the state's rules, then order and pay the personalized plate fee. Every state reviews requests before making the plate.