High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The state of Virginia first required its citizens to register their vehicles and display license plates on their cars in 1906. Plates are currently issued by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).As of 2008, the DMV has 7,698,416 active registrations, 1,696,795 (22%) of which are special or personalized plates. In 2008, 1,624,146 pairs of license plates were sold, with 831,361 of them being personalized plates.Virginia offers dozens of optional license plates. Most can be personalized for an additional fee.