The D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles introduced two new specialty vehicle tags for District residents commemorating the D.C. statehood movement and Pride month.
The “We Demand Statehood” tag incorporates multiple iconic D.C. symbols into its latest design, such as cherry blossoms and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. The tag supports the long-standing plight of District residents’ right to equal voting representation in the federal government.
The new tags come after D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen reintroduced a bill earlier this month that would make D.C. the 51st state. The bill would admit the District as the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, retaining “D.C.” while honoring the abolitionist, according to the D.C. statehood page.
The proposed state would consist of the residential and commercial portions of D.C. The reduced federal district, which would remain under Congress’ control, would consist of the Capitol complex, White House, Supreme Court, national monuments and the National Mall.
“Congress has a moral obligation and the constitutional authority to pass this bill,” Holmes’ statement reads. “This country was founded on the principles of no taxation without representation and consent of the governed, but D.C. residents are taxed without representation and cannot consent to the laws under which they, as American citizens, must live.”
The statehood plates have a $51 application fee and $26 annual display fee, which will go to the New Columbia Statehood Fund.
The new Pride plate comes as 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in D.C., with WorldPride 2025 slated to take place in the District from May 17 to June 8. The tag features the emblematic LGBTQIA+ rainbow as a ribbon, accompanied by the declaration “Pride Lives Here.”
The application fee is $25 and the annual display fee is $20. The fees will go to the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Affairs Fund.
The new tags are now available at all District DMV service center locations.
Additional information about the process for obtaining specialty vehicle tags can be found on the DMV website.
