RIDE-CT – Classic Cars Celebrating Classic Cars in Connecticut
WETHERSFIELD, CT – Connecticut residents really do love pizza! Proof is found in the popularity of the special license plates declaring Connecticut to be “The Pizza State” and bearing an image of a pepperoni slice.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles began taking applications for the pizza plates in March 2025 and started issuing them in July. A total of 397 orders were filled by the end of the year, with the plate ending up ranking fourth in sales for 2025. The pizza plate even bumped the plate celebrating the University of Connecticut out of the Top 5, according to DMV statistics obtained Friday by RIDE-CT.
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The three most popular special plates in 2025 were unchanged from 2024. The “Preserve The Sound” plate in support of Long Island Sound ranked No. 1. It sold 1,568 copies, a increase from 1,417 in 2024.
“Conserve Wildlife” took the runner-up spot with 558 sold (up from 501 in 2024). The patriotic “United We Stand” was third with 475 sold (up from 393 in 2024), with the “Caring for Pets” animal population control plate (277 sold) finishing in the fifth spot.
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Rounding out the Top 10 in sales in 2025 were the “UConn Huskies” plate (216), which dropped to sixth place. It was followed by “Save Our Lakes” (166), the “In The Line of Duty” police memorial (155), Hartford Whalers (126) and Greenways (111) plates.
The DMV offers roughly 70 different special or vanity license plates in a variety of categories from military and veteran to colleges and organizations. Many plates failed to receive a single order, including a plate for the Ferrari Club of New England.
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The UConn plates did the best among the college plates offered. There were only three buyers for the Central Connecticut State University plates. Surprising, a plate for the Penn State Alumni Association did better than CCSU’s with one more sold.
The Hartford Whalers continued to show enduring popularity in 2025 with sales rising to 126 from 116 in 2024.
RIDE-CT did not request an accounting of total sales over time of the individual specialty plates as calendar year numbers provided sufficient data to gauge popularity and were easy to obtain.
(Photos by Bud Wilkinson.)
