Governor Hochul and the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Announce License Plate Redesign Contest in Celebration of Agency's 30th Anniversary

License Plates Commemorate 30 Years of Responding to Domestic Violence in New York State

New Yorkers Are Able to Vote on One of Three New License Plate Designs That Reflect the State's Dedication to Making Domestic and Sexual Violence Services More Survivor-Centered, Trauma-Informed, and Culturally Responsive

Winning Design to be Announced in October During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Vote for License Plate Design Here

Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, in partnership with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, today announced a contest for New Yorkers to vote on a new custom state license plate. In honor of OPDV's 30th anniversary, the three designs reflect the strength and resilience of survivors and the commitment New York State makes to support them. The winning license plate will be announced in October 2022 in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time dedicated to bringing awareness and sparking conversations about gender-based violence.

"In New York, there is no place for violence, and that undoubtedly includes mental, physical, and emotional domestic violence," Governor Hochul said. "Survivors are the strongest among us, and as we celebrate OPDV's anniversary we remember how far we've come and the work still to be done in eradicating this abhorrent violence. My administration will never stop advocating for victims of violence and I encourage New Yorkers to show their support by voting for their favorite commemorative plate."

For the past 30 years, the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence has remained the country's only Cabinet level agency dedicated to the issue of gender-based violence. The agency's mission is to improve New York State's response to and prevention of domestic and sexual violence with the goal of enhancing the safety of all New Yorkers in their intimate relationships through policy, programming, and public awareness.

Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Executive Director Kelli Owens said, "What survivors of domestic and sexual violence need has expanded greatly over the last 30 years, but services have not kept up to meet these ever-evolving needs. On OPDV's 30th anniversary, Governor Hochul is directing OPDV to transform the domestic and sexual violence service delivery system to be more survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive. Voting for the new "End Domestic Violence" license plate design is how any New Yorker can show their support and help end gender-based violence in New York."

Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, "We are proud to offer New Yorkers this opportunity to select a new license plate that will strengthen our message to end domestic violence and that will offer support to survivors. A portion of the proceeds goes directly to support domestic violence awareness initiatives."

In October, the chosen license plate can be ordered from the DMV website or your local DMV location. Revenue from the plates will support OPDV's continued work to end gender-based violence through programming and public awareness. Vote for this year's OPDV license plate design here.