FAQ

Adding a Save Starry Skies license plate to your vehicles is a great way to celebrate Nevada's dark starry skies. Anyone who has traveled through Nevada knows that our state is one of wide open spaces, quiet solitude, and miles upon miles of uninterrupted views. Because the American public owns so much of this wide open landscape, you won’t find “No Trespassing” signs or private developments, and you certainly won’t find a lot of lights. There are very few places left in the country, and in the world for that matter, where there is so little artificial light that you can literally see right through the Milky Way to the next galaxy with the naked eye... but you can right here in Nevada. From Great Basin National Park to Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area to the most remote stretches of The Park to Park in the Dark Highway, Nevada is home to some of the most spectacular night skies in the world.

You will need to make an appointment at your local DMV office to pick up the new plates and turn in your old plates. The two exceptions are for those getting the plate as part of a new car purchase from a Nevada dealer or ordering a personalized plate; in that case, you can order online and the DMV will let you know when to come pick them up.

In addition to your standard annual vehicle registration fee, the initial fee for the Save Starry Skies plate is currently $61, of which $25 benefits Friends of Nevada Wilderness. The annual renewal is $30, of which $20 goes to Friends. For a personalized plate, the initial registration fee is $96, with an annual renewal of $50. Rates may change, check with the Nevada DMV to verify their current rates.

Ready to get the specialty plate on your vehicle? Make an appointment today!

The dark sky specialty plate is the brainchild of Friends of Nevada Wilderness as a way to call attention to our amazing dark skies and help preserve them for future generations. We have been working with the Nevada DMV for a number of years to get to this point. As part of the plate creation process, Friends asked for and received dozens of creative plate design ideas. After a tough decision-making process, we chose the design submitted by Jonathan Boarini, a dark sky advocate and graphic artist.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness asked for and received dozens of creative plate designs! After a tough decision-making process, we chose the design submitted by Jonathan Boarini, a dark sky advocate and graphic artist.

Jonathan is an advocate for Dark Sky International, a non-profit dedicated to the protection of the night sky. 

Ever since moving to Nevada, Jonathan has come to love the wide-open spaces and pristine skies of this unique region of the planet. An avid outdoorsman and amateur astronomer, he takes any opportunity to share the wonders of the stars and the wild beauty of this unique state. As an advocate, he works to create awareness around the issues of light pollution and preserve our night sky resource for future generations. 

He chairs the Department of Media Technologies and is a professor of graphic design at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas, where he resides with his wife and children.

Find him on Instagram or check out his website!

The proceeds of the new specialty license plate celebrating Nevada’s Dark Skies will be used to preserve and promote the unique qualities of Nevada that allow people to view the Milky Way and beyond with the naked eye. A portion of the proceeds will be set aside for distribution to qualifying rural Nevada entities to help promote astro-tourism in conjunction with programs to educate the public about the historic, cultural, and scientific values of a truly dark sky.

The sponsoring organization is Friends of Nevada Wilderness, a qualified 501 (C) (3) statewide nonprofit incorporated in 1984. 

Examples:

Friends of Nevada Wilderness uses standard professional equipment and practices to monitor the amount of light in night skies on public lands. The collected data can help inform land management agencies of the relative darkness and work to find ways to mitigate proposed projects that would impact these dark skies from light pollution. Proceeds will help support this ongoing monitoring and assessment program.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness and other non-profit and governmental organizations are conducting more and more outreach to educate the public about the impacts of artificial light on wildlife, our natural environment and our ability to view star-studded skies. Proceeds will support this ongoing public outreach and education by providing program funding for appropriate educational materials and special events.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness supports the promotion of astro-tourism and local efforts to reduce excess artificial lighting in rural areas. Proceeds could support those local efforts by providing program funding for appropriate upgrading of lighting fixtures and infrastructure to enhance star-gazing opportunities.