How does this work?

Your purchase of our Watch for Wildlife license plate voucher is a transaction between you and Oregon Wildlife Foundation (OWF). For our Watch for Wildlife plate to qualify for production, OWF must sell at least 3,000 vouchers and submit them to the DMV with payment. This proposed specialty license plate is not available for purchase from the DMV until the preliminary 3,000 vouchers are sold. If your voucher is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must contact OWF for a replacement. Your purchase of this voucher is at your own risk and does not guarantee you will receive a Watch for Wildlife plate. If for any reason this proposed Watch for Wildlife plate does not qualify for production, OWF - not the DMV - will refund your money. If this proposed Watch for Wildlife plate qualifies for production, OWF will notify you when you may redeem your voucher with the DMV for your new plates. The sale of this voucher is a source of revenue for OWF. The DMV does not and will not control the means or manner of the sale and distribution of vouchers.

How much does a Watch for Wildlife plate cost?

Please refer to the DMV's different plate guide here.

When will I receive my voucher and Watch for Wildlife plate?

OWF will mail a physical copy of your voucher to you after each batch of 500 vouchers is sold. As outlined by DMV guidelines, when 3,000 vouchers are sold, OWF will send the DMV individual voucher information and the plates will go into production. The DMV will begin the production process, and OWF will send out notification to voucher holders and a press release notifying Oregon residents that the plates are available for purchase.

How do I give a Watch for Wildlife plate as a gift?

To give the Watch for Wildlife plate voucher as a gift, you will need the DMV hard copy voucher (see above FAQ). Sign the voucher as Purchaser and complete the bottom “Transfer of Voucher” section in the name of the person receiving the gift. Be sure that you also sign as Transferor in this section.

Can I customize my Watch for Wildlife plate?

Yes! Like other Oregon license plates, the Watch for Wildlife plate may be customized for an additional DMV charge. Applications for custom plates will be accepted by DMV once the plates go on sale.

Can I transfer my current custom plate configuration to a custom Watch for Wildlife plate?

Yes! You are able to maintain your current custom configuration on a Watch for Wildlife plate for an additional DMV charge. Applications for replacement custom plates will be accepted by DMV once the Watch for Wildlife plates go on sale.

I do not live in or have a registered vehicle in the state of Oregon. Can I purchase a souvenir plate?

Watch for Wildlife plates are only available for passenger vehicles registered in the State of Oregon. Souvenir or sample plates are not available.

How can I secure a low number plate?

Oregon Wildlife Foundation will be auctioning off spots on our VIP list for low number WW 00001 through WW 00020 using eBay (see above Timeline). We will update this web page when we have sold our initial 3,000 vouchers and can announce official time and dates for our low number plate online auctions. The funds generated from the low number auctions will benefit Oregon Wildlife Foundation, whose mission is to conserve Oregon's fish, wildlife, and natural resources. If you plan to participate in our low number auction, please keep in mind that:

• The bidder must qualify for Oregon registration.
• The plate has to be issued to a passenger vehicle.
• You do not need to have previously purchased a Watch for Wildlife voucher to participate in this auction.

Is the Oregon Wildlife Foundation a trustworthy organization?

The Foundation was established by members of the Fish & Wildlife Commission and business leaders in 1981 to receive donations for and provide funding to fish, wildlife, and public access projects in Oregon. We’ve led numerous public fundraising campaigns over the last 38 years including the purchase of the lower Deschutes River and the restoration of Diamond Lake. Throughout we’ve been and will always be a careful steward of the funds we are entrusted with.

Our financial statements are audited annually and posted to our website. Go to www.myowf.org/financials to review.

How will the funds raised by the sale of the vouchers be used?

The DMV has a process by which a new specialty plate is established that includes the sale of 3,000 vouchers. For complete details regarding the creation of a new Oregon license plate go to https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/Pages/Vehicle/plates.aspx. The funds received by Oregon Wildlife Foundation through the sale of vouchers are, by agreement, given to DMV to help underwrite production of the Watch for Wildlife license plate. That won’t be enough to cover all the costs. The Foundation will also need to provide up to $63,000 in additional funds to fully underwrite production of the plate.

Once the Watch for Wildlife plate is in production and available for sale to the general public, how will proceeds from their sale and renewal be used

We have established a Watch for Wildlife Fund to receive monies from plate sale and renewal fees. After we’ve recovered the additional outlay of funds required for production of the plate, the Fund will support projects that help wildlife migrate safely within their range and between habitat patches. Here’s a breakdown of how a plate sale or renewal fee will be allocated: $40 DMV plate fee surcharge to purchaser -$5 DMV fee =$35 to the Watch for Wildlife Fund -$3.50 OWF Fund administration fee =$31.50 for passage and wildlife connectivity projects

How will Watch for Wildlife Fund monies be distributed?

We have a long-established grantmaking program and a Projects committee that reviews requests for funding. The Projects committee will determine how Watch for Wildlife Fund monies are awarded to potential projects using our regular grantmaking process.

How will I know how much money the Watch for Wildlife Fund has received and how it was distributed?

The Foundation already publishes its grant awards, from the prior and previous years, on our website. Go to www.myowf.org/grants for more information. With respect to the Watch for Wildlife Fund, we will publish annually, on the grants page of our website, an accounting of the funds we’ve received from license plate fee and renewal sales and how they were distributed to eligible projects.