Gadsden Flag License Plates: Which States Offer “Don’t Tread On Me” Plates?

Several states offer a specialty license plate with the Gadsden flag’s yellow field, coiled rattlesnake, and “Don’t Tread On Me” motto. The fees usually support a sponsoring organization. This guide lists the states we could confirm from published sources, along with the date of each source. Plate programs change, so always check your state’s motor vehicle agency before ordering.

Background: our Gadsden flag history and what “Don’t Tread On Me” means.

States We Confirmed From Primary or News Sources

Arizona

Arizona law, A.R.S. § 28-2439, creates “Don’t tread on me special plates.” The statute requires that the plate background “be in the image and color of the Gadsden flag.” Of the $25 special-plate fee, the statute says “eight dollars is a special plate administration fee and seventeen dollars is an annual donation.” The plates are issued only once a sponsoring entity provides $32,000 in donations to the department. Source: Arizona State Legislature, statute text as fetched November 1, 2026.

Florida

NPR reported on August 10, 2022, that Florida had introduced a “Don’t Tread on Me” plate featuring the Gadsden flag. Gov. Ron DeSantis said it sends a “clear message to out-of-state cars.” NPR reported that the Florida Veterans Foundation “stands to get $25 per Gadsden flag license plate.” Source: NPR, Aug. 10, 2022.

Kansas

The Kansas Reflector reported on April 12, 2021, that the Kansas Legislature had endorsed a Gadsden flag plate in House Bill 2166. Under the measure, applicants “would make an annual payment of $25,” and “all funds would go toward the Kansas State Rifle Association.” Source: Kansas Reflector, Apr. 12, 2021. We have not confirmed the plate’s current status with the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Missouri and Virginia

NPR’s 2022 report named Kansas, Missouri, and Virginia as states “where similar plates have been available, in some cases for years, as fundraising tools for various organizations.” Source: NPR, Aug. 10, 2022. We have not confirmed current fees or sponsors in Missouri or Virginia.

Other States Reported

As of 2022, Wikipedia lists the following states as offering a Gadsden flag specialty plate: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Some of the sources it cites are now dead links. We have not independently confirmed Alabama, Maryland, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas from a state agency source, so treat these as “reported” rather than confirmed. The New Yorker separately reported that in 2014 Alabama became the seventh state to approve a specialty plate with a Gadsden design.

Summary Table

The Debate Over the Plates

The plates have drawn criticism and support. NPR wrote that while the flag dates to the Revolution, it has, for many, “come to symbolize a far-right extremist ideology,” and that such plates have “gotten push back, not only in Florida, but in states such as Kansas, Missouri and Virginia.” The Kansas Reflector reported that Democratic legislators pushed back on the Kansas plate, arguing the design has ties to slavery. Supporters see the plate as a patriotic and historical symbol. NPR noted that in the states where the plates exist, “they appear to be top sellers.”

NPR also explained the legal backdrop. In 2015, in a 5–4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held that specialty plates are government speech, so states may choose which designs to offer.

How to Get One

Specialty plates are ordered through your state’s motor vehicle agency, usually online or at a local office. Expect a specialty-plate fee on top of normal registration, often including a donation to the sponsoring group. Confirm availability, fees, and the current design with your state before you order. Prefer a flag to a plate? Browse the Our Gadsden Flag store, and see our guide on how to fly and display a Gadsden flag.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which states have a Gadsden flag license plate?

Arizona’s is set in statute, and Florida and Kansas were confirmed by news reports in 2022 and 2021. NPR also named Missouri and Virginia. Wikipedia lists eleven states as of 2022, some not independently confirmed.

How much does a Gadsden plate cost?

It depends on the state. Arizona’s statute sets a $25 fee, and Florida and Kansas plates were reported to send $25 to their sponsoring groups. Check your state for current fees.

Where does the money go?

To a sponsoring organization: for example, the Florida Veterans Foundation in Florida and the Kansas State Rifle Association in Kansas, according to news reports.

Can a state refuse a specialty plate design?

Yes. NPR noted that the Supreme Court held in 2015 that specialty plates are government speech, so states choose which designs to offer.

Sources

1. Arizona State Legislature, A.R.S. § 28-2439, “Don’t tread on me special plates.” https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/02439.htm
2. NPR, “A Florida license plate has reopened the debate over the ‘Don’t tread on me’ flag” (Aug. 10, 2022). https://www.npr.org/2022/08/10/1116523396/florida-dont-tread-on-me-license-plate-ron-desantis
3. Kansas Reflector, “Kansas Legislature endorses Gadsden flag license plate supporting state rifle association” (Apr. 12, 2021). https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/12/kansas-legislature-endorses-gadsden-flag-license-plate-supporting-state-rifle-association/
4. Wikipedia, “Gadsden flag.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadsden_flag
5. Rob Walker, “The Shifting Symbolism of the Gadsden Flag,” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-shifting-symbolism-of-the-gadsden-flag