California Coastal Commission, Coastal Art & Poetry Contest

Current WHALE TAIL Plate

The California Coastal Commission announces the WHALE TAIL^SM License Plate Design Contest. The winning artwork will be featured on a new official DMV license plate and will be available for purchase by all California drivers. This is an opportunity to get widespread exposure and visibility for your work and take an active part in preserving California’s coast.

The Coastal Commission is launching this contest to find a new image for its specialty license plate, known as the Whale Tail plate. As with the current plate, funds raised from purchase and renewal fees will support marine education, beach enhancement, and coastal trails. The new license plate will most likely be available for purchase in 2010. (Although the current design will no longer be sold at that point, it may remain on vehicles indefinitely.).

Any artistic media including photography, painting, digital art, or graphic design may be used – the key is that the image area be 11-3/8 inches wide by 5-3/8 inches high and work as the background for a California license plate. A license plate template is included with the guidelines. The design must include a whale tail, which may be the central feature or part of a broader California coastal motif. Please refer to the contest guidelines for complete contest rules.

Entry form and guidelines (PDF)
Contest flyer (please post!)
Frequently Asked Questions
Press release (PDF)

Entries, including entry forms, must be postmarked
or hand-delivered to the Coastal Commission’s
San Francisco office by 5pm on January 15, 2009.

If you have any questions or need more information, you may:

e-mail us at coast4u@coastal.ca.gov,
call us at (800) COAST 4U (800-262-7848),
or write to us at:
      Whale Tail Design Contest
      California Coastal Commission
      45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000
      San Francisco, CA 94105.

The current WHALE TAIL license plate may be purchased through www.ecoplates.com.