Vineyard motorists with a bent for specialty license plates have a new choice thanks to a recent project by Martha’s Vineyard Community Services to create a plate with a Martha’s Vineyard design.

The plate and design were recently approved by the state Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Community Services launched a contest last year for the design, which was chosen by a panel of judges representing all the Island towns. The winning license plate was created by Gwyn McAllister of Oak Bluffs and New York city; it features a ferry on the sea with a gull hovering above.

RMV approval means motorists can now pre-order the specialty plate, either on the web (mvlicenseplate.com) or via paper application. Before the plates can be produced, 1,500 pre-orders are needed. The fee is $40, with $12 going to cover the state’s production cost of the plate and $28 returned to Community Services and other Island nonprofits. There is an additional one-time $20 swap fee charged by the state when applicants pick up their plate. When the special plates are renewed every two years, the entire $40 tax-deductible fee will benefit Vineyard nonprofits.

The RMV will hold application fees in escrow until the 1,500 threshold is reached. After that it will take about six months to obtain the plate, Community Services said in a press release.

Email info@mvlicenseplate.com with questions.