Raiders Nevada license plate now available

Raiders fans in Nevada can now officially represent their favorite NFL franchise on their vehicles.

The Raiders’ Nevada specialty license plate was made available at Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle offices statewide Monday, marking a touchdown for local fans of the silver and black.

Tony Cloud, a lifelong Raiders fan and 11-year southern Nevada resident, was able to get his plate early Monday morning at the the Henderson DMV office.

“I’ve been waiting for this since they announced they were in discussions to come here,” said Cloud, wearing a “Raider Nation” hat. “I’ve been all for it right from the start.”

During that time Cloud has had discussions with his friends in neighboring Arizona, where an Arizona Cardinals specialty plate has been available for several years, about how cool it would be to have Raiders plates one day.

“I’ve talked with them in Arizona, and they have their Cardinals on their plates,” he said. “Now with me being able to have that Raiders logo on my plate, I’m the envy of all my friends now.”

Cloud said being a Raiders fan is a family thing, with his dad being a lifelong fan and passing it along to Cloud and his brothers. Growing up, quarterback Ken Stabler, a Raiders legend, was Cloud’s idol, as he was left-handed like him, he said.

Already showing support for his team with a Raiders sticker on the window on his pickup truck and a tailgate hitch cover, he said having the plate offers a different level of fandom.

The plate is predominantly black, with the Raiders’ infamous pirate logo on the left and the famous phrase of late owner Al Davis, “Commitment to Excellence,” at the bottom.

“I love it,” Cloud said. “Having AL (located next to the numbers on the plate) on it, in tribute to the late owner is a nice touch.”

The release comes ahead of the team relocating to Las Vegas and its new $1.8 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium, located on Russell Road, just west of Interstate 15.

Motorists can nab their own plate for $62 for a standard plate, or they can opt to pay an annual fee of $35 on top of the initial fee for a personalized plate. The fees are in addition to any other annual standard vehicle registration costs.

The Raiders Foundation will benefit from the plate sales, as $30 from each purchase will go toward the team’s charitable arm.

The Raiders hope to sell 17,000 plates in the first year, which would amass over $500,000 for the Raiders Foundation, according to the team.

“Those funds will go to support programs all over the state,” Raiders President Marc Badain said to the state legislature’s Commission on Special License Plates. “I think it will be a tremendous success.”

The proceeds generated will go toward a nonprofit organization of the Raiders Foundation’s choice, through a grant process, that is committed to increasing community and civic health through the support of the military and youth development.

Though the DMV’s appointment system is down as it is in the process of changing vendors, Cloud said his experience went smooth and quick despite the line stretching out the door when he arrived at the Henderson office just after 8:30 a.m.

“Sometimes you wait forever,” he said. “I just got in line and they started calling numbers. I was in and out in probably 45 minutes.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.