Mothman, Braxie and Bigfoot Hit the Road: West Virginia's New Cryptid License Plate Arrives Monday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has always known its monsters are part of the family. Now you can bolt a few of them right onto the back of your car. The state Division of Motor Vehicles is rolling out a brand-new Cryptids specialty license plate, and it goes on sale Monday, Nov. 2, at DMV regional offices across the state.

The plate packs nine creatures from Mountain State folklore into one design. Front and center are the two biggest names in West Virginia legend: Mothman, the red-eyed winged figure tied to Point Pleasant, and the Flatwoods Monster of Braxton County, better known around here as Braxie. Joining them are Bigfoot, the Sheepsquatch, Batboy, the Veggie Man, the Webster County Werewolf, the Ogua and the Grafton Monster.

DMV Commissioner Everett Frazier made it clear the agency had some fun with this one. “Contrary to popular belief, the DMV does have a sense of humor!” he said, adding that the department is excited to offer a plate celebrating the state’s myths, folklore and mysterious creatures.

There is a tender story behind the design, too. The artwork was created by the late West Virginia graphic artist Jesse Corlis, who began working on the cryptid design in 2022 while at the DMV. Corlis passed away in 2023 before he could see it on the road. He was also the artist behind other plates West Virginians see every day, including the popular Pollinators plate, the one most folks just call the bee plate. Frazier said the DMV spent the last couple of years bringing Corlis’s vision to life and wanted the release to honor his creativity and his work for the state’s license plate program.

If you want one, here is what it will cost: $61.50 for a one-year registration or $113 for two years. Drivers who already have plates can exchange them for the new design, with fees prorated where it applies. More details are available through the West Virginia DMV.

The timing could hardly be better. The plate is landing right on the heels of Halloween, and both Mothman and Braxie are already stars of West Virginia tourism. Mothman shot to fame after reported sightings around Point Pleasant in 1966 and 1967, and the town now celebrates him with a festival, a museum and a shiny statue downtown. The Flatwoods Monster story dates back to September 1952, when witnesses near Flatwoods reported a strange figure after seeing a bright object streak across the sky, a tale that grabbed national attention and never let go.

Plenty of us grew up hearing these stories on a porch or around a campfire from a grandparent who swore every word was true. Frazier said as much himself, recalling sitting with his own grandmother as she talked about West Virginia’s myths and legends. Now those same stories get to ride along to work, to ballgames and to church on Sunday.

So come Monday, keep your eyes peeled on the interstate. That red-eyed fella in your rearview mirror might just be a license plate.