Ohio sees 329% surge in Dolly Parton license plate sales after singer's death

Ohioans have found an unlikely place to honor Dolly Parton: the back bumper of their cars.

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has issued 259 Dolly Parton Imagination Library specialty plates since Parton died Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer. That brought August's total to 322, a 329% jump from July, the BMV said.

The specialty plate has only been available since January 2025. Each one includes a $25 donation to Ohio's Imagination Library, the state program that sends free books to children from birth to age 5. Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine have made the program a top priority and increased enrollment to 64% of eligible kids. A single plate donation covers the cost of mailing one child's books for a year, according to the organization.

The spike shows how much Parton's legacy mattered beyond music, and it gives Ohio's literacy push a boost at a time when early reading programs are a priority. Ohioans can buy the plate online at OPLATES.com or in person at any BMV deputy registrar.

State government reporter Haley BeMiller can be reached at [email protected] or @haleybemiller on X.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch.