Ohioans looking for a way to honor country music legend Dolly Parton following her death can take her legacy on the road.
Parton, the singer, songwriter and philanthropist behind hits including "Jolene," "9 to 5" and "I Will Always Love You," died Aug. 25 at age 80. Her representatives said she died after a brief battle with cancer.
Of course Parton is famous as a singer and songwriter, but Ohio drivers may already be familiar with her smiling face from somewhere other than an album cover.
The state offers an official specialty license plate featuring Parton, with proceeds supporting Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio.
Here's what to know about the plate and how purchasing one supports Parton's literacy efforts.
How to get a Dolly Parton license plate in Ohio
The Dolly Parton specialty
plate became available to Ohio drivers in January 2025.
Drivers can purchase the plate online through OPLATES.com or in person at any Ohio deputy registrar license agency.
Each specialty plate includes a $25 contribution to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Ohio. The money specifically benefits the Imagination Library program in the county where the plate was purchased.
According to the organization, that $25 helps cover the cost of mailing one child 12 books, or a full year's worth of monthly deliveries.
Ohio became the second state to offer an Imagination Library specialty plate featuring Parton, following her home state of Tennessee.
What is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library?
Parton launched the Imagination Library in Tennessee in 1995 with a mission of providing free books to young children.
The program later expanded across the United States and internationally. In Ohio, children from birth to age 5 can receive a free, age-appropriate book in the mail each month regardless of their family's income.
First Lady Fran DeWine made expanding the program across Ohio a priority after Gov. Mike DeWine took office in 2019. It eventually became available to children in all 88 Ohio counties.
About 60% of eligible children in Ohio are now enrolled in the program.
Parton's impact on childhood literacy in the state has also been recognized with a day in her honor. Gov. DeWine declared Aug. 9 "Dolly Parton Day" in Ohio in 2022 when the singer visited Columbus to celebrate the Imagination Library's statewide expansion.
For Ohioans who want to carry on that legacy following her death, the specialty plate remains available for purchase.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dolly Parton has an Ohio license plate. Here's how to get one
