The Pierce County Auditor’s Office will open at 7 a.m. on Thurs., Jan. 2, to kick off the team license plate sales featuring Seahawks and Sounder FC themes. The license plates will carry an iconic symbol for each team — the 12th Man flag for the Seahawks, a team scarf for Sounders FC.

Net proceeds from Seahawks plate sales will go to InvestED, a Seattle-based nonprofit that partners with schools statewide to help students from low-income families pay for clothes, shoes, school activity cards, testing fees and other student needs.

The bulk of the proceeds from Sounders FC plate sales will benefit Washington State Mentors, a public/private partnership based in Issaquah that provides grants and assistance to youth organizations across the state. A third non-profit, the Association of Washington Generals, is to receive a smaller portion of the Sounders FC plate sales. The Association of Washington Generals recognizes outstanding individuals and promotes a variety of civic and veterans causes. Neither of the teams profit from the sale of the specialty plates.

You can purchase special license plates by completing a special license plate application available on the Washington State Department of Licensing Web site. You may either mail the completed form with a check or money order to the Department of Licensing headquarters office in Olympia, or bring it to your local vehicle licensing office. You cannot purchase special license plates online.

Sounders FC or Seahawks license plate will each cost $67.75 for passenger vehicles, $49.75 for motorcycles / small trailers, and $55.75 for a large trailer, according to the Department of Licensing. This does not include any sub-agent or renewal fees that may be required. This fee represents the standard Department of Licensing plate fees plus a $40 special license plate fee. Of this $40, $28 goes to the organization’s charity and is tax-deductible. The number of license plates available will depend on the demand.

“We just couldn’t resist opening the office a little earlier,” said Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson. “We didn’t want our regular customers to be caught up in a crush of football fans. And our staff is equally excited. No one is earning overtime for the morning, but I’m letting everyone get decked out in their Seahawks attire.”

Plates will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. The Auditor’s Office accepts cash or checks only.