MnDOT Reopens Name a Snowplow Contest, Public Can Submit Names

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reopened its Name a Snowplow contest on December 9, 2025, restarting a familiar annual exercise in civic engagement that pairs lighthearted public participation with the practical work of winter road maintenance. Residents may submit creative names through MnDOT's website through noon on Friday, December 19, 2025. MnDOT staff will screen entries and then open a public vote in January 2026. Eight names will be selected, one for each MnDOT district, and applied to snowplows used across the state.

For Beltrami County residents the contest is a low barrier way to interact with a state agency whose work affects daily life during winter. Winning names will be assigned to plows operating across MnDOT districts, and the selection process is intended to boost public awareness of snow removal operations, route priorities, and the seasonal demands on crews. The contest timeline gives local submitters a narrow window to propose names and an opportunity to participate in the statewide vote next month.

Institutionally the contest serves multiple purposes. It functions as public outreach, encouraging residents to think about and notice MnDOT activity in their communities. It also creates an annual touch point between the public and agency staff, who must balance open calls for creativity with standards for appropriateness and safety. The two stage process, staff review followed by public voting, reflects that balance by filtering entries before broad public display.

The immediate local impact is modest, but the broader civic significance is clearer. The contest draws attention to winter maintenance, invites residents to engage in a state government process, and can help normalize public input on routine agency operations. It also offers a moment of community connection during a season when road safety and timely plowing matter most.

Residents who want to participate should prepare names and submit them on MnDOT's website before the noon December 19 deadline. Expect the public voting phase in January 2026, when the state will ask Minnesotans to help choose the eight winning names that will ride on plows throughout the winter.