HB 1267 Summary

• Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must contract with private vendors through competitive bidding for exclusive rights to market and sell specialty license plates for initial term of at least 5 years, renewable for up to two successive 5-year terms.

• Private vendors marketing specialty license plates must reimburse department for all costs incurred, with department able to require advance reimbursement for up to 50 percent of anticipated costs.

• Specialty license plates marketed by private vendors require only 200 voucher sales minimum (versus 3,000 for traditional plates) and must be discontinued if valid registrations fall below 200 plates for 12 consecutive months.

• Department may approve new designs and color combinations for private vendor plates, which remain department property; department may not restrict background colors or color combinations except for law enforcement purposes.

• Private vendor specialty license plates are exempt from certain statutory requirements including annual use fee restrictions, charitable use restrictions, and the 150-plate legislative limit.