HB 555: Private Vendor License Plate Sales

• Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must contract with a private vendor by January 1, 2023, through competitive solicitation to market and sell personalized prestige license plates (1-10 year terms) and specialty license plates.

• Specialty license plates marketed through private vendor must include plates approved after January 1, 2023, and existing plates at the request of sponsoring organizations; vendor-marketed plates require only 200 presale vouchers vs. 3,000 for standard plates.

• Private vendor contract must establish reasonable processing fees, require quarterly reporting to the department, allow electronic infrastructure for applications and payments, and prevent the department from unreasonably disapproving the vendor's marketing plan or requiring specific plates be sold.

• Multiyear personalized prestige license plates sold by private vendor can be transferred to another person, and the department may authorize private vendors to auction unique alphanumeric patterns for prestige plates.

• Effective date is July 1, 2022; includes conforming amendments to specialty license plate approval processes and provisions allowing department to discontinue plates with fewer than 200 registrations for vendor-marketed plates.