TITLE 49

MOTOR VEHICLES

CHAPTER 4

MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION

49-402C.  Special license plate programs — Standardized plate color and design. (1) It is the intent of the legislature that special license plates issued by the department be readily recognizable as plates from the state of Idaho without losing the uniqueness for which the special plate was designed and purchased. In addition, the legislature finds that the department can operate in a more efficient, cost-effective manner by conforming special plates to a basic color and design.

(2)  No special license plates and no special license plate programs in existence on or before June 30, 1998, shall be affected by the provisions of subsections (2) through (5) of this section. On and after July 1, 1998, any new special license plate program authorized or any redesign of an existing special license plate shall use the same red, white and blue background as the standard issue of license plates described in section 49-443, Idaho Code, except that:

(a)  The identification of county shall be omitted;

(b)  The word "Idaho" shall appear on every plate;

(c)  The inscription "Scenic Idaho" may be omitted without legislative consideration and approval; and

(d)  No slogan shall be used that infringes upon, dilutes or compromises, or could be perceived to infringe upon, dilute or compromise, the trademarks of the state of Idaho, including, but not limited to, "Idaho Potatoes®," "Grown in Idaho™," "Famous Idaho Potatoes™" or "Famous Potatoes®."

The provisions of this section shall not apply to the plate designs issued pursuant to the provisions of section 49-417, Idaho Code.

(3)  Any redesign required for a special plate to conform with legislative intent and the provisions of this section may be done in a manner similar to that used to produce the original design.

(4)  The special plates shall conform in all other respects with the provisions of section 49-443, Idaho Code, relating to visibility requirements, display of registration number, time period for validity of plates, and reservation of plate numbers.

(5)  Unless otherwise specifically provided, no special license plates shall be issued to motor vehicles with a registered maximum gross weight in excess of twenty-six thousand (26,000) pounds, or any motor vehicle registered under section 49-434(5), Idaho Code, or section 49-435, Idaho Code.

(6)   Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, on and after July 1, 2020, no new special license plate or special license plate program shall be established for the benefit of any entity that is not the state of Idaho or an agency of the state of Idaho. With respect to any special license plate program that is in existence on July 1, 2020, that has a nonprofit agency as a recipient of the proceeds from the sales of such plate, if fewer than one thousand (1,000) plates are issued in the first year of the special plate program’s existence, fewer than one thousand five hundred (1,500) plates are issued in the second year of the special plate program’s existence, or fewer than two thousand (2,000) plates in the third or any subsequent year of such special plate program’s existence, the department shall discontinue that special license plate program.

(7)  With respect to a special license plate that has been discontinued prior to July 1, 2020, or is discontinued after that date for any reason, any existing plates may be renewed upon their expiration until the physical license plates must be replaced pursuant to section 49-443(2), Idaho Code. No duplicate or replacement plates will be produced if such plates are lost or damaged.

History:

[49-402C, added 1998, ch. 405, sec. 1, p. 1261; am. 1999, ch. 385, sec. 1, p. 1074; am. 2000, ch. 87, sec. 2, p. 191; am. 2002, ch. 285, sec. 2, p. 831; am. 2002, ch. 362, sec. 2, p. 1022; am. 2004, ch. 301, sec. 3, p. 843; am. 2014, ch. 38, sec. 6, p. 75; am. 2020, ch. 268, sec. 1, p. 778.]