TITLE 49

MOTOR VEHICLES

CHAPTER 4

MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION

49-402D.  special license plate prequalification process. 

(1)(a)  For any new special license plate program approved by the legislature, the program sponsor shall, before issuance of any such special license plate, meet the prequalification process outlined in this section. The program sponsor for any special plate program shall:

(i)  Submit a financial plan for the use of the proceeds from the special license plate sales and certify that all such proceeds shall be deposited in the highway distribution account, except with respect to any new special plate that may be established for the benefit of an Idaho college or university pursuant to section 49-418A, Idaho Code, a military license plate, or a license plate for the benefit of the Idaho state board of education or specific education programs, grant funds, or initiatives administered by the Idaho state board of education; and

(ii) Designate an individual who shall be deemed responsible by the agency for certifying compliance with the requirements of this section and working with the department.

(b)  The department is authorized and shall adopt and promulgate rules to carry out the provisions of this section.

(2)  If the request for a special license plate is approved by the department, the following requirements, in addition to those set out in subsection (1) of this section, shall be met by September 1 prior to the next legislative session and prior to the issuance of any special license plates approved by the legislature.

(a)  The applicant shall deposit estimated programming and administrative costs with the department to be utilized for programming costs of the specialty plate. Administrative costs in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1,000) shall be nonrefundable.

(b)  In addition to the requirements provided for in section 49-402C, Idaho Code, the applicant requesting a special license plate program shall provide to the department an acceptable plate design.

(c)  The applicant shall transmit to the department a list of two hundred fifty (250) applicants, whose vehicles are currently registered in the state of Idaho, who intend to purchase the specialty plate when available, as evidenced by completing forms provided by the department.

(3)  The department shall submit the completed applications for special license plate programs that meet the requirements of this section to the chairmen of the senate transportation committee and the house of representatives transportation and defense committee each year on behalf of the agency to be included for consideration in the next legislative session.

(4)  On an annual basis, by December 1 of each calendar year, the sponsor of a special license plate program shall prepare an annual report, which shall be made available on request and shall be forwarded to the department. Such report shall include an accounting of revenues and expenditures associated with the funds collected for the special license plate program. The department shall compile and forward such reports to the chairmen of the senate transportation committee and the house of representatives transportation and defense committee by January 15 of each year. Failure of the agency to provide such report by the due date shall result in the discontinuation of the special license plate program sales on January 1. The provisions of this section shall exclude special plates established for the highway distribution account, an Idaho college or university pursuant to section 49-418A, Idaho Code, and military license plate programs.

(5)  Any decision by the department that the special license plate program application does not meet the provisions of this section may be appealed to the director of the department. Such notice of appeal shall be made in writing within twenty (20) days of the notice of denial. For all denied applications, the department shall, at the next legislative session, report to the senate and house of representatives transportation committees on such denied applications and the reason for the denials.

History:

[49-402D, added 2012, ch. 253, sec. 2, p. 699; am. 2013, ch. 85, sec. 1, p. 207; am. 2020, ch. 268, sec. 2, p. 779; am. 2021, ch. 321, sec. 35, p. 978; am. 2024, ch. 187, sec. 2, p. 677.]