Article 8.6. Specialized License Plates of California Vehicle Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 8.6.
(a) As used in this article, "state agency" means a state
office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, or commission,
or any other state body or agency.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that this article contain
the authority for specialized license plates for state agencies.
A person described in Section 5101 may apply for a
specialized license plate under this article, in lieu of regular
license plates.
Specialized license plates issued under this article shall
have a design or contain a message that publicizes or promotes a
state agency, or the official policy, mission, or work of a state
agency.
The design criteria for a specialized license plate are as
follows:
(a) Except as provided in Section 5161, the license plate for a
passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, or trailer shall provide a
space not larger than two inches by three inches to the left of the
numerical series and a space not larger than five-eighths of an inch
in height below the numerical series for a distinctive design, decal,
or descriptive message as authorized by this article. The license
plates shall be issued in sequential numerical order or, pursuant to
Section 5103, in a combination of numbers or letters.
(b) Specialized license plates authorized under this article may
be issued for use on a motorcycle. That license plate shall contain a
five-digit configuration issued in sequential numerical order or,
pursuant to Section 5103, in a combination of numbers or letters.
There shall be a space to the left of the numerical series for a
distinctive design or decal and the characters shall contrast sharply
with the uniform background color. A motorcycle plate containing a
full plate graphic design is not authorized.
(c) Specialized license plates may be issued as environmental
license plates, as defined in Section 5103.
(a) (1) A state agency may apply to the department to sponsor
a specialized license plate program, and the department shall issue
specialized license plates for that program, if the agency complies
with all of the requirements of this article.
(2) The department shall not issue specialized license plates to a
state agency for a vehicle that is exempt from the payment of
registration fees pursuant to Section 9101 or 9103.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (d), the department shall
not establish a specialized license plate program for an agency until
the department has received not less than 7,500 applications for
that agency's specialized license plates. The agency shall collect
and hold applications for the plates. Once the agency has received at
least 7,500 applications, it shall submit the applications, along
with the necessary fees, to the department. The department shall not
issue a specialized license plate until the agency has received and
submitted to the department not less than 7,500 applications for that
particular specialized license plate within the time period
prescribed in this section. Advance payment to the department by the
agency representing the department's estimated or actual
administrative costs associated with the issuance of a particular
specialized license plate shall not constitute compliance with this
requirement. The agency shall have 12 months, following the date of
approval of the agency's initial application to sponsor a specialized
license plate program, to receive the required number of
applications. If, after that 12 months, 7,500 applications have not
been received, the agency shall immediately do either of the
following:
(1) Refund to all applicants all fees or deposits that have been
collected.
(2) Contact the department to indicate the agency's intent to
undertake collection of additional applications and fees or deposits
for an additional period, not to exceed 12 months, in order to obtain
the minimum 7,500 applications. If the agency elects to exercise the
option under this subparagraph, it shall contact each applicant who
has submitted an application with the appropriate fees or deposits to
determine if the applicant wishes a refund of fees or deposits or
requests the continuance of the holding of the application and fees
or deposits until that time that the agency has received 7,500
applications. The agency shall refund the fees or deposits to an
applicant so requesting. The agency shall not collect and hold
applications for a period exceeding 24 months following the date of
approval of the agency's initial application to sponsor a specialized
license plate program.
(c) (1) If the number of outstanding and valid specialized license
plates in a particular program, except as provided in subdivision
(d), provided for in this article is less than 7,500, the department
shall notify the sponsoring agency of that fact and shall inform the
agency that if that number is less than 7,500 one year from the date
of that notification, the department will no longer issue or replace
those specialized license plates.
(2) Those particular specialized license plates that were issued
prior to the discontinuation provided by paragraph (1) may continue
to be used and attached to the vehicle for which they were issued and
may be renewed, retained, or transferred pursuant to this code.
(d) (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs may sponsor a Gold Star
Family specialized license plate program and the department may
establish this specialized license plate program in the absence of
7,500 paid applications as provided in subdivision (d) of Section
5157.
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall, upon receiving proof
of eligibility from an applicant, authorize the department to issue
Gold Star Family specialized license plates for a vehicle owned by an
eligible family member of a member of the Armed Forces of the United
States who was killed in the line of duty while on active duty
during wartime service, or during an international terrorist attack
that has been recognized by the United States Secretary of Defense as
an attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to
the United States, or during military operations while serving
outside the United States, including commonwealths, territories, and
possessions of the United States, or as part of a peacekeeping force,
which includes personnel assigned to a force engaged in a
peacekeeping operation authorized by the United Nations Security
Council. An eligible family member is defined as all of the
following:
(A) A person who is otherwise eligible under this article to
register a motor vehicle.
(B) A person who shows proof from the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense that the member who was
in the Armed Forces of the United States was killed in the line of
duty while on active duty in the military.
(C) A person who bears, and shows proof satisfactory to the
Department of Veterans Affairs of, one of the following relationships
to the member of the Armed Forces killed in the line of duty while
serving on active duty:
(i) Widow.
(ii) Widower.
(iii) Biological parent.
(iv) Adoptive parent.
(v) Stepparent.
(vi) Foster parent in loco parentis.
(vii) Biological child.
(viii) Adoptive child.
(ix) Stepchild.
(x) Sibling.
(xi) Half-sibling.
(xii) Grandparent.
(xiii) Grandchild.
(3) Upon the death of a person issued a Gold Star Family
specialized license plate, the license plate shall be transferred to
the surviving spouse, if he or she requests, or shall be returned to
the department within 60 days after the death of the plateholder or
upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs
first.
(e) (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall apply to the
department to sponsor a veterans specialized license plate program,
and the department shall issue license plates for that program if the
Department of Veterans Affairs meets the requirements prescribed by
this section.
(2) The design of the veterans specialized license plate shall be
identical to the design of the veterans special interest license
plate issued pursuant to Section 5068 on or before January 1, 2010,
and the decals for the plate shall be identical to those offered
pursuant to Section 5068.
(3) Notwithstanding Section 5157, in addition to the regular fees
for an original registration, a renewal of registration, or a
transfer of registration, the following fees shall be paid by
individuals applying for a special interest license plate or a decal
issued under this subdivision:
(A) Fifty dollars ($50) for the initial issuance of the plates and
decals. The plates shall be permanent and shall not be required to
be replaced.
(B) Forty dollars ($40) for each renewal of registration that
includes the continued display of the plates or decals.
(C) Fifteen dollars ($15) for transfer of the plates to another
vehicle.
(D) Thirty-five dollars ($35) for replacement plates, if they
become damaged or unserviceable.
(E) Ten dollars ($10) for replacement decals, if they become
damaged or unserviceable.
(F) Seventy-eight dollars ($78) for the personalization of the
plates.
(4) After deducting its administrative costs under this
subdivision, the department shall deposit the revenue derived from
the additional fees provided in paragraph (3) in the Veterans Service
Office Fund created by Section 972.2 of the Military and Veterans
Code.
(a) The Office of Emergency Services shall apply to the
department to sponsor a domestic violence and sexual assault
awareness license plate program pursuant to this article.
(b) The fees specified in Section 5157 shall be imposed for the
issuance, renewal, or transfer of specialized license plates
authorized by this section. Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of
Section 5157, after deducting its administrative costs, the
department shall deposit the revenue derived from the additional fees
into the California Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention
Fund, which is hereby established in the State Treasury. Upon
appropriation by the Legislature, the moneys in that fund shall be
allocated to the Office of Emergency Services for purposes of funding
the Family Violence Prevention Program described in Section 13823.4
of, and the sexual assault services programs described in Section
13837 of, the Penal Code.
(a) The State Department of Health Care Services shall
apply to the department, pursuant to Section 5156, to sponsor a
breast cancer awareness license plate program. The department shall
issue specialized license plates for that program if the State
Department of Health Care Services complies with the requirements of
Section 5156.
(b) The State Department of Health Care Services may accept and
use donated artwork from California artists for the license plate.
(c) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 5157, the
additional fees prescribed by Section 5157 for the issuance, renewal,
or transfer of the specialized license plates shall be deposited,
after the department deducts its administrative costs, in the Breast
Cancer Control Account in the Breast Cancer Fund established pursuant
to Section 30461.6 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department, in
consultation with the State Department of Health Care Services, will
design and make available for issuance pursuant to this article
special breast cancer awareness license plates. Specifically, it is
the intent of the Legislature that the license plates issued pursuant
to this section consist of a pink breast cancer awareness ribbon to
the left of the numerical series and a breast cancer awareness
message, such as, "Early Detection Saves Lives," below the numerical
series.
(a) In addition to the regular fees for an original
registration or renewal of registration, the following additional
fees shall be paid for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the
specialized license plates:
(1) For the original issuance of the plates, fifty dollars ($50).
(2) For a renewal of registration with the plates, forty dollars
($40).
(3) For transfer of the plates to another vehicle, fifteen dollars
($15).
(4) For each substitute replacement plate, thirty-five dollars
($35).
(5) In addition, for the issuance of environmental license plates,
as defined in Section 5103, with a specialized license plate design,
the additional fees prescribed in Sections 5106 and 5108. The
additional fees prescribed in Sections 5106 and 5108 shall be
deposited in the California Environmental License Plate Fund.
(b) The Gold Star Family specialized license plate program as
provided in subdivision (d) of Section 5156 shall not be subject to
the fees specified in paragraphs (1), (2), and (5) of subdivision (a)
and shall only be issued in a sequential series.
(c) Except as provided in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a), and
after deducting its administrative costs under this section, the
department shall deposit the additional revenue derived from the
issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of the specialized
license plates in the Specialized License Plate Fund, which is hereby
established in the State Treasury. Upon appropriation by the
Legislature, the moneys in that fund shall be allocated to each
sponsoring agency, in proportion to the amount in the fund that is
attributable to the agency's specialized license plate program.
Except as authorized under Section 5159, the sponsoring agency shall
expend all funds received under this section exclusively for projects
and programs that promote the state agency's official policy,
mission, or work.
(d) (1) The Department of Veterans Affairs may actively request
and receive donations for the Gold Star Family License Plate Account
which is hereby created in the Specialized License Plate Fund and
which may consist of donations from public and private entities.
Earnings generated by the Gold Star Family License Plate Account
shall be retained by the account.
(2) Upon the determination of the department that there are
sufficient funds in the Gold Star Family License Plate Account for
this purpose, moneys in the Gold Star Family License Plate Account
shall be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the
department for the necessary administrative costs of establishing the
Gold Star Family specialized license plate program.
When payment of renewal fees is not required as specified in
Section 4000, or when a person determines to retain the specialized
license plate upon a sale, trade, or other release of the vehicle
upon which the plate has been displayed, the person shall notify the
department and the person may retain and use the plate as authorized
by departmental regulations.
A state agency that is eligible to participate in a
specialized license plate program pursuant to this article and
receives funds from the additional fees collected from the sale of
specialized plates shall not expend annually more than 25 percent of
those funds on administrative costs, marketing, or other promotional
activities associated with encouraging application for, or renewal
of, the specialized plates.
(a) A state agency authorized under this article to offer
specialized license plates shall prepare and submit an annual
accounting report to the department by June 30. The report shall
include an accounting of all revenues and expenditures associated
with the specialized license plate program.
(b) If a state agency submits a report pursuant to subdivision (a)
indicating that the agency violated the expenditure restriction set
forth in Section 5159, the department shall immediately cease
depositing fees for that agency's specialized license plate program
in the Specialized License Plate Fund established under Section 5157
and, instead, shall deposit those fees that would have otherwise been
deposited in that fund in a separate fund created by the Controller,
which fund is subject to appropriation by the Legislature. The
department shall immediately notify the agency of this course of
action. The depositing of funds in the account established pursuant
to this subdivision shall continue until the agency demonstrates to
the satisfaction of the department that the agency is in compliance
or will comply with the requirements of Section 5159. If one year
from the date that the agency receives the notice described in this
subdivision, the agency is still unable to satisfactorily demonstrate
to the department that it is in compliance or will comply with
Section 5159, the department shall no longer issue or replace those
specialized license plates associated with that agency. Those
particular specialized license plates that were issued prior to the
discontinuation provided by this subdivision may continue to be used
and attached to the vehicle for which they were issued and may be
renewed, retained, or transferred pursuant to this code.
(c) Upon receiving the reports required under subdivision (a),
notwithstanding Section 7550.5 of the Government Code, the department
shall prepare and transmit an annual consolidated report to the
Legislature containing the revenue and expenditure data.
(a) The department, in consultation with the Department of
Parks and Recreation, shall design and make available for issuance
pursuant to this article special state parks environmental design
license plates as described in this section. Notwithstanding Section
5155, the special state parks environmental design license plates
shall bear a full-plate graphic design that the department
determines, in consultation with the Department of the California
Highway Patrol, does not obscure the readability of the license plate
depicting a California redwood tree design as an iconic feature of
California's state park system, as approved by the Department of
Parks and Recreation. The Department of Parks and Recreation may
accept and use donated artwork from California artists for purposes
of this requirement. Any person described in Section 5101 may, upon
payment of the additional fees set forth in subdivision (b), apply
for and be issued a set of special state parks environmental design
license plates. The special state parks environmental design license
plates may be issued as environmental license plates, as defined in
Section 5103.
(b) In addition to the regular fees for an original registration
or renewal of registration, the following additional fees shall be
paid for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the special state
parks environmental design license plates authorized pursuant to this
section:
(1) For the original issuance of the plates, fifty dollars ($50).
(2) For a renewal of registration with the plates, forty dollars
($40).
(3) For transfer of the plates to another vehicle, fifteen dollars
($15).
(4) For each substitute replacement plate, thirty-five dollars
($35).
(5) In addition, for the issuance of environmental license plates,
as defined in Section 5103, with a full-plate graphic design
described in subdivision (a), the additional fees prescribed in
Sections 5106 and 5108. The additional fees prescribed in Sections
5106 and 5108 shall be deposited in the Environmental License Plate
Fund.
(c) Except as provided in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b), and
after deducting its administrative costs under this section, the
department shall deposit the additional revenue derived from the
issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of special
environmental design license plates in the California State Parks
Account, which is hereby created in the Specialized License Plate
Fund. Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the money in the account
shall be allocated by the Controller to the Department of Parks and
Recreation for expenditure for the exclusive trust purposes of
preservation and restoration of California state parks.
(d) The Department of Parks and Recreation shall collect and hold
applications for the special state parks environmental license plates
described in this section. The department shall not be required to
make the special state parks environmental license plates available
for issuance pursuant to this section until the Department of Parks
and Recreation has submitted not less than 7,500 applications for the
plates to the department.
The State Department of Public Health shall apply to the
department to sponsor a kidney disease awareness license plate
program pursuant to this article.
(a) The Department of Fish and Wildlife shall apply to the
department, pursuant to Section 5156, to sponsor a Salton Sea license
plate program. The department shall issue specialized license plates
for that program if the Department of Fish and Wildlife complies
with the requirements of Section 5156.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 5157, the
additional fees prescribed by Section 5157 for the issuance, renewal,
or transfer of the specialized license plates shall be deposited,
after the department deducts its administrative costs, in the Salton
Sea Restoration Account, which is hereby created in the Specialized
License Plate Fund. The funds in the account shall be used, upon
appropriation by the Legislature to the Salton Sea Authority, for
restoration of the Salton Sea.
(a) The fees specified in Section 5157 shall be imposed for
the issuance, renewal, or transfer of the Pet Lover's specialized
license plates. Notwithstanding subdivision (c) of Section 5157,
after deducting its administrative costs, the department shall
deposit the revenue derived from the additional fees into the Pet
Lover's Fund, which is hereby established in the Specialized License
Plate Fund.
(b) Upon appropriation by the Legislature, the moneys in the Pet
Lover's Fund shall be allocated to the Veterinary Medical Board.
There shall not be an allocation to the board pursuant to subdivision
(c) of Section 5157. The board shall allocate those funds to a
nonprofit organization it selects for disbursal to qualifying spay
and neuter facilities for the sole and exclusive purpose of funding
grants to providers of no-cost or low-cost animal sterilization
services.
(c) Annual administrative costs for the program shall not exceed
25 percent of the funds collected from the issuance of the Pet Lover'
s license plates, and may include marketing and other promotional
activities associated with encouraging application for or renewal of
Pet Lover's license plates.
(d) The nonprofit organization selected by the board shall not use
more than 5 percent of the moneys received pursuant to this section
for administrative costs.
(e) The board shall determine eligibility requirements for the
grants, establish the grant application process, and develop program
specifics. The board may contract with an entity, including a
nonprofit organization, to provide advice, consultation, and
administrative services for purposes of implementing and
administering the grant program. The board shall provide oversight
for the disbursal of grant funds under the grant program.