HB420 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Margie WilcoxRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

License plates, require approval and oversight of by the Legislative Oversight Committee on License Plates, application fee, and provide for reissuance requirements, Sec. 32-6-64 am'd.

Summary

HB420 would place all distinctive Alabama license plates under legislative oversight, create an application fee and funding process, set reissuance and design rules, add disability/accessibility plate options, and authorize Bicentennial plates.

What This Bill Does

It requires that new or reissued distinctive license plates be approved by the Legislative Oversight Committee. It establishes an application fee (up to $100) paid by the sponsoring organization, with funds going to the Department of Corrections to cover template production and an escrow process if minimum sales aren’t met. It sets minimum sales thresholds (250 for Quantity Class 1 and 1,000 for Quantity Class 2) to qualify for production, with refunds to sponsors if not met after one year and a one-year waiting period before reapplying. It introduces design and data-privacy rules, reissuance requirements, and adds a new disability-accessible plate option and a Bicentennial plate program starting in 2022.

Who It Affects

• Vehicle owners/registrants who may choose new plate designs, face the new optional data-sharing provisions (opt-in/opt-out), and encounter accessibility or Bicentennial plate options.
• Sponsoring organizations and state plate-related entities (including the Department of Revenue, Department of Corrections, and county license plate offices) who must seek approval, manage fees and funds, ensure minimum sales, and handle design decisions and oversight.
• Note: in-state collegiate/university plates, military/veteran plates, and Alabama Gold Star Family plates have special treatment under the bill.

Key Provisions

• All distinctive license plates must be approved and overseen by the Legislative Oversight Committee on License Plates.
• An up-to-$100 application fee is required from a sponsoring organization for new distinctive plate categories, with funds distributed to the Department of Corrections to cover template production costs; annual production-cost certification to the oversight committee.
• Minimum sales requirements to qualify for production: Quantity Class 1 (250–999 registrations) and Quantity Class 2 (1,000 or more); if these are not met within one year, escrow funds are returned to the sponsor and the sponsor cannot apply again for one year.
• Design and manufacturing rules include a specified left-side emblem space for some plates, a county numbering scheme, and that the Department of Revenue manages plate numbering to avoid duplication; all proposed emblems/slogans must be approved by the oversight committee.
• Only certain organizations may sponsor plates; out-of-state colleges/universities and private/commercial groups have restrictions, with exceptions for specific in-state categories and previously allowed designs.
• Distinctive plates are generally subject to oversight, with specific exceptions for in-state college/university, military/veteran, and Alabama Gold Star Family plates; recertification and documentation may be required for some plates (e.g., DD214 for veterans).
• A new §32-6-231.2 allows long-term disabled residents to obtain a distinctive plate displaying the International Symbol of Access, available for multiple vehicle types, with Revenue rulemaking to implement.
• The Alabama Bicentennial distinctive plate program is continued and governed by Revenue design with Oversight approval, including initial provisions and future issuance starting January 1, 2022.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Distinctive License Plates