SB236 Alabama 2021 Session

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jim McClendon
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: SB236 would bring all distinctive license plates under Legislative Oversight, require a $100 design fee, allow school-related groups to be approved with campus consent, and set five-year reissuance rules plus data-sharing protections.
What This Bill Does
All distinctive license plates would be reviewed by the Legislative Oversight Committee with a five-year reissuance and recertification system. An initial application fee for a new plate design would be charged, up to $100, to cover template production costs. The committee could approve groups within high schools, junior colleges, universities, and technical schools (including band and athletic boosters) if the affiliated school approves. The bill also creates opt-in/opt-out options for owners to control sharing of personal information with sponsoring organizations and schools, and sets rules for how that data may be accessed and used.

Who It Affects
Sponsoring organizations for distinctive license plates and the affiliated schools (colleges, universities, and technical schools) would apply for plates, pay the initial fee, meet minimum issuance thresholds, and be subject to committee oversight and campus approval for school-affiliated groups.
Vehicle owners in Alabama would have new options to opt-in or opt-out of having their name, address, and email released to sponsoring organizations or schools, with annual disclosure processes and resale restrictions.

Key Provisions
All distinctive license plates created by legislation become subject to the Legislative Oversight Committee's approval and five-year reissuance/recertification provisions.
An initial application fee for a proposed distinctive plate design shall be equal to the cost of producing the plate template, not to exceed $100, paid at the time of initial application and directed to cover template costs via the Department of Corrections.
The sponsoring organization must obtain explicit approval from the affiliated school, college, or university to allow approval for groups within high schools, junior colleges, universities, and technical schools (including band and athletic boosters).
Minimum issuance thresholds apply for new plate categories: 250 registrations for Quantity Class 1 and 1,000 for Quantity Class 2; plates may be produced or reissued only if these minimums were met in the prior year.
The five-year license plate cycle includes a provision after three years to switch to a less durable metal for the remaining two years of the period, under specified conditions.
Owner personal information (name, address, email) may be shared with sponsoring organizations or colleges/universities only if opt-in is selected, and there are annual disclosure rights and resale restrictions; owners may also opt out of such disclosures.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Distinctive License Plates