Sponsors: Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Schmidt, Kohl-Welles, Esser, Finkbeiner, Rossi, Horn and Winsley).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

• Authorizes the Department of Licensing (DOL) to provide used license plates to individuals who request a plate for non-vehicular uses.

• The DOL may charge a fee of up to $5 per used plated to recover their costs for postage and handling.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 24 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Simpson, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson, Armstrong, Campbell, Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Hatfield, Hudgins, Lovick, Mielke, Morris, Nixon, Romero, Shabro, Sullivan, Wallace and Woods.

Currently when license plates are no longer usable or are replaced, the owner may return the plates to the Department of Licensing (DOL). If returned plates are destroyed or defaced, the DOL will give the used plates to the Department of General Administration for recycling. But, if the used plates are in good condition, the DOL will remove the tabs and use them to give to collectors, school children, and others who request license plates for non-vehicular uses. The DOL does not honor requests for returned or surrendered specialty license plates, such as the disabled veteran plate or the disabled parking plate, because many of those plates carry benefits or privileges that may be illegally taken advantage of.

The DOL is authorized to provide used, returned license plates to individuals who request a plate for non-vehicular uses.

The DOL is authorized to charge a fee of up to $5 per license plate to cover their costs for postage and handling. The DOL may waive the fee for plates used in educational projects.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill allows the DOL to continue doing what they have always done which is recycle used license plates in good condition by giving them away to those who request them. But now the DOL can also charge a small fee to cover their costs of shipping the plates.