Sponsors: Senate Committee on Highways & Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Murray, Haugen, Horn, Oke, Benton and Rasmussen; by request of Department of Licensing).

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

(As Amended by House Committee)

• Allows transfer of general issue license plates and increases the transfer fee for license plates to $10.

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 19 members: Representatives Murray, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; G. Simpson, Vice Chair; Ericksen, Ranking Minority Member; Jarrett, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell, Clibborn, Cooper, Dickerson, Flannigan, Hankins, Hatfield, Hudgins, Lovick, Morris, Romero, Wallace, Wood and Woods.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Armstrong, Bailey, Kristiansen, Mielke, Nixon, Rodne, Schindler and Shabro.

In general, vehicle license plates follow the vehicle when a vehicle is sold or transferred to a subsequent owner. Current law allows personalized license plates and many special license plates to be transferred to a different vehicle. The transfer fee is $5. This fee is not collected for the transfer of disabled person special license plates.

A vehicle owner may opt to retain his or her current number/letter combination when general issue license plates are due to be replaced. The fee for retaining the same number/letter combination for general issue license plates is $20. However, general issue license plates may not be transferred to a different vehicle.

General issue license plates may be transferred to a replacement vehicle eligible for the same type of license plate.

The license plate transfer fee is increased from $5 to $10. The following types of license plates are subject to the $10 transfer fee: general issue, personalized, amateur radio operators, collegiate, Medal of Honor, Pearl Harbor survivor, Purple Heart, ride share, square dancer, stadium, honorary consul, foreign organizations, prisoner of war, and disabled veterans.

The license plate transfer fee for prisoner of war and disabled veteran license plates is increased from $5 to $10 to be consistent with the other license plate transfer fee increases.

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