Bills / S.B. 273
S.B. 273 License Plate Amendments
- Introduced
- Senate committee
- Senate vote
- House committee (stopped here)
- House vote
- Signed into law
What this bill does
The bill would change how special group license plates work: applicants would pay a fee up front for design and programming instead of gathering 500 buyers, and plates falling below a set number of holders would be removed automatically. It would also let the design review board handle driver license designs, let a tax commission auction low-number plates, and require replacement of faded all-metal plates.
Plain-English summary written by AI from the sponsor’s presentation in committee and on the floor. Check the official text below.
Official description
- defines terms related to license plates
- changes the process for the design and issuance of standard license plates
- creates a rotating process for issuance of standard license plate options
- amends provisions related to the visibility and readability of license plates, including replacement of faded license plates
- amends provisions related to required contributions for special group license plates, including allocation of funds generated
- changes the process for creation of a new special group license plate and eligibility of the sponsor
- amends the design and approval process for special group license plates
- amends provisions related to the design review board, including duties and membership
- amends provisions related to the State Tax Commission's contract with a license plate designer
- requires driver license and identification card designs to be approved by the design review board
- makes technical changes
What it costs you
- The official fiscal note on residents and businesses:
To the extent that sponsoring organizations choose to apply for the creation of new special group license plates, enactment of this legislation may increase the cost of applying for a special group license plate by $16,000 due to new application fees totaling $20,000.
From the bill's latest official fiscal note, counting the state's tax funds (General, Income Tax, Education, Uniform School, and Transportation) in the first full budget year after the session. Some bills take effect partway through that year, so later years can be larger; the note shows each year. Household count: U.S. Census Bureau. An average is a starting point, not your bill.
Your legislators on this bill
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Quotes come from the official recordings' automatic captions, which can mishear words. Speakers and summaries are identified by AI and can be wrong. Use the ▶ links to check the recording.
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Every vote
- 4 yes, 0 no, 4 absentSenate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 12, 2026Who voted how
- 23 yes, 1 no, 5 absentFirst of two Senate votes · Feb 27, 2026Who voted how
Hearings and debates
- Feb 12, 2026 Senate Transportation, Public Utilities, Energy, and Technology Committee▶ WatchRead the transcript (25 turns) →
- Feb 27, 2026 Senate floor debate▶ WatchRead the transcript (9 turns) →