Purpose

Requires the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to recall existing license plates and reissue newly designed license plates at least every ten years. Contains a Proposition 108 clause.

Background

Currently, neither statute nor the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) requires that Arizona license plates be recalled or reissued after a specified number of years. When a person registers a vehicle for the first time, a license plate is issued for that vehicle and remains for the life of the vehicle. The only time that a license plate is reissued is in the event that the previous license plate is lost, stolen or damaged. Otherwise, there is no changing of license plates once a vehicle is first registered. However, MVD does periodically create new design images and discontinues the production of the older style license plates. A vehicle registered for the first time receives the most current style of license plate issued by MVD at the time of vehicle registration.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 20 states replace license plates with a new design at various time periods, ranging from every four to twelve years. Furthermore, 11 other states have similar license plate replacement procedures, but their replacement is done randomly or upon the decision of the respective states’ legislatures. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators reports that most of the states that periodically replace license plates also recall the previous license plates.

There is a four-dollar license plate reissuance fee to offset the cost of manufacturing and reissuing new license plates; however, the fiscal impact to the state highway fund has not been determined by MVD.

Provisions

1. Requires ADOT, beginning on July 1, 2004, to reissue newly designed license plates and recall all existing plates every ten years except for special college, environmental, alternative fuel, child abuse, military and historic license plates.

2. Requires ADOT to collect and deposit into the state highway fund a four-dollar license plate reissuance fee each time a new license plate is reissued.

3. Requires the owner to return any recalled license plate to ADOT.

4. Contains a Proposition 108 clause.

5. Makes technical and conforming changes.

Amendments Adopted by the Transportation Committee

Removes the four-dollar fee for license plate reissuance and requires ADOT to establish a fee that will cover the cost of reissuing new license plates.

Senate Action House Action

TRANS 4/05/01 DPA/SE 5-1-2-0 TRANS 2/05/01 DPA/SE 7-2-1-0

APPROP 4/17/01 W/D 3^rd Read 3/01/01 31-26-3

NS/ac