Committee approves do-pass on bill to strengthen TRD authority over personalized plates

A House committee voted to recommend passage of a bill that would give the Department of Taxation and Revenue stronger authority to reject personalized and specialty license plate applications and to defend those rejections in legal challenges.

The presenter told the committee that the bill is a department-sponsored measure and that it seeks to provide TRD clearer statutory backing when it rejects plates that are derogatory, obscene, promote drugs or gang violence, are misleading, or are too similar to existing plates. “TRD has a policy by which they can reject inappropriate personalized license plate submissions,” the presenter said, describing the existing categories that can be rejected and saying the bill would give TRD a stronger tool to argue those rejections when challenged.

Committee members asked procedural questions about how personalized or vanity plates are produced and whether front plates are required; the presenter clarified that state-issued specialty plates are produced through the state Motor Vehicle Division and that personal or novelty plates purchased elsewhere are not the same as state-issued, registered plates. No public opposition was recorded during the hearing.

Representative Dow moved the bill and Representative Borrego seconded. The committee recorded a roll call and reported a do-pass recommendation; the roll included at least one dissenting vote. Committee leadership noted other bills would be scheduled later in the week.

Committee members did not adopt amendments during the hearing.