| (a) Purpose and Scope. Transportation Code, Chapters
504, 551, and 551A charge the department with providing specialty
license plates, symbols, tabs, and other devices. For the department
to perform these duties efficiently and effectively, this section
prescribes the policies and procedures for the application, issuance,
and renewal of specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, and other
devices, through the county tax assessor-collectors, and establishes
application fees, expiration dates, and registration periods for certain
specialty license plates. This section does not apply to military
license plates except as provided by §217.43 of this title (relating
to Military Specialty License Plates).
(b) Initial application for specialty license plates,
symbols, tabs, or other devices.
(1) Application Process.
(A) Procedure. An owner of a vehicle registered as
specified in this subchapter who wishes to apply for a specialty license
plate, symbol, tab, or other device must do so on a form prescribed
by the director.
(B) Form requirements. The application form shall at
a minimum require the name and complete address of the applicant.
(2) Fees and Documentation.
(A) The application must be accompanied by the prescribed
registration fee, unless exempted by statute.
(B) The application must be accompanied by the statutorily
prescribed specialty license plate fee. If a registration period is
greater than 12 months, the expiration date of a specialty license
plate, symbol, tab, or other device will be aligned with the registration
period and the specialty plate fee will be adjusted to yield the appropriate
fee. If the statutory annual fee for a specialty license plate is
$5 or less, it will not be prorated.
(C) Specialty license plate fees will not be refunded
after an application is submitted and the department has approved
issuance of the license plate.
(D) The application must be accompanied by prescribed
local fees or other fees that are collected in conjunction with registering
a vehicle, with the exception of vehicles bearing license plates that
are exempt by statute from these fees.
(E) The application must include evidence of eligibility
for any specialty license plates. The evidence of eligibility may
include, but is not limited to:
(i) an official document issued by a governmental entity;
or
(ii) a letter issued by a governmental entity on that
agency's letterhead.
(F) Initial applications for license plates for display
on Exhibition Vehicles must include a photograph of the completed
vehicle.
(3) Place of application. Applications for specialty
license plates may be made directly to the county tax assessor-collector
of the county in which the owner resides or a county tax assessor-collector
who is willing to accept the application, except that applications
for the following license plates must be made directly to the department:
(A) County Judge;
(B) Federal Administrative Law Judge;
(C) State Judge;
(D) State Official;
(E) U.S. Congress--House;
(F) U.S. Congress--Senate; and
(G) U.S. Judge.
(4) Gift plates.
(A) A person may purchase general distribution specialty
license plates as a gift for another person if the purchaser submits
an application for the specialty license plates that provides:
(i) the name and address of the person who will receive
the plates; and
(ii) the vehicle identification number of the vehicle
on which the plates will be displayed.
(B) To be valid for use on a motor vehicle, the recipient
of the plates must file an application with the county tax assessor-collector
and pay the statutorily required registration fees in the amount as
provided by Transportation Code, Chapter 502 and this subchapter.
(c) Initial issuance of specialty license plates, symbols,
tabs, or other devices.
(1) Issuance. On receipt of a completed initial application
for registration, accompanied by the prescribed documentation and
fees, the department will issue specialty license plates, symbols,
tabs, or other devices to be displayed on the vehicle for which the
license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices were issued for the
current registration period. If the vehicle for which the specialty
license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices are issued is currently
registered, the owner must surrender the license plates currently
displayed on the vehicle, along with the corresponding license receipt,
before the specialty license plates may be issued.
(2) Classic Motor Vehicles, Classic Travel Trailers,
Custom Vehicles, Street Rods, and Exhibition Vehicles.
(A) License plates. Texas license plates that were
issued the same year as the model year of a Classic Motor Vehicle,
Travel Trailer, Street Rod, or Exhibition Vehicle may be displayed
on that vehicle under Transportation Code, §504.501 and §504.502,
unless:
(i) the license plate's original use was restricted
by statute to another vehicle type;
(ii) the license plate is a qualifying plate type that
originally required the owner to meet one or more eligibility requirements,
except for a plate issued under Transportation Code, §504.202;
or
(iii) the alpha numeric pattern is already in use on
another vehicle.
(B) Validation stickers and tabs. The department will
issue validation stickers and tabs for display on license plates that
are displayed as provided by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(3) Number of plates issued.
(A) Two plates. Unless otherwise listed in subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph, two specialty license plates, each bearing
the same license plate number, will be issued per vehicle.
(B) One plate. One license plate will be issued per
vehicle for all motorcycles and for the following specialty license
plates:
(i) Antique Vehicle (includes Antique Auto, Antique
Truck, Antique Motorcycle, and Antique Bus);
(ii) Classic Travel Trailer;
(iii) Rental Trailer;
(iv) Travel Trailer;
(v) Cotton Vehicle;
(vi) Disaster Relief;
(vii) Forestry Vehicle;
(viii) Golf Cart;
(ix) Log Loader;
(x) Military Vehicle;
(xi) Package Delivery Vehicle;
(xii) Fertilizer; and
(xiii) Off-highway Vehicle.
(C) Registration number. The identification number
assigned by the military may be approved as the registration number
instead of displaying Military Vehicle license plates on a former
military vehicle.
(4) Assignment of plates.
(A) Title holder. Unless otherwise exempted by law
or this section, the vehicle on which specialty license plates, symbols,
tabs, or other devices is to be displayed shall be titled in the name
of the person to whom the specialty license plates, symbols, tabs,
or other devices is assigned, or a title application shall be filed
in that person's name at the time the specialty license plates, symbols,
tabs, or other devices are issued.
(B) Non-owner vehicle. If the vehicle is titled in
a name other than that of the applicant, the applicant must provide
evidence of having the legal right of possession and control of the
vehicle.
(C) Leased vehicle. In the case of a leased vehicle,
the applicant must provide a copy of the lease agreement verifying
that the applicant currently leases the vehicle.
(5) Classification of neighborhood electric vehicles.
The registration classification of a neighborhood electric vehicle,
as defined by §217.3(3) of this title (relating to Motor Vehicle
Titles) will be determined by whether it is designed as a 4-wheeled
truck or a 4-wheeled passenger vehicle.
(6) Number of vehicles. An owner may obtain specialty
license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices for an unlimited number
of vehicles, unless the statute limits the number of vehicles for
which the specialty license plate may be issued.
(7) Personalized plate numbers.
(A) Issuance. The department will issue a personalized
license plate number subject to the exceptions set forth in this paragraph.
(B) Character limit. A personalized license plate number
may contain no more than six alpha or numeric characters or a combination
of characters. Depending upon the specialty license plate design and
vehicle class, the number of characters may vary. Spaces, hyphens,
periods, hearts, stars, the International Symbol of Access, or silhouettes
of the state of Texas may be used in conjunction with the license
plate number.
Cont'd... |
