| (8) Embossed, personalized specialty license plates.
The vendor may sell embossed, personalized specialty license plates
with a variety of pre-approved background and character color combinations
that may be personalized with up to seven alphanumeric characters.
Except as stated in subsection (h)(7) of this section, the fees for
issuance of embossed, personalized specialty license plates are $270
for one year, $520 for three years, and $570 for five years. Except
as stated in subsection (h)(9)(C) of this section, the fees under
subsection (h)(9) of this section do not apply to an embossed, personalized
specialty license plate.
(9) Personalization and specialty plate fees.
(A) The fee for the personalization of license plates
applied for prior to November 19, 2009 is $40 if the plates are renewed
annually.
(B) The personalization fee for plates applied for
after November 19, 2009 is $40 if the plates are issued pursuant to
Transportation Code, Chapter 504, Subchapters G and I.
(C) If the plates are renewed annually, the personalization
and specialty plate fees remain the same fee as at the time of issuance
if a sponsor of a specialty license plate authorized under Transportation
Code, Chapter 504, Subchapters G and I signs a contract with the vendor
in accordance with Transportation Code, Chapter 504, Subchapter J,
even if the board approves the specialty license plate to be an embossed
specialty license plate design.
(i) Payment of fees.
(1) Payment of specialty license plate fees. The fees
for issuance of vendor specialty license plates will be paid directly
to the state through vendor and state systems for the license plate
category and period selected by the purchaser. A person who purchases
a multi-year vendor specialty license plate must pay upon purchase
the full fee which includes the renewal fees.
(2) Payment of statutory registration fees. To be valid
for use on a motor vehicle, the license plate owner is required to
pay, in addition to the vendor specialty license plate fees, any statutorily
required registration fees in the amount as provided by Transportation
Code, Chapter 502, and this subchapter.
(j) Refunds. Fees for vendor specialty license plate
fees will not be refunded after an application is submitted to the
vendor and the department has approved issuance of the license plate.
(k) Replacement.
(1) Application. An owner must apply directly to the
county tax assessor-collector for the issuance of replacement vendor
specialty license plates and must pay the fee described in paragraph
(2) or (3) of this subsection, whichever applies.
(2) Lost or mutilated vendor specialty license plates.
To replace vendor specialty license plates that are lost or mutilated,
the owner must pay the statutory replacement fee provided in Transportation
Code, §504.007.
(3) Optional replacements. An owner of a vendor specialty
license plate may replace vendor specialty license plates by submitting
a request to the county tax assessor-collector accompanied by the
payment of a $6 fee.
(4) Interim replacement tags. If the vendor specialty
license plates are lost or mutilated to such an extent that they are
unusable, replacement license plates will need to be remanufactured.
The county tax assessor-collector will issue interim replacement tags
for use until the replacements are available. The owner's vendor specialty
license plate number will be shown on the interim replacement tags.
(5) Stolen vendor specialty license plates. The county
tax assessor-collector will not approve the issuance of replacement
vendor specialty license plates with the same license plate number
if the department's records indicate that the vehicle displaying that
license plate number was reported stolen or the license plates themselves
were reported stolen.
(l) Transfer of vendor specialty license plates.
(1) Transfer between vehicles. The owner of a vehicle
with vendor specialty license plates may transfer the license plates
between vehicles by filing an application through the county tax assessor-collector
if the vehicle to which the plates are transferred:
(A) is titled or leased in the owner's name; and
(B) meets the vehicle classification requirements for
that particular specialty license plate.
(2) Transfer between owners. Vendor specialty license
plates may not be transferred between persons unless the license plate
pattern was initially purchased through auction as provided in subsection
(h)(7) of this section. An auctioned alphanumeric pattern may be transferred
as a specialty license plate or as a virtual pattern to be manufactured
on a new background as provided under the restyle option in subsection
(n)(1) of this section. In addition to the fee paid at auction, the
new owner of an auctioned alphanumeric pattern or plate will pay the
department a fee of $25 to cover the cost of the transfer, and complete
the department's prescribed application at the time of transfer.
(m) Gift plates.
(1) A person may purchase plates as a gift for another
person if the purchaser submits a statement that provides:
(A) the purchaser's name and address;
(B) the name and address of the person who will receive
the plates; and
(C) the vehicle identification number of the vehicle
on which the plates will be displayed or a statement that the plates
will not be displayed on a vehicle.
(2) 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.
(n) Restyled vendor specialty license plates. A person
who has purchased a multi-year vendor specialty license plate may
request a restyled license plate at any time during the term of the
plate.
(1) For the purposes of this subsection, "restyled
license plate" is a vendor specialty license plate that has a different
style from the originally purchased vendor specialty license plate
but:
(A) is within the same price category, except if the
pattern is an auction pattern and has the same alpha-numeric characters
and expiration date as the previously issued multi-year license plates;
or
(B) is restyling from a non-embossed specialty license
plate style to an embossed specialty license plate style and has the
same alpha-numeric characters and expiration date as the previously
issued multi-year license plates.
(2) The fee for each restyled license plate is:
(A) $50 for restyling under subsection (n)(1)(A) of
this section; or
(B) $75 for restyling under subsection (n)(1)(B) of
this section.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §217.52 adopted to be effective March 12, 2015, 40 TexReg 1096; amended to be effective August 8, 2016, 41 TexReg 5777; amended to be effective December 4, 2016, 41 TexReg 9335; amended to be effective November 2, 2023, 48 TexReg 6388 |
