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SB300 • 2026

Distinctive license plates; Helping Schools plate design requirements further provided for, certain individuals eligible to receive the new license plate design at no cost

Distinctive license plates; Helping Schools plate design requirements further provided for, certain individuals eligible to receive the new license plate design at no cost

Education Taxes
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Figures
Last action
2026-04-16
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
2027-01-01

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide additional details about what happens after the initial free replacement period ends for those who qualify.

Helping Schools License Plate Design Requirements

This law changes the design of Alabama's Helping Schools license plates and allows certain people to get new plates for free.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the design requirements for the 'Helping Schools' distinctive license plate to include a white background, red lettering saying 'Helping Schools', and images of a red apple, green book, and yellow ruler.
  • Requires the Department of Revenue to provide new Helping Schools plates free of charge to individuals who purchased or renewed their plates between March 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who own cars in Alabama and want Helping Schools license plates
  • The Department of Revenue

Terms To Know

Distinctive License Plates
Special license plates that have a unique design or message.
Registration Year
A period during which vehicle owners must renew their registration and license plates.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The free replacement offer is only available for the registration year starting January 1, 2027.
  • It does not specify what happens to people who bought or renewed Helping Schools plates outside the specified period.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

CX7HRJJ-1

R 609 • Bell

Adopted

Plain English: CX7HRJJ-1 : 2/25/2026 : KMS 1ST BELL AMENDMENT TO SB300 OFFERED BY SENATOR BELL Page 1 Replace line 28 on page 1 with the following: Section 1.

  • CX7HRJJ-1 : 2/25/2026 : KMS 1ST BELL AMENDMENT TO SB300 OFFERED BY SENATOR BELL Page 1 Replace line 28 on page 1 with the following: Section 1.
  • This act shall be known and may be cited as the Senator Michael A.
  • Figures Act.
  • Section 2.
  • This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-16 Senate

    Enacted

  2. 2026-04-07 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 1206 (Yeas 104, Nays 0)

  3. 2026-04-07 House

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 105, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-04-07 House

    Signature Requested

  5. 2026-04-07 Senate

    Delivered to Governor

  6. 2026-04-07 Senate

    Enrolled

  7. 2026-04-07 Senate

    Ready to Enroll

  8. 2026-04-07 Senate

    Ready to Enroll

  9. 2026-03-05 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  10. 2026-03-04 House

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  11. 2026-02-26 House

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  12. 2026-02-26 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means General Fund

  13. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 610 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  14. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Bell motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 609 (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  15. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 33, Nays 0)

  16. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Engrossed

  17. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Bell 1st Amendment Offered

  18. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Carried Over to the Call of the Chair

  19. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  20. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  21. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  22. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Education Policy

Official Summary Text

This act amends Section 32-6-300, Code of Alabama 1975, to: (1) require the helping schools distinctive license plate design to consist of a white background, bear the words “Helping Schools” in red lettering, and contain a red apple, a green book, and a yellow ruler; and (2) for only the registration year beginning January 1, 2027, require the Department of Revenue to issue a replacement helping schools license plate that meets these design requirements to individuals who purchased or renewed a helping schools license plate during the period of March 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026, free of charge.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SB300 ENROLLED
Page 0
SB300
CXC89QQ-3
By Senators Figures, Weaver
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 12-Feb-26
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SB300 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 12-Feb-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to distinctive license plates; to amend
Section 32-6-300, Code of Alabama 1975, to further provide for
the design requirements for the "Helping Schools" license
plates; and to authorize certain individuals to receive the
new design of the license plate at no cost.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as
the Senator Michael A. Figures Act.
Section 2. Section 32-6-300, Code of Alabama 1975, is
amended to read as follows:
"§32-6-300
(a) Owners of all motor vehicles who are residents of
Alabama, upon application to the judge of probate or
commissioner of licenses, complying with the state motor
vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor
vehicles and payment of the regular license fee for plates as
provided by law for the motor vehicle, and the payment of an
additional annual fee of twenty dollars ($20), shall be issued
license plates which shall consist of a white background; bear
the words "Helping Schools ." in red lettering; and contain a
drawing of a red apple, green book, and yellow ruler.
(b) The plates shall be issued, printed, and processed
in the same manner as other personalized plates are in this
chapter. The plates shall be valid for five years and shall be
replaced at the end of the period with either conventional
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SB300 Enrolled
Page 2
replaced at the end of the period with either conventional
plates or other personalized plates, or with new "Helping
Schools" plates. Payment of the required motor vehicle license
fees and taxes for the years during which a new vehicle
license plate is not issued shall be evidenced as provided for
in Section 32-6-63. The State Department of Revenue shall
design, or have designed, design of the "Helping Schools"
plates shall be made in compliance with all laws and
regulations.
(c) For the registration year beginning January 1,
2027, only, an individual in possession of a "Helping Schools"
plate that was bought or renewed during the period of March 1,
2025, to December 31, 2026, the Department of Revenue shall
issue a new "Helping Schools" plate that meets the design
requirements of this section, and shall not charge a fee for
the replacement plate. "
Section 3. This act shall become effective on January
1, 2027.
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SB300 Enrolled
Page 3
1, 2027.
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
SB300
Senate 25-Feb-26
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and passed
the Senate, as amended.
Patrick Harris,
Secretary.
House of Representatives
Passed: 07-Apr-26
By: Senator Figures
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