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LEGISLATURE
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IDAHO
Sixty-eighth
Legislature
Second
Regular
Session
-
2026
IN
THE
HOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE
BILL
NO.
577
BY
TRANSPORTATION
AND
DEFENSE
COMMITTEE
AN
ACT
1
RELATING
TO
LICENSE
PLATES;
AMENDING
SECTION
49
-
443,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
REVISE
2
PROVISIONS
REGARDING
THE
EXPIRATION
OF
LICENSE
PLATES
AND
TO
MAKE
TECH
-
3
NICAL
CORRECTIONS;
AMENDING
SECTION
49
-
443B,
IDAHO
CODE,
TO
PROVIDE
FOR
4
THE
VALIDITY
OF
CERTAIN
LICENSE
PLATES
ON
STATE
VEHICLES
AND
VEHICLES
5
BELONGING
TO
TAXING
DISTRICTS;
AND
DECLARING
AN
EMERGENCY
AND
PROVIDING
6
AN
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
7
Be
It
Enacted
by
the
Legislature
of
the
State
of
Idaho:
8
SECTION
1.
That
Section
49
-
443,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
9
amended
to
read
as
follows:
10
49
-
443.
LICENSE
PLATES
TO
BE
FURNISHED
BY
DEPARTMENT
-
-
FORM
AND
1
1
CONTENTS.
(1)
The
assessor
or
the
department
shall
furnish
to
every
owner
12
whose
vehicle
is
registered
or
licensed
by
that
office,
pursuant
to
sections
13
49
-
402
and
49
-
402A,
Idaho
Code,
one
(1)
license
plate
for
vehicles
regis
-
14
tered
under
the
provisions
of
section
49
-
406,
49
-
406A
or
49
-
408,
Idaho
Code,
15
or
a
motorcycle,
trailer,
truck
-
tractor,
or
semitrailer;
one
(1)
restricted
16
vehicle
license
plate
for
all
-
terrain
vehicles,
utility
type
vehicles
and
17
motorbikes
licensed
pursuant
to
this
chapter;
and
two
(2)
license
plates
18
for
every
other
motor
vehicle.
If
a
vehicle
is
issued
one
(1)
plate
only,
19
that
plate
shall
be
displayed
in
accordance
with
the
provisions
of
section
20
49
-
428,
Idaho
Code.
For
vehicles
registered
under
the
provisions
of
section
21
49
-
407,
Idaho
Code,
the
applicant
shall
provide
one
(1)
plate
to
be
displayed
22
on
the
rear
of
the
vehicle.
23
(a)
Commencing
January
1,
1992,
the
color
and
design
of
the
plates
shall
24
be
comparable
to
the
color
and
design
of
the
statehood
centennial
issue
25
of
license
plates
with
blue
numerals
and
letters
on
a
multicolored
red,
26
white
and
blue
background.
Each
license
plate
must
bear
upon
on
its
face
27
the
inscriptions
"Famous
Potatoes"
and
"Scenic
Idaho."
The
restricted
28
vehicle
license
plate
for
all
-
terrain
vehicles,
utility
type
vehicles
29
and
motorbikes
shall
be
a
white
background
with
black
numerals
and
let
-
30
ters,
with
"Idaho
Restricted
Vehicle"
and
the
year
of
its
expiration
on
31
its
face
and
no
other
inscription.
The
restricted
vehicle
license
plate
32
shall
be
the
same
size
required
for
the
motorcycle
license
plate.
33
(b)
Every
license
plate
shall
have
displayed
upon
on
it
the
registra
-
34
tion
number
assigned
to
the
vehicle
and
its
owner
and
the
name
"Idaho,"
35
which
may
be
abbreviated.
The
plates
issued
under
the
provisions
of
36
section
49
-
402(1),
Idaho
Code,
and
the
required
letters
and
numerals,
37
including
an
identification
of
the
county
in
which
the
motor
vehicle
to
38
which
the
plates
will
be
affixed
is
registered,
shall
be
of
sufficient
39
size
to
be
plainly
readable
from
a
distance
of
seventy
-
five
(75)
feet
40
during
daylight,
and
each
license
plate
and
registration
sticker
shall
41
2
be
treated
with
a
fully
reflectorized
material
according
to
specifica
-
1
tions
prescribed
by
the
board.
2
(2)
License
plates
shall
be
valid
for
a
period
of
ten
(10)
years
begin
-
3
ning
with
the
date
of
issuance
of
new
plates.
At
the
end
of
the
ninth
year,
4
the
registered
owner
shall
receive
notice
of
the
date
upon
which
the
plates
5
will
expire
as
long
as
they
are
readable
and
legible
and
comply
with
section
6
49
-
428,
Idaho
Code
.
For
specialty
license
plate
programs
discontinued
pur
-
7
suant
to
the
provisions
of
section
49
-
402C,
Idaho
Code,
a
registrant
with
a
8
specialty
license
plate
currently
registered
under
the
program
may
use
such
9
license
plate
for
up
to
ten
(10)
years
from
the
date
of
issuance
as
long
as
the
10
license
plate
is
readable
and
legible
.
This
provision
is
intended
to
per
-
1
1
mit
the
use
of
the
specialty
plate
by
the
registrant
regardless
of
the
num
-
12
ber
of
persons
who
purchase
the
specialty
plate.
The
registrant
shall
be
re
-
13
quired
to
pay
the
special
plate
program
fees
provided
for
specialty
plates
14
pursuant
to
this
chapter.
Such
fees
shall
be
deposited
into
the
state
high
-
15
way
account.
For
purposes
of
section
49
-
434,
Idaho
Code,
as
it
applies
to
16
commercial
vehicles,
and
section
49
-
435,
Idaho
Code,
the
department
shall
17
provide
new
plates
bearing
the
same
number
or,
upon
request
from
the
regis
-
18
tered
owner,
the
next
available
number.
19
(3)
If
a
license
plate
number
has
expired
as
provided
in
subsection
(2)
20
of
this
section
and
registration
is
not
renewed
within
sixty
(60)
days
of
its
21
expiration,
the
related
plate
number
shall
be
available
for
use
by
another
22
registrant.
To
obtain
a
specific
number
in
the
recycled
license
plate
num
-
23
ber
file,
the
owner
of
a
registered
vehicle
may
contact
the
county
regarding
24
availability.
The
provisions
of
this
subsection
shall
apply
only
to
vehi
-
25
cles
registered
under
the
provisions
of
section
49
-
402(1),
Idaho
Code,
and
26
section
49
-
434(1),
Idaho
Code,
as
it
applies
to
noncommercial
vehicles.
27
(4)
License
plates
issued
for
vehicles
required
to
be
registered
in
28
accordance
with
the
provisions
of
sections
49
-
402
and
49
-
402A,
Idaho
Code,
29
shall
be
issued
color
-
coded
red,
white
or
blue
registration
validation
30
stickers
showing
the
year
of
registration.
Each
registration
validation
31
sticker
shall
bear
a
number
from
1
through
12,
which
number
shall
correspond
32
to
the
month
of
the
calendar
year
in
which
the
registration
of
the
vehicle
33
expires
and
shall
be
affixed
to
the
lower
right
-
hand
corner
of
the
plates
34
within
the
outlined
rectangular
area.
35
(5)
License
plates
for
utility
trailers
registered
under
the
provi
-
36
sions
of
section
49
-
402A,
Idaho
Code,
that
are
issued
for
five
(5)
or
ten
(10)
37
years
and
license
plates
for
rental
utility
trailers
registered
under
the
38
provisions
of
section
49
-
434,
Idaho
Code,
that
are
issued
for
up
to
five
(5)
39
years
shall
use
the
design
in
effect
on
the
date
of
manufacture.
If
a
design
40
change
occurs,
plates
from
the
effective
date
of
the
design
change
shall
be
41
manufactured
using
the
new
design.
Unexpired
plates
need
not
be
reissued
to
42
conform
to
a
design
change.
43
(6)
For
license
plates
that
are
lost,
stolen,
mutilated,
or
illegible,
44
the
owner
shall
apply
for
a
duplicate
or
substitute.
The
assessor
shall
also
45
furnish
for
each
registration,
and
to
validate
the
license
plate,
a
pres
-
46
sure
-
sensitive,
uniquely
numbered,
color
-
coded
red,
white
or
blue
regis
-
47
tration
sticker,
except
for
trailers
and
semitrailers
registered
under
the
48
provisions
in
section
49
-
434,
Idaho
Code.
License
plates
issued
for
state,
49
county
and
city
motor
vehicles
shall
be
valid
for
ten
(10)
years
pursuant
50
3
to
subsection
(2)
of
this
section
and
remain
on
the
vehicle
for
which
issued
1
from
year
to
year
and
need
no
renewal
or
validation
sticker.
2
(7)
Whenever
a
vehicle
is
completely
destroyed
by
fire
or
accident
and
3
the
operator
submits
satisfactory
proof
of
that
destruction
to
the
depart
-
4
ment
or
appropriate
assessor's
office,
or
the
owner
wishes
to
transfer
the
5
remaining
registration,
use
increment
and
fees
shall
be
transferred
to
the
6
replacement
vehicle
for
a
service
transfer
fee
of
five
dollars
($5.00),
7
which
fee
shall
be
retained
by
the
registering
authority.
None
of
the
orig
-
8
inal
fees
shall
be
subject
to
refund.
9
(8)
The
department
shall
furnish
a
printed
or
an
electronic
copy
of
the
10
registration
card
to
every
owner
whose
vehicle
is
registered
under
sections
1
1
49
-
434
and
49
-
435,
Idaho
Code.
12
(9)
The
board
shall
have
authority
to
require
the
return
to
the
depart
-
13
ment
of
all
license
plates
and
registration
stickers
upon
termination
of
the
14
lawful
use
of
them
by
the
owner.
15
(10)
The
board
may
promulgate
such
rules
as
are
necessary
to
implement
16
the
provisions
of
this
section.
17
SECTION
2.
That
Section
49
-
443B,
Idaho
Code,
be,
and
the
same
is
hereby
18
amended
to
read
as
follows:
19
49
-
443B.
LICENSE
PLATES
FOR
STATE
VEHICLES
AND
VEHICLES
BELONGING
TO
20
TAXING
DISTRICTS.
(1)
License
plates
for
state
vehicles
and
vehicles
belong
-
21
ing
to
taxing
districts
shall
be
valid
for
a
period
of
ten
(10)
years
pursuant
22
to
such
time
as
they
are
in
compliance
with
section
49
-
443(2),
Idaho
Code,
23
and
shall
remain
on
the
vehicle
to
which
it
is
issued
until
transferred
to
24
another
vehicle
or
until
it
is
canceled
by
the
department.
The
department
25
shall
be
reimbursed
by
state
agencies
and
the
taxing
districts
for
the
cost
26
of
providing
license
plates.
The
department
may
develop
rules
to
administer
27
this
license
plate
program.
28
(2)
Each
license
plate
issued
pursuant
to
this
section
shall
bear
a
des
-
29
ignator
to
identify
the
agency,
entity
or
office
to
which
a
vehicle
belongs.
30
The
designators
shall
be
as
follows:
31
Designator
32
Agency,
entity,
office,
or
plate
type
C
33
School
district
or
miscellaneous
city
or
county
agencies,
entities
or
offices
34
D
35
Highway
district
F
36
Fire
district
G
37
Fish
and
game
H
38
Department
of
health
and
welfare
ISP
39
Idaho
state
police
J
40
Department
of
commerce
or
department
of
labor
L
41
Law
enforcement
4
P
1
City
police
R
2
Department
of
parks
and
recreation
SO
3
Sheriff's
office
T
4
Department
of
transportation
X
5
Miscellaneous
state
agencies,
entities
or
offices
Y
6
Irrigation
district
Z
7
Department
of
lands
(3)
Personalized
or
specialty
license
plates
are
exempt
from
the
provi
-
8
sions
of
subsection
(2)
of
this
section.
9
SECTION
3.
An
emergency
existing
therefor,
which
emergency
is
hereby
10
declared
to
exist,
this
act
shall
be
in
full
force
and
effect
on
and
after
1
1
July
1,
2026.
12