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S3265
SENATE, No. 3265
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 2, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
���� Authorizes issuance of classic NJ license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
authorizing the issuance of classic New Jersey license plates and supplementing
Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
����
Be It Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New
Jersey:
���� 1.��� a.�� Upon proper
application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
shall issue classic New Jersey license plates for any motor vehicle owned or
leased and registered in the State.� In addition to the registration number and
other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license
plates shall display a design that replicates the classic New Jersey license
plates issued by the New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles between 1979 and
1991.� The classic New Jersey license plates shall be subject to the provisions
of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter
otherwise specifically provided.
���� b.��� Application for issuance
of classic New Jersey license plates shall be made to the chief administrator
on forms and in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator.� In order to be
deemed complete, an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, payable
to the commission, which shall be in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed
by law for the registration of a motor vehicle.� The chief administrator shall
collect annually, subsequent to the year of issuance of the classic New Jersey
license plates, a $10 fee for the license plates in addition to the fees
otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle.� The
additional fees required by this subsection shall be deposited, pursuant to
subsection c. of this section, in the "Special Transportation Fund"
created pursuant to section 21 of P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-21).
���� c.���� There shall be
deposited in the �Special Transportation Fund,� established pursuant to section
21 of P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-21), the amount collected from all license plate
fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section, less the amounts
necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to
subsection d. of this section.� Monies deposited in the fund shall be annually
appropriated for expenditure on transportation projects in this State.�
���� d.��� Prior to the deposit
into the fund of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of
this section, amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the
commission for all costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the
chief administrator, for:
���� (1)�� designing, producing,
issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the classic New Jersey
license plates; and
���� (2)�� any computer programming
changes that may be initially necessary to implement the classic New Jersey
license plate program established by P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), in an amount not to exceed $150,000.
���� The chief administrator shall
annually certify to the State Treasurer the average cost per license plate
incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing,
issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the classic New Jersey license
plates.� The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall
be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.
���� In the event that the average
cost per license plate as certified by the chief administrator and approved by
the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is greater than the $50
application fee established in subsection b. of this section in two consecutive
fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of classic
New Jersey license plates.
���� e.���� The chief administrator
shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain classic New Jersey
license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the
website of the commission.
���� f.���� The chief administrator
and the Commissioner of Transportation shall develop and enter into a
memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying
out their respective responsibilities under P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill).
���� g.��� The Commissioner of
Transportation shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison
between the Department of Transportation and the commission.� The liaison shall
represent the department in any and all communications with the commission
regarding the classic New Jersey license plates established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
���� 2.��� a.� State or public
funds shall not be used by the commission for the initial cost of:
���� (1)�� designing, producing,
issuing, and publicizing the availability of classic New Jersey license plates;
or
���� (2)�� any computer programming
changes which may be necessary to implement the classic New Jersey license
plate program established by P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill).
���� b.��� An individual or entity
designated by the Department of Transportation shall contribute non-public
monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed
a total of $25,000, to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the
commission for designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability
of New Jersey classic license plates, and any computer programming which may be
necessary to implement the program.� Concerned organizations and individual
donors may contribute monies to the department to be used to offset the initial
costs incurred by the commission for the classic New Jersey license plates
authorized by
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).� Any amount remaining after the payment
of the initial cost shall be deposited, pursuant to subsection c. of section 1
of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.������� ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill),
in the �Special Transportation Fund� established pursuant to section 21 of
P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-21).
���� c.���� The commission shall
not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of classic
New Jersey license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until
the following requirements have been met:
���� (1)�� The individual or entity
designated by the department, has provided the commission with the non-public
monies necessary, as determined by the chief administrator pursuant to
subsection b. of this section, to offset the initial costs incurred by the
commission in establishing the classic New Jersey license plate program; and
���� (2)�� The liaison appointed by
the commissioner pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill) has provided the commission with not less
than 500 completed applications for classic New Jersey license plates.� These
applications shall constitute the initial order for classic New Jersey license
plates and shall be accompanied by a fee representing the total cost of the
initial order.� The fee shall be determined by multiplying the number of sets
of license plates being ordered by the applicable initial fee for each set of
license plates as set forth in subsection b. of section 1 of
P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).
���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the
13th month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs
(1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act have been satisfied.� The
chief administrator may take anticipatory actions in advance of that date as
may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.� This act shall
expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c.
of section 2 of this act are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month
following enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill authorizes the Chief
Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue
classic New Jersey license plates to replicate the license plates issued by the
former New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles between 1979 and 1991.
���� In addition to all fees
otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is an
application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the classic New
Jersey license plates.� After the deduction of the cost of designing,
producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the license plates and of any
computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate
program, additional fees are to be deposited into the � Special Transportation
Fund.�� The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to support the
State�s transportation projects.
���� The chief administrator is
required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing,
and publicizing the availability of the specialty license plates. If the
average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief
administrator may discontinue the license plate program.� The bill requires the
chief administrator and the Commissioner of Transportation (commissioner) to
develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures
to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under the bill.�
The bill also requires that the commissioner appoint a liaison to represent the
Department of Transportation (department) in all communications with the
commission regarding the classic New Jersey license plates.�
���� The bill provides that State
or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost
to implement the license plate program.� The bill requires an individual or
entity designated by the department to contribute non-public monies, not to
exceed $25,000, to offset the initial costs to design, produce, issue, and
publicize the license plates and for computer programming changes which may be
necessary to implement the program.� The bill authorizes the department to
receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs.�
���� The commission is not required
to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates
or make any necessary programming changes, until: (1) the individual or entity
designated by the department has provided the commission with the money
necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in
establishing the license plate program; and (2) the liaison appointed by the
commissioner has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed
applications for the license plates.
���� The provisions of the bill
will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month following the
date on which the money to offset the initial costs to establish the license
plate program and a minimum of 500 applications are provided to the commission.�
The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month after enactment if
sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received
by that date.