Motor Vehicle Registration Services Amendments

26
41-1a-124
41-1a-1201
41-1a-1206
41-1a-1603
41-1a-124
41-1a-1201
41-1a-1206
41-1a-1603
0
Motor Vehicle Registration Services Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Chris H. Wilson
House Sponsor: Bridger Bolinder
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends vehicle registration fees to provide funding for Motor Vehicle Division
services in counties of the third through sixth class.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
provides funding for counties that provide Motor Vehicle Division services on behalf of
the division;
modifies vehicle registration fees;
creates the Vehicle Registration Services Restricted Account;
increases the required contribution for the historical black license plate from $25 to $50;
allocates special group license plate revenue from the historical black license plate; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
This bill appropriates
$2,200,000
in operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2027,
including:
$1,300,000
from General Fund; and
$900,000
from various sources as detailed in this bill.
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
41-1a-1201
Effective
01/01/27
Repealed
07/01/29
, as last amended by Laws of Utah
2025, Chapter 279
41-1a-1206
Effective
01/01/27
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapters 215,
279
41-1a-1603
Effective
01/01/27
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 247
ENACTS:
41-1a-124
Effective
01/01/27
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
41-1a-124
is enacted to read:
41-1a-124
Effective
01/01/27
. Vehicle Registration Services Restricted Account.
(1)
There is created in the General Fund a restricted account known as the "Vehicle
Registration Services Restricted Account."
(2)
The restricted account shall consist of deposits into the account from the fee described
in Subsection
41-1a-1201(11)
.
(3)
The commission shall use the restricted account to provide:
(a)
$500,000 in one-time funding to establish division services in a county that, in 2024:
(i)
provided motor vehicle registration services in the county on behalf of the
division; and
(ii)
registered the highest number of vehicles among counties that provided motor
vehicle registration services on behalf of the division; and
(b)
funding to counties of the third through sixth class that provide vehicle registration
services on behalf of the division.
(4)
A county described in Subsection
(3)(b)
is eligible each fiscal year for up to:
(a)
$3 per vehicle registered in the previous calendar year for a county of the third class;
(b)
$3.50 per vehicle registered in the previous calendar year for a county of the fourth
class;
(c)
$4 per vehicle registered in the previous calendar year for a county of the fifth class;
or
(d)
$5 per vehicle registered in the previous calendar year for a county of the sixth class.
(5)
The distribution described in Subsection
(3)(a)
will not begin until:
(a)
the fiscal year 2027;
(b)
the restricted account has accrued at least $500,000; and
(c)
the commission has identified and secured office space.
(6)
The distribution described in Subsection
(3)(b)
shall begin in fiscal year 2027.
(7)
The commission shall provide funding in the order listed in Subsection
(3)
.
(8)
If there are insufficient funds for each county described in Subsection
(3)
to receive the
amount described in Subsection
(4)
, the commission shall reduce each county's funding
proportionally.
Section 2. Section
41-1a-1201
is amended to read:
41-1a-1201
Effective
01/01/27
Repealed
07/01/29
. Disposition of fees.
(1)
All fees received and collected under this part shall be transmitted daily to the state
treasurer.
(2)
Except as provided in Subsections
(3)
, (5), (6), (7), (8),
and
(9)
, and (11),
and Sections
41-1a-1205
,
41-1a-1220
,
41-1a-1221
,
41-1a-1222
,
41-1a-1223
, and
41-1a-1603
, all fees
collected under this part shall be deposited into the Transportation Fund.
(3)
Funds generated under Subsections
41-1a-1211(1)(b)(ii)
, (6)(b)(ii), (7), and (9), and
Section
41-1a-1212
shall be deposited into the License Plate Restricted Account created
in Section
41-1a-122
.
(4)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsections
(3)
and
(4)(b)
and Section
41-1a-1205
, the
expenses of the commission in enforcing and administering this part shall be
provided for by legislative appropriation from the revenues of the Transportation
Fund.
(b)
Three dollars of the registration fees imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(2)(a)

and
(b)
for each vehicle registered for a six-month registration period under Section
41-1a-215.5
may be used by the commission to cover the costs incurred in enforcing
and administering this part.
(c)
Fifty cents of the registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(i)
for
each vintage vehicle that has a model year of 1983 or newer may be used by the
commission to cover the costs incurred in enforcing and administering this part.
(5)
(a)
The following portions of the registration fees imposed under Section
41-1a-1206

for each vehicle shall be deposited into the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005
created in Section
72-2-124
:
(i)
$30 of the registration fees imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(1)(a)
, (1)(b),
(1)(f), (4), and (7);
(ii)
$21 of the registration fees imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(1)(c)(i)
and
(1)(c)(ii)
;
(iii)
$2.50 of the registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(e)(ii)
;
(iv)
$23 of the registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(d)(i)
;
(v)
$24.50 of the registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(e)(i)
;
(vi)
$1 of the registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(d)(ii)
; and
(vii)
$17 of the registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(j)
.
(b)
The following portions of the registration fees collected for each vehicle registered
for a six-month registration period under Section
41-1a-215.5
shall be deposited into
the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 created in Section
72-2-124
:
(i)
$23.25 of each registration fee collected under Subsection
41-1a-1206(2)(a)(i)
; and
(ii)
$23 of each registration fee collected under Subsection
41-1a-1206(2)(a)(ii)
.
(6)
(a)
Ninety-four cents of each registration fee imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(1)(a)
and
(b)
for each vehicle shall be deposited into the
Department of

Public Safety Restricted Account created in Section
53-3-106
.
(b)
Seventy-one cents of each registration fee imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(2)(a)
and
(b)
for each vehicle registered for a six-month registration
period under Section
41-1a-215.5
shall be deposited into the
Department of
Public
Safety Restricted Account created in Section
53-3-106
.
(7)
(a)
One dollar of each registration fee imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(1)(a)

and
(b)
for each vehicle shall be deposited into the Motor Vehicle Safety Impact
Restricted Account created in Section
53-8-214
.
(b)
One dollar of each registration fee imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(2)(a)
and
(b)
for each vehicle registered for a six-month registration period under Section
41-1a-215.5
shall be deposited into the Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted
Account created in Section
53-8-214
.
(8)
Fifty cents of each registration fee imposed under Subsection
41-1a-1206(1)(a)
for each
motorcycle shall be deposited into the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Fund created in
Section
26B-1-318
.
(9)
(a)
Beginning
Except as provided in Subsection
(11)
, beginning
on January 1, 2024,
subject to Subsection
(9)(b)
, $2 of each registration fee imposed under Section
41-1a-1206
shall be deposited into the Rural Transportation Infrastructure Fund
created in Section
72-2-133
.
(b)
Beginning on January 1, 2025, and each January 1 thereafter, the amount described
in Subsection
(9)(a)
shall be annually adjusted by taking the amount deposited the
previous year and adding an amount equal to the greater of:
(i)
an amount calculated by multiplying the amount deposited by the previous year by
the actual percentage change during the previous fiscal year in the Consumer Price
Index; and
(ii)
0.
(c)
The amounts calculated as described in Subsection
(9)(b)
shall be rounded up to the
nearest
1
one
cent.
(10)
For a vehicle registered for a 24-month period as provided in Section
41-1a-215.5
, the
deposits under this section are double the amounts due for a 12-month registration of the
same vehicle.
(11)
The registration fee imposed under Subsections
41-1a-1206(3)(a)(i)(B)
and
41-1a-1206(3)(a)(ii)(B)
shall be deposited into the Vehicle Registration Services
Restricted Account created in Section
41-1a-124
.
Section 3. Section
41-1a-1206
is amended to read:
41-1a-1206
Effective
01/01/27
. Registration fees -- Fees by gross laden weight.
(1)
Except as provided in Subsections
(2)
and
(3)
, at the time application is made for
registration or renewal of registration of a vehicle or combination of vehicles under this
chapter, a registration fee shall be paid to the division as follows:
(a)
$46.00 for each motorcycle;
(b)
$44 for each motor vehicle of 14,000 pounds or less gross laden weight, excluding
motorcycles;
(c)
unless the semitrailer or trailer is exempt from registration under Section
41-1a-202

or is registered under Section
41-1a-301
:
(i)
$31 for each trailer or semitrailer over 750 pounds gross unladen weight; or
(ii)
$28.50 for each commercial trailer or commercial semitrailer of 750 pounds or
less gross unladen weight;
(d)
(i)
$53 for each farm truck over 14,000 pounds, but not exceeding 16,000 pounds
gross laden weight; plus
(ii)
$9 for each 2,000 pounds over 16,000 pounds gross laden weight;
(e)
(i)
$69.50 for each motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles, excluding
farm trucks, over 14,000 pounds, but not exceeding 16,000 pounds gross laden
weight; plus
(ii)
$19 for each 2,000 pounds over 16,000 pounds gross laden weight;
(f)
(i)
$69.50 for each park model recreational vehicle over 14,000 pounds, but not
exceeding 16,000 pounds gross laden weight; plus
(ii)
$19 for each 2,000 pounds over 16,000 pounds gross laden weight;
(g)
$45 for each vintage vehicle that has a model year of 1983 or newer;
(h)
in addition to the fee described in Subsection
(1)(b)
:
(i)
an amount equal to the road usage charge cap described in Section
72-1-213.1
for:
(A)
each electric motor vehicle; and
(B)
Each motor vehicle not described in this Subsection
(1)(h)
that is fueled
exclusively by a source other than motor fuel, diesel fuel, natural gas, or
propane;
(ii)
$21.75 for each hybrid electric motor vehicle; and
(iii)
$56.50 for each plug-in hybrid electric motor vehicle;
(i)
in addition to the fee described in Subsection
(1)(g)
, for a vintage vehicle that has a
model year of 1983 or newer, 50 cents; and
(j)
$28.50 for each roadable aircraft.
(2)
(a)
At the time application is made for registration or renewal of registration of a
vehicle under this chapter for a six-month registration period under Section
41-1a-215.5
, a registration fee shall be paid to the division as follows:
(i)
$34.50 for each motorcycle; and
(ii)
$33.50 for each motor vehicle of 14,000 pounds or less gross laden weight,
excluding motorcycles.
(b)
In addition to the fee described in Subsection
(2)(a)(ii)
, for registration or renewal of
registration of a vehicle under this chapter for a six-month registration period under
Section
41-1a-215.5
a registration fee shall be paid to the division as follows:
(i)
an amount equal to the road usage charge cap described in Section
72-1-213.1
for:
(A)
each electric motor vehicle; and
(B)
each motor vehicle not described in this Subsection
(2)(b)
that is fueled
exclusively by a source other than motor fuel, diesel fuel, natural gas, or
propane;
(ii)
$16.50 for each hybrid electric motor vehicle; and
(iii)
$43.50 for each plug-in hybrid electric motor vehicle.
(3)
(a)
Beginning on January 1, 2024, at
At
the time of registration:
(i)
in addition to the amounts described in Subsections
(1)(a)
, (1)(b), (1)(c)(i),
(1)(c)(ii), (1)(d)(i), (1)(e)(i), (1)(f)(i), (1)(g), (1)(h), (4)(a), and (7), the individual
shall also pay an additional
:

(A)
$7 as part of the registration fee; and
(B)
$0.50 as part of the registration fee; and
(ii)
in addition to the amounts described in Subsection
(2)(a)
, the individual shall also
pay an additional
:

(A)
$5 as part of the registration fee
.
; and
(B)
$0.25 as part of the registration fee.
(b)
(i)
Beginning on January 1, 2019, the
The
commission shall, on January 1,
annually adjust the registration fees described in Subsections
(1)(a)
, (1)(b),
(1)(c)(i), (1)(c)(ii), (1)(d)(i), (1)(e)(i), (1)(f)(i), (1)(g),
(1)(h)(ii), (1)(h)(iii),
(1)(j),
(2)(a),
(2)(b)(ii), (2)(b)(iii),
(3)(a), (4)(a), and (7), by taking the registration fee
rate for the previous year and adding an amount equal to the greater of:
(A)
(i)
an amount calculated by multiplying the registration fee of the previous year
by the actual percentage change during the previous fiscal year in the Consumer
Price Index; and
(B)
(ii)
0.
(ii)
Beginning on January 1, 2024, the commission shall, on January 1, annually
adjust the registration fees described in Subsections
(1)(h)(ii)
and
(iii)
and
(2)(b)(ii) and (iii) by taking the registration fee rate for the previous year and
adding an amount equal to the greater of:
(A)
an amount calculated by multiplying the registration fee of the previous year
by the actual percentage change during the previous fiscal year in the
Consumer Price Index; and
(B)
0.
(c)
The amounts calculated as described in Subsection
(3)(b)
shall be rounded up to the
nearest 25 cents.
(4)
(a)
The initial registration fee for a vintage vehicle that has a model year of 1982 or
older is $40.
(b)
A vintage vehicle that has a model year of 1982 or older is exempt from the renewal
of registration fees under Subsection
(1)
.
(c)
A vehicle with a Purple Heart special group license plate issued on or before
December 31, 2023, or issued in accordance with Part 16, Sponsored Special Group
License Plates, is exempt from the registration fees under Subsection
(1)
.
(d)
A camper is exempt from the registration fees under Subsection
(1)
.
(5)
If a motor vehicle is operated in combination with a semitrailer or trailer, each motor
vehicle shall register for the total gross laden weight of all units of the combination if the
total gross laden weight of the combination exceeds 14,000 pounds.
(6)
(a)
Registration fee categories under this section are based on the gross laden weight
declared in the licensee's application for registration.
(b)
Gross laden weight shall be computed in units of 2,000 pounds. A fractional part of
2,000 pounds is a full unit.
(7)
The owner of a trailer described in Section
41-1a-228
may, as an alternative to
registering under Subsection
(1)(c)
, apply for and obtain a special registration and
license plate, as provided in Section
41-1a-228
, for a fee of $130.
(8)
For a vehicle registered for a 24-month period as provided in Section
41-1a-215.5
, the
fee amounts are double the amounts due for a 12-month registration of the same vehicle.
(9)
Except as provided in Section
41-6a-1642
, a truck may not be registered as a farm truck
unless:
(a)
the truck meets the definition of a farm truck under Section
41-1a-102
; and
(b)
(i)
the truck has a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 14,000 pounds; or
(ii)
the truck has a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds or less and the owner
submits to the division a certificate of emissions inspection or a waiver in
compliance with Section
41-6a-1642
.
(10)
A violation of Subsection
(9)
is an infraction that shall be punished by a fine of not
less than $200.
(11)
A motor vehicle registered as a street-legal all-terrain vehicle is:
(a)
subject to the registration and other fees described in Section
41-22-9
; and
(b)
not required to pay an additional registration fee under this section.
(12)
Trucks used exclusively to pump cement, bore wells, or perform crane services with a
crane lift capacity of five or more tons, are exempt from 50% of the amount of the fees
required for those vehicles under this section.
Section 4. Section
41-1a-1603
is amended to read:
41-1a-1603
Effective
01/01/27
. Application requirements -- Fees --
Contributions -- Rulemaking.
(1)
An applicant for a sponsored special group license plate shall submit to the division:
(a)
in a form and manner that the division prescribes, a complete application;
(b)
payment of the fee for the issuance of the sponsored special group license plate
established under Subsection
(4)(a)(i)
;
(c)
the required contribution for the sponsored special group license plate, unless the
applicant previously paid the required contribution as part of a preorder application
described in Subsection
(3)
; and
(d)
if the sponsoring organization elects to require verification as described in Section
41-1a-1604
, a verification form obtained from the sponsoring organization.
(2)
An applicant who owns a vehicle with the sponsoring organization's sponsored special
group license plate shall submit to the division the required contribution to renew the
sponsored special group license plate.
(3)
(a)
An applicant who wishes to obtain a new type of sponsored special group license
plate may preorder the new type of sponsored special group license plate by:
(i)
submitting to the sponsoring organization associated with the new type of
sponsored special group license plate a complete preorder form created by the
division; and
(ii)
making the required contribution to the sponsoring organization.
(b)
After the division approves the sponsoring organization's request for the new type of
sponsored special group license plate under Section
41-1a-1604
, an applicant who
submitted a preorder in accordance with Subsection
(3)(a)
may apply for the
sponsored special group license plate in accordance with Subsection
(1)
.
(4)
(a)
The division shall, in accordance with Section
63J-1-504
, establish:
(i)
the fee to charge an applicant for the division's costs of issuing or renewing a
sponsored special group license plate or symbol decal;
(ii)
the fee to charge a sponsoring organization for the division's costs of designing
and administering a new type of sponsored special group license plate, in
accordance with Subsection
41-1a-1604(2)(c)
; and
(iii)
subject to Subsections
(4)(b)
and (6), in an amount equal to at least $25, the
minimum annual contribution amount an applicant is required to make to obtain or
renew the sponsoring organization's sponsored special group license plate.
(b)
A fee paid in accordance with Subsection
(4)(a)(i)
shall be deposited into the License
Plate Restricted Account created in Section
41-1a-122
.
(c)
A sponsoring organization may establish a required contribution amount for the
sponsoring organization's sponsored special group license plate that is greater than
the amount established by the division under Subsection
(4)(a)(ii)
.
(5)
An applicant's contribution is a voluntary contribution for funding the sponsoring
organization's activities and not a motor vehicle registration fee.
(6)
Beginning on
July 1, 2025
January 1, 2027
, an applicant's voluntary contribution
described in Subsection
(4)(a)(iii)
for the historical support special group license plate
described in Section
41-1a-419
is
$25
$50
which the division shall allocate as follows:
(a)
$2 to the Utah State Historical Society as the sponsoring organization; and
(a)
$5.50 into the Cultural and Community Engagement Foundation Fund created in
Section
9-1-209
;
(b)
$23 into the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005, created in Section
72-2-124
.
;
and
(c)
$21.50 into the Olympic and Paralympic Venues Grant Fund, created in Section
63G-28-302
.
(7)
For a fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025, only, the division shall transfer into the
General Fund $3,500,000 from the Sponsored Special Group License Plate Fund created
in Section
41-1a-1610
from funds generated by the historical support special group
license plate.
(8)
The division shall provide notice indicating the allocation of the voluntary
contributions described in Subsection
(6)
for the historical support special group license
plate as follows:
(a)
on or before July 1, 2025, on the division website; and
(b)
beginning on July 1, 2025, and until June 30, 2026, in any email notification of a
registrant's pending vehicle registration expiration described in Section
41-1a-203
.
(9)
(7)
An applicant for a historical support special group license plate for a vehicle that is
a vintage vehicle is not required to make the voluntary contribution to obtain the
historical support special group license plate.
(10)
(8)
In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
the commission may make rules to establish and administer the sponsored special group
license plate program.
Section 5.
FY 2027 Appropriations.
The following sums of money are appropriated for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
2026, and ending June 30, 2027. These are additions to amounts previously appropriated for
fiscal year 2027.
Subsection 5(a).
Operating and Capital Budgets
Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, the
Legislature appropriates the following sums of money from the funds or accounts indicated for
the use and support of the government of the state of Utah.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT
UTAH STATE TAX COMMISSION
ITEM 1
Utah State Tax Commission - County DMV Services
From Vehicle Registration Services Restricted Account
2,233,000
From Vehicle Registration Services Restricted Account,
One-time
(1,333,000)
County DMV Services
900,000
ITEM 2
Utah State Tax Commission - Tax Administration
From General Fund
1,300,000
Motor Vehicles
1,300,000
Section 6.
Effective Date.
(1)
Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect January 1, 2027.
(2)
The actions affecting Section 5, FY 2027 Appropriations (Effective 07/01/26) take
effect on July 1, 2026.
3-10-26 10:27 AM