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25LSO-0678
2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0678
Numbered
2.0
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0237
License plate issuance.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Wylie, Andrew, Brown, L, Clouston, Filer, Geringer, Larsen, L, Larson, JT, Lawley, Neiman, Tarver, Thayer and Williams and Senator(s) Crum, Jones, Landen and McKeown
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; requiring license plates to be issued by the department of transportation; clarifying the number of license plates to be provided; removing the requirement that license plates be replaced after a specified time; making conforming amendments; requiring rulemaking; and providing for effective dates.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1.
W.S. 31
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204(a), (b) and (f), 31
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213(b) and (h)(viii), 31
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215(c), 31
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216(a), 31
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217(a), (j) and (m), 31
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218(b), 31
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220(b), 31
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222, 31
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223(c), 31
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229(d), 31
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230(c), 31
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231(c) and 31
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232(c) are amended to read:
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204.
Issuance of certificates of registration and license plates by county; form.
(a)
Upon receipt of an approved application and payment of fees the county treasurer shall issue to the applicant a certificate of registration conforming with the facts set forth in the application
together with
and not later than thirty (30) days after the application is approved the department shall issue
one (1) license plate or validation sticker
for motorcycles, multipurpose vehicles, trailers, including house trailers, and vehicles operated with dealer license plates and
to the applicant if the vehicle being registered does not have a front plate bracket or
two (2) license plates or proper validation stickers
for any other vehicle
to the applicant if a front plate bracket is present on the vehicle being registered as indicated on the application
.
A physical or electronic copy of the certificate of registration shall be carried at all times in the motor vehicle for which it is valid and shall be displayed upon demand of any peace officer. A certificate of registration issued by a county treasurer may be provided in electronic form.
(b)
Except as otherwise provided, license plates shall be of metal not less than twelve (12) inches long in the left
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hand end of which shall be arabic numerals for the county in which issued, followed by the bucking horse and rider emblem and a distinctive number assigned to the vehicle, set forth in numerals and letters as determined by the department and above or underneath such numerals shall be the word "Wyoming" and arabic numerals for the year of issue or validation. License plates issued to dealers and for state or federal official forestry vehicles, motorcycles, multipurpose vehicles and trailers shall contain appropriate identification which may be in lieu of the bucking horse and rider emblem. After the county number on the left
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hand end, the license plate may also contain a distinctive symbol or letters, as determined by the department, indicating vehicle type.
License plates shall be changed or validated annually. There shall be a marked contrast between the color of the plate and that of the numerals and letters and the background of all plates shall be fully reflectorized. Plates for light utility trailers under one thousand (1,000) pounds, motorcycles and multipurpose vehicles shall not be less than three (3) inches wide and six (6) inches long. Antique license plates shall bear no date and shall bear the inscription "Pioneer Wyo". Distinctive license farm stickers shall be issued by the
county treasurer
department
upon request for trucks and trailers used by any farmer or rancher for the transportation of livestock, feed or unprocessed agricultural products owned and produced by the farmer or rancher from the place of production to market and of ranch supplies intended solely for the use of the farmer or rancher, and not for sale, on the return trip, and not for the transportation of goods and persons for hire.
Farm stickers shall bear the inscription "Farm".
(f)
Any person may apply for one (1) set of decals for breast cancer awareness for any license plate issued under this article. A decal supporting breast cancer awareness shall bear the breast cancer ribbon symbol and shall be attached in the lower left corner of the license plate without obscuring any other symbols, letters or numbers on the license plate. Application forms shall be available at all county treasurer's offices. Each applicant for a decal under this subsection shall submit an administration fee with the application. The fee shall be in an amount determined by the department to be sufficient to recover reasonable administrative costs of the decal, but not more than five dollars ($5.00) per set of decals for any one (1) vehicle. Upon completion of the application, receipt of the administration fee and issuance or renewal of a license plate under this article, the
county treasurer
department
shall issue to the applicant the number of decals corresponding to the number of license plates issued or renewed. Decals issued under this subsection shall not be required to be renewed upon renewal of a license plate. The replacement fee for a decal under this subsection shall be the same as for the original decal.
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213.
Department to supply registration certificates, plates and stickers; removable windshield placards.
(b)
The department may issue license plates, except permanent, dealer and antique motor vehicle license plates, which shall be valid
,
for not more than eight (8) years
if annual validation stickers are attached in the upper left corner of the license plate with the month and year of expiration clearly visible
, until the numbers or letters on the plate are no longer readable or recognizable by a peace officer as defined by W.S. 7
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101. If a license plate has been determined to be unreadable or unrecognizable, a person shall apply to the department for a replacement license plate in a manner and on a form prescribed by the department. The department shall establish a fee for a replacement license plate under this subsection
. Department authorized license plates and annual stickers shall be of colors that are readily distinguishable from the previous year.
(h)
Effective January 1, 1993, any person eligible for a special placard under subsection (c) of this section may apply to the county treasurer for special license plates for a motor vehicle owned by that person. Special license plates shall not be issued to any person who is eligible only for a temporary removable windshield placard under subsection (g) of this section. Special plates issued under this subsection are subject to the following:
(viii)
The
county treasurer
department
shall issue a set of plates for each vehicle and a special license plate for each motorcycle or multipurpose vehicle registered to a qualified applicant under this subsection upon payment of required fees.
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215.
Disabled veteran's license plates.
(c)
The
county treasurer
department
shall only issue one (1) pair of license plates annually that are exempt as provided by W.S. 31
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101(b)(xv) to each applicant under this section.
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216.
Special plates; former prisoners of war.
(a)
The
county treasurer
department
shall issue one (1) set of special license plates for either a passenger car, truck or motor home owned or leased by a former prisoner of war in accordance with this section for the year 1988 and thereafter.
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217.
Special plates; Pearl Harbor survivors; national guard members; armed forces veterans; purple heart recipients; women armed forces veteran decals.
(a)
The
county treasurer
department
shall issue one (1) set of special license plates to each applicant for either a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, handicapped motorcycle or motor home owned or leased by a survivor of Pearl Harbor, a member of the Wyoming army or air national guard, a purple heart recipient or honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces and, if applied for and eligible, one (1) set of decals designating the person is an honorably discharged woman veteran of the United States armed forces in accordance with this section. These license plates shall be displayed upon the vehicle for which they are issued. A decal designating the person is an honorably discharged woman veteran shall be attached in the lower left corner of a license plate issued under this section.
(j)
Each applicant for an armed forces special license plate shall submit an application fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) upon which the Wyoming veteran's commission shall issue a written statement establishing the applicant's eligibility to receive an armed forces license plate from the
county treasurer
department
. Fees collected under this subsection shall be deposited into the veterans' commission expendable trust fund. Application for and any renewal of an armed forces special license plate shall be subject to the requirements of this article and the payment of the fee required by W.S. 31
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102(a)(viii).
(m)
The decal designating a woman veteran of the United States armed forces shall bear a distinctive symbol or letters identifying the registrant as an honorably discharged woman veteran of the United States armed forces. Each applicant for a decal under this subsection shall submit an administration fee with the application. The fee shall be in an amount determined by the department to be sufficient to recover reasonable administrative costs of the decal, but not more than five dollars ($5.00) per set of decals for any one (1) vehicle. Upon completion of the application, receipt of the administration fee, determination of eligibility and issuance or renewal of special license plates under this section, the
county treasurer
department
shall issue to the applicant the number of decals corresponding to the number of license plates issued or renewed under this section to be attached to the license plates issued or renewed under this section. The replacement fee for a decal under this subsection shall be the same as for the original decal.
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218.
Firefighter's license plates.
(b)
Application for license plates under subsection (a) of this section shall be annually made to the county treasurer as provided by this article. The written statement of eligibility required under subsection (a) of this section shall be presented to the county treasurer before a license plate may be issued
by the department
, provided that the written statement shall only be required for a retired firefighter at the time of first application and shall not be required for renewals or subsequent applications by the same retired firefighter. Application forms shall be available at all county treasurer's offices. The fee required under W.S. 31
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102(a)(viii) shall accompany each application.
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220.
Emergency medical technician's license plates.
(b)
Application for license plates under subsection (a) of this section shall be annually made to the county treasurer as provided by this article. A written statement of eligibility, accompanied by a copy of the applicant's current emergency medical technician certification, shall be presented to the county treasurer before a license plate or renewal sticker may be issued
by the department
. Application forms shall be available at all county treasurer's offices. The normal registration fees and the fee required under W.S. 31
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102(a)(viii) shall accompany each application. A person issued distinctive license plates pursuant to this section who is no longer a certified emergency medical technician shall apply for regular license plates pursuant to this article before registration of the vehicle expires.
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222.
Radio amateur license plates.
A resident who is the owner of a motor vehicle that is not a commercial vehicle or multipurpose vehicle and who is licensed by the federal communications commission to engage in private and experimental two
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way radio operation and holding a bona fide novice class license or higher may apply to the department for radio amateur license plates for one (1) passenger car and one (1) pickup truck only whereby the distinctive license plate number assigned to the motor vehicles shall consist of the figures and letters that make up the call sign of the radio amateur as issued by the federal communications commission. Upon payment of the
regular registration fees and the
additional radio amateur license plate fee the department shall furnish radio amateur license plates of such size and design as prescribed by the department to
the county treasurer of the county in which the approved applicant resides. The county treasurer shall issue the plates to
the applicant
.
upon payment of the regular registration fees.
A request for renewal of the registration for the radio amateur license plate may be made to a county treasurer for issuance of a renewal registration and validation sticker. The department may promulgate rules and regulations as provided by the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this section.
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223.
Antique motor vehicles.
(c)
Upon receipt of an approved application and payment of fees the vehicle shall be registered and license plates
shall be
issued
therefor
by the department
. The registration expires upon transfer of ownership of the vehicle. Notwithstanding W.S. 31
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205(a)(i)(A), a license plate shall only be required to be displayed on the rear of those antique motor vehicles that were originally manufactured to have one (1) license plate.
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229.
Special plates; gold star.
(d)
The department shall prescribe the design of the gold star license plate authorized by this section in consultation with the Wyoming veteran's commission and shall arrange for production of the license plates.
Following initial approval, the gold star license plates shall be subject to redesign on the same schedule as all license plates beginning with the year 2017 reissuance.
The license plates shall be issued by the
county treasurer of each county
department
.
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230.
Tribal license plates.
(c)
The department shall arrange for production of the license plates authorized by this section. The
county treasurer of each county
department
shall issue the license plates.
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231.
Wildlife conservation license plates; wildlife conservation account; authority to receive and expend monies.
(c)
Applicants shall apply at least thirty (30) days before registration is required for the vehicle for which the plates are intended. Except as provided in this section, application for, issuance and renewal of the wildlife conservation license plates under this section shall be subject to the same requirements and fees as provided in this article in addition to the fee collected under subsection (a) of this section. The license plate fees required under W.S. 31
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102(a)(viii) shall accompany each application. The license plates under this section shall be issued by the
county treasurer of each county
department
and shall be displayed only upon the vehicle for which they are issued.
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232.
Specified off
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road vehicle licensing and registration.
(c)
Upon receipt of an approved application and payment of fees the
county treasurer
department
shall issue to the applicant a certificate of registration together with one (1) license plate or validation sticker. The registration fee for off
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road recreational vehicles shall be the same rate as for motorcycles. The registration expires annually in accordance with W.S. 31
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206(a) and upon transfer of ownership of the vehicle. License plates on the off
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road recreational vehicle shall be displayed in accordance with W.S. 31
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205.
Section 2
.
The department of transportation shall adopt rules necessary to implement this act not later than January 1, 2027.
Section 3
.
(a)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.
(b)
Section 1 of this act is effective January 1, 2027
.
(END)
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HB0237