Amends existing law to provide that license plates do not automatically expire after 10 years and may continue to be used while still legible.

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 ACT1 RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES; AMENDING SECTION 49-443, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE2 PROVISIONS REGARDING THE EXPIRATION OF LICENSE PLATES AND TO MAKE TECH-3 NICAL CORRECTIONS; AMENDING SECTION 49-443B, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR4 THE VALIDITY OF CERTAIN LICENSE PLATES ON STATE VEHICLES AND VEHICLES5 BELONGING TO TAXING DISTRICTS; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING6 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 hereby9 amended to read as follows:10 49-443. LICENSE PLATES TO BE FURNISHED BY DEPARTMENT -- FORM AND11 CONTENTS. (1) The assessor or the department shall furnish to every owner12 whose vehicle is registered or licensed by that office, pursuant to sections13 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) restricted16 vehicle license plate for all-terrain vehicles, utility type vehicles and17 motorbikes licensed pursuant to this chapter; and two (2) license plates18 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 section20 49-428, Idaho Code. For vehicles registered under the provisions of section21 49-407, Idaho Code, the applicant shall provide one (1) plate to be displayed22 on the rear of the vehicle.23 (a) Commencing January 1, 1992, the color and design of the plates shall24 be comparable to the color and design of the statehood centennial issue25 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 face27 the inscriptions "Famous Potatoes" and "Scenic Idaho." The restricted28 vehicle license plate for all-terrain vehicles, utility type vehicles29 and motorbikes shall be a white background with black numerals and let-30 ters, with "Idaho Restricted Vehicle" and the year of its expiration on31 its face and no other inscription. The restricted vehicle license plate32 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 of36 section 49-402(1), Idaho Code, and the required letters and numerals,37 including an identification of the county in which the motor vehicle to38 which the plates will be affixed is registered, shall be of sufficient39 size to be plainly readable from a distance of seventy-five (75) feet40 during daylight, and each license plate and registration sticker shall41

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 plates5 will expire as long as they are readable and legible and comply with section6 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 a8 specialty license plate currently registered under the program may use such9 license plate for up to ten (10) years from the date of issuance as long as the10 license plate is readable and legible. This provision is intended to per-11 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 plates14 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 to16 commercial vehicles, and section 49-435, Idaho Code, the department shall17 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 its21 expiration, the related plate number shall be available for use by another22 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 regarding24 availability. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to vehi-25 cles registered under the provisions of section 49-402(1), Idaho Code, and26 section 49-434(1), Idaho Code, as it applies to noncommercial vehicles.27 (4) License plates issued for vehicles required to be registered in28 accordance with the provisions of sections 49-402 and 49-402A, Idaho Code,29 shall be issued color-coded red, white or blue registration validation30 stickers showing the year of registration. Each registration validation31 sticker shall bear a number from 1 through 12, which number shall correspond32 to the month of the calendar year in which the registration of the vehicle33 expires and shall be affixed to the lower right-hand corner of the plates34 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 the38 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 design40 change occurs, plates from the effective date of the design change shall be41 manufactured using the new design. Unexpired plates need not be reissued to42 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 also45 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 the48 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 pursuant50

3 to subsection (2) of this section and remain on the vehicle for which issued1 from year to year and need no renewal or validation sticker.2 (7) Whenever a vehicle is completely destroyed by fire or accident and3 the operator submits satisfactory proof of that destruction to the depart-4 ment or appropriate assessor's office, or the owner wishes to transfer the5 remaining registration, use increment and fees shall be transferred to the6 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 the10 registration card to every owner whose vehicle is registered under sections11 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 the14 lawful use of them by the owner.15 (10) The board may promulgate such rules as are necessary to implement16 the provisions of this section.17

SECTION 2. That Section 49-443B, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby18 amended to read as follows:19 49-443B. LICENSE PLATES FOR STATE VEHICLES AND VEHICLES BELONGING TO20 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 pursuant22 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 to24 another vehicle or until it is canceled by the department. The department25 shall be reimbursed by state agencies and the taxing districts for the cost26 of providing license plates. The department may develop rules to administer27 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 Designator32 Agency, entity, office, or plate type C33 School district or miscellaneous city or county agencies, entities or offices34 D35 Highway district F36 Fire district G37 Fish and game H38 Department of health and welfare ISP39 Idaho state police J40 Department of commerce or department of labor L41 Law enforcement

4 P1 City police R2 Department of parks and recreation SO3 Sheriff's office T4 Department of transportation X5 Miscellaneous state agencies, entities or offices Y6 Irrigation district Z7 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 hereby10 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after11 July 1, 2026.12