BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1658
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1658 (Gatto)
As Amended April 11, 2012
Majority vote
TRANSPORTATION 14-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Bonnie Lowenthal, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Jeffries, Achadjian, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Blumenfield, Bonilla, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Buchanan, Eng, Furutani, | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| |Galgiani, Logue, Miller, | |Ammiano, Hill, Lara, |
| |Norby, Portantino, | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| |Solorio | |Solorio, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes a California Legacy License Plate Program.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to establish a
California Legacy License Plate Program and create and issue a
series of specialized license plates known as California
Legacy License Plates that replicate the look of California
license plates from the state's past.
2)Requires the plates' designs to be identical to a regular
license plate to the extent feasible, except for consisting of
one or more of the following designs:
a) Yellow background with black lettering per the
appearance of California license plates issued by DMV in
the 1950s;
b) Black background with yellow lettering per the
appearance of California license plates issued by DMV in
the 1960s; and,
c) Blue background with yellow lettering per the appearance
of California license plates issued by DMV in the 1980s.
1)Levies for these plates, in addition to the regular fees for
an original registration or renewal of registration, a fee of
$50 for the original issuance of the plates, $40 for
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registration renewal, $15 for transfer of the plates to
another vehicle, and $35 for each substitute replacement
plate.
2)Prohibits DMV from issuing a California Legacy License Plate
for a vehicle that is exempt from the payment of registration
fees.
3)Prohibits DMV from establishing the California Legacy License
Plate Program until it has received not less than 7,500 paid
applications for plates.
4)Requires DMV to collect and hold applications for the plates
and to issue them after it has received not less than 7,500
paid applications for the particular plates by January 1,
2014. If, after that date, 7,500 paid applications have not
been received, DMV must immediately refund to all applicants
all fees or deposits that have been collected.
5)Makes moneys available, upon appropriation by the Legislature,
to DMV for the necessary administrative costs of establishing
the California Legacy License Plate Program upon determination
by DMV that there are sufficient funds for the program.
6)Requires DMV, after deducting its administrative costs, to
deposit any additional revenue derived from the issuance,
renewal, transfer, and substitution of the specialized license
plates into the California Environmental License Plate (ELP)
Fund, for appropriation by the Legislature pursuant to
existing law.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Allows a state agency to apply to DMV to sponsor a specialized
license plate program that DMV may not establish until it has
received at least 7,500 applications for that agency's
proposed plates. A sponsoring agency is allowed 12 months,
following the date of approval of its initial application to
sponsor a specialized license plate, to receive the required
number of applications.
2)Allows an owner of a vehicle that is a 1969 or older
model-year vehicle or the owner of a commercial vehicle or a
pickup truck that is a 1972 or older model-year to utilize
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California license plates from the year corresponding to the
model-year date when the vehicle was manufactured, if the
model-year date license plate is legible and serviceable, as
determined by DMV, in lieu of the license plates that would
otherwise be required.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, there will be:
1)Potential one-time costs of approximately $385,000 to DMV to
establish the Legacy License Plate Program, including computer
programming changes and updating of forms. DMV will make
computer programming and form changes only after Legacy
License Plate Program applications surpass the 7,500
application threshold. Therefore, DMV will incur these costs
only if it receives enough applications to require it to
implement the program.
2)Minor, absorbable one-time costs to DMV in 2012-13 and 2013-14
to administer the application process and, should the
department fail to receive 7,500 applications within the
timeframe, to issue refunds.
3)Potential annual costs of approximately $15,000 to DMV to
administer program.
4)Potential annual revenue of an unknown amount, but sufficient
to cover DMV's one-time and ongoing costs, assuming the
program receives more than 7,500 applications for retro
plates.
5)Potential ongoing annual revenue of an unknown, but minor
amount, to the ELP Fund.
COMMENTS : According to the author, this bill is intended to
recreate license plates "that replicate the look of plates from
the state's past. It seeks to mirror the retro trend in the
auto industry where companies have produced autos that pay
homage to vehicle designs of the past, as well as companies that
have revived old models that feature modern takes on vintage
designs."
This bill would require DMV, upon receiving at least 7,500 paid
applications, to produce and issue new license plates that allow
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consumers to choosing from classic designs from the 1950s/1960s
(black lettering on yellow background or yellow lettering on
black background) and 1970s/1980s (yellow lettering on blue
background).
The author adds, "In addition to giving consumers new options on
what sort of license plate to use on their vehicles, it would
provide classic car collectors a risk-free way to acquire plates
that match the vintage of their vehicles. Currently, classic
car owners can 'revive' old plates that match the vintage of
their vehicle. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous sellers of
these 'vintage' license plates who pass off counterfeit
reproductions as genuine 'vintage' plates. The Legacy License
Plate Series would let collectors an opportunity, if they
choose, to put plates on their vehicles that match the era of
their vehicle without fear of being sold fake plates."
Analysis Prepared by : Howard Posner / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0003827