PURPOSE: This rule establishes categories of specialized personalized license plates as well as the procedure for application for and issuance of the personalized license plates.

1. (1) For the purpose of this rule, “special license plates” shall include personalized, collegiate, helping schools and other special organizational license plates.
2. (2) Special license plates are Missouri license plates containing letters or numbers in the format requested by the applicant. The combination of letters and/or numbers may include one apostrophe (’) or one dash (—).

3. (3) All special personalized license plates are available in the following plate categories:

   1. (A) Passenger;
   2. (B) Recreational Vehicle;
   3. (C) Local 6;
   4. (D) Local 12;
   5. (E) Beyond Local 6;
   6. (F) Beyond Local 12;
   7. (G) Motorcycle/Motortricycle;
   8. (H) Local and Beyond Local 18— Professional Sports Team license plates only;
   9. (I) Shuttle Bus—regular personalized plates only;
   10. (J) Van Pool—regular personalized plates only; and
   11. (K) Historic—regular personalized plates only.
4. (4) No special license plate will be issued which will conflict with any license number used or to be used in the regular license plate numbering system.
5. (5) No two (2) owners shall be issued identical plates; and no plates shall be issued containing or suggesting any profane or obscene word or phrase.
6. (6) No refunds will be made on the unused portion of any license plates surrendered for special license plates.
7. (7) Special license plates are not assigned to a particular vehicle until the plates are actually issued to the owner of that vehicle by the Department of Revenue.
8. (8) Special license plates shall not be transferred from one (1) owner to another, except that the holder of a special plate may follow the procedures established by the director in order to display his/her special plate on a vehicle leased by the holder after approval by the director; and they shall not be transferred from one (1) vehicle category to another. This includes any request for transfer by gift, trust, will or judicial proceeding.
9. (9) The director of revenue shall reserve the right to approve or disapprove any request for special license plates or the transfer of license plates from one (1) vehicle to another in the same category.
10. (10) The month of expiration on all special license plates for motorcycles and motortricycles will be April of each year. Special license plates issued to the United States Congress, Missouri State Senate, Missouri House of Representatives and the following statewide elected officials: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and attorney general, which are issued in accordance with section 301.144, RSMo will expire in January of each year. The month of expiration on all other special license plates shall be staggered.
11. (11) Any person wanting to obtain special license plates must make original application for the plates on a form approved by the director of revenue and shall pay a fee of fifteen dollars ($15) in addition to the regular registration fees. If at the time of registration the applicant applies for a biennial registration, s/he must submit a second special/personalized license plate fee. Application forms will be available to the public at all branch offices, fee agent offices and the Central Office of the department.
12. (12) Each initial application for special license plates shall be on a form prescribed by the director and submitted to the Department of Revenue, P.O. Box 100, Jefferson City, MO 65105-0100. Each application shall be accompanied by a special license plate fee of fifteen dollars ($15), and a current emblem-use authorization statement in the case of collegiate license plates.
13. (13) If the applicant applies for a biennial registration at the time s/he picks up his/her special license plates, the applicant must submit a second emblem-use authorization statement indicating the minimum donation or the original emblem-use authorization statement indicating twice the annual minimum donation.
14. (14) An applicant may receive his/her special license plates by surrendering his/her regular registration plates and paying any additional fees due on a prorated basis or by not surrendering his/her plates and paying the full registration fee.
15. (15) Once an owner obtains special license plates s/he shall have first priority on those plates for each of the following years that s/he makes timely and appropriate reapplication (renewal) for those plates and pays the annual special plate fee of fifteen dollars ($15) or thirty dollars ($30) for a biennial registration and any personalized plate fee required by law, in addition to the regular registration fees. Applicants who renew collegiate license plates, helping schools and special organizational license plates must also submit a new emblem-use authorization statement. At the time of renewal, if the applicant elects a biennial registration, s/he must present an emblem-use statement that reflects at least twice the amount of the annual donation.
16. (16) Special license plates for which the Department of Revenue has not received a reapplication (renewal) will be held for sixty
17. (60) days from the date of expiration before being issued to a new applicant.

18. (17) Original applications for special license plates for motorcycles and motortricycles filed prior to January 1 of any calendar year shall be treated as applications for special license plates with an expiration month of the coming April. Original applications for special license plates for motorcycles and motortricycles filed after December 31 of any calendar year will be treated as applications for special license plates to be issued in the coming April with an expiration month of the next succeeding April.

    1. (A) Example One: Original application filed on December 31, 1999, will result in special license plates which expire in April of 2000.
    2. (B) Example Two: Original application filed on January 1, 2000, will result in special license plates issued in April of 2000 with an expiration month of April 2001.
19. (18) Original applications for special license plates issued to members of the United States Congress, Missouri State Senate, Missouri 12 CSR 10-23

House of Representatives and for the following statewide elected officials: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and attorney general, in accordance with section 301.144, RSMo, filed prior to October 1 of any calendar year shall be treated as applications for special license plates with an expiration month of the coming January, while applications filed after the last day of September of any calendar year will be treated as application for special license plates to be issued in the coming January with an expiration month of the next succeeding January.

1. (A) Example One: Original applications filed on September 30, 2000, will result in special personalized license plates which expire in January 2001.
2. (B) Example Two: Original applications filed on October 1, 2000, will result in special license plates issued in January of 2001with an expiration of January 2002.

1. (19) Reapplications (renewals) for special license plates shall be filed with the Department of Revenue prior to the last day of the month in which they expire.
2. (20) The director of revenue may recall any special license plate erroneously issued under this rule.

AUTHORITY: sections 301.144, 301.449 and 301.451, RSMo Supp. 1999.* Original rule filed Aug. 14, 1978, effective Nov. 13, 1978. Amended: Filed April 11, 1979, effective July 11, 1979. Emergency amendment filed Oct. 30, 1979, effective Nov. 9, 1979, expired Feb. 18, 1980. Amended: Filed Oct. 30, 1979, effective Feb. 11, 1980. Emergency amendment filed March 9, 1982, effective March 19, 1982, expired July 16, 1982. Amended: Filed May 20, 1982, effective Sept. 13, 1982. Amended: Filed Feb. 24, 1984, effective June 11, 1984. Amended: Filed Nov. 18, 1986, effective March 12, 1987. Amended: Filed July 17, 1989, effective Oct. 27, 1989. Amended: Filed Oct. 30, 1989, effective March 26, 1990. Emergency amendment filed Sept. 16, 1991, effective Sept. 26, 1991, expired Jan. 23, 1992. Amended: Filed Sept. 16, 1991, effective Jan. 13, 1992. Amended: Filed Sept. 1, 1995, effective Feb. 25, 1996. Amended: Filed Jan. 31, 2000, effective July 30, 2000. *Original authority 301.144, RSMo 1977, amended 1979, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1995; 301.449, RSMo 1989, 1995; and 301.451, RSMo 1991, amended 1993, 1995, 1997.