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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill amends provisions related to the Motor Vehicle Division's authority to deny a
10 personalized license plate request.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 ▸ allows the Motor Vehicle Division to refuse to issue a license plate if the Motor
14 Vehicle Division determines that the combination of letters and numbers disparages
15 a group of people based on certain protected classes; and
16 ▸ prohibits the Motor Vehicle Division from denying a personalized license plate
17 request if the requested letters, numbers, or combination of both refer to an official
18 state symbol.
19 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20 None
21 Other Special Clauses:
22 None
23 Utah Code Sections Affected:
24 AMENDS:
25 41-1a-411, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2016, Chapter 49
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27 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28 Section 1. Section 41-1a-411 is amended to read:
29 41-1a-411. Application for personalized plates -- Refusal authorized.
30 (1) An applicant for personalized license plates or renewal of the plates shall file an
31 application for the plates in the form and by the date the division requires, indicating the
32 combination of letters, numbers, or both requested as a registration number.
33 (2) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (3), the division may refuse to issue any
34 combination of letters, numbers, or both that:
35 (i) may carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency or that would be
36 misleading[
37 (ii) disparages a group based on:
38 (A) race;
39 (B) color;
40 (C) national origin;
41 (D) religion;
42 (E) age;
43 (F) sex;
44 (G) gender identity;
45 (H) sexual orientation;
46 (I) citizenship status; or
47 (J) physical or mental disability.
48 (b) The division may refuse to issue a combination of letters, numbers, or both as a
49 registration number if that same combination is already in use as a registration number on an
50 existing license plate.
51 (3) (a) Except as provided in Subsection [
52 refuse a combination of letters, numbers, or both as a registration number if:
53 (i) the license plate is an honor special group license plate as described in Section
54 41-1a-421[
55 (A) a year related to military service;
56 (B) a military branch; or
57 (C) an official achievement, badge, or honor received for military service[
58 (ii) the combination of letters, numbers, or both as a registration number refers to an
59 official state symbol described in Section 63G-1-601.
60 (b) If an applicant requests a combination containing only numbers, the division may
61 refuse the combination if the combination includes less than four numerical digits.