Authorize private vendor contract for specialty license plates
Legislative Analysis Report Authorize private vendor contract for specialty license plates
1. Primary Purpose of the Bill
This bill allows the Ohio Registrar of Motor Vehicles to hire a private company to design and market specialty license plates. While the private company will handle the design and marketing, the state will still be responsible for issuing the plates and collecting the associated taxes and fees.
TransportationGovernment Operations
2. Changes to Existing Law
ORC Sec. 4503.261 Establishes a specialty license plate program run by a private vendor chosen through a competitive bidding process. The vendor will design and market the plates, while the state continues to issue them and collect fees.
ORC Sec. 4503.262 Creates the public safety license plate contract fund in the state treasury to collect vendor fees and pay the private company for its services.
ORC Sec. 5502.68 Directs specialty license plate contributions to the state's drug law enforcement fund, which helps fund local drug task forces.
ORC Sec. 4503.19 Requires vehicle owners to pay the new specialty license plate fees and contributions when registering a vehicle or getting replacement plates.
3. Key Information for Citizens
🗳️ What You Need to Know
- Ohio will contract with a private company to design and market specialty license plates.
- The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will still handle the actual distribution of plates and collection of taxes.
- The state Controlling Board has the final say on approving or rejecting any new specialty plate designs.
- Purchasing these specialty plates will require paying extra fees to cover BMV costs, vendor costs, and a contribution to the state's Drug Law Enforcement Fund.
4. Entities Affected
- Ohio vehicle owners and lessees
- Private marketing and design vendors
- Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)
- Ohio Controlling Board
- Local drug task forces
5. Regulatory Impact & Enforcement
Agency Authority: The Registrar of Motor Vehicles is authorized to select and contract with a private vendor and adopt rules for the program. The Ohio Controlling Board is granted final authority to approve or disapprove all specialty license plate designs.
Penalties & Mandates: Not applicable
Implementation Timeline: The selected private vendor must begin designing and marketing specialty license plates nine months after the bill's effective date.
6. Estimated Fiscal Impact
State Revenue Impact
Not specified. The bill establishes new fees for program administration and vendor compensation, as well as contributions to the Drug Law Enforcement Fund, but does not estimate total revenue.
Local Government Impact
Not applicable. Local drug task forces may receive additional grant funding from the Drug Law Enforcement Fund, but no direct local government cost or revenue changes are specified.
Implementation Costs
Not specified. Administrative costs for the BMV are intended to be offset by a new administrative fee.
Net Annual Fiscal Effect
Not applicable
Policy doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Meet the representatives and senators who introduced this bill and are pushing it through the chamber. Click on any sponsor to see their district, party affiliation, and what other legislation they’ve championed this session.
Primary Sponsors
Kevin D. Miller
District
69
Chamber
House of Representatives
Party
Republican
Haraz N. Ghanbari
District
75
Chamber
House of Representatives
Party
Republican
Co-Sponsors
Related Topics
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Taxation & Finance
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Criminal Justice
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Transportation
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Local Government
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Technology & Cybersecurity
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Status Changes
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Governor |
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Referred to committee
Feb 12 2025
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Documents
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