Committee hears public support for expanded special license plates, staff outlines fees and rollout

A public hearing on Substitute Senate Bill 5444, which would change how Washington issues special and personalized license plates, opened before the Washington State House Transportation Committee. Chair Fye convened the session and Vice Chair Reid closed public testimony after a series of in-person and remote witnesses.

Sandy Myers, staff to the committee, summarized the bill’s core provisions. “Substitute Senate Bill 5444 concerns special license plates and personalized license plates,” Myers said, describing the Department of Licensing’s current application method, the 3,500-signature requirement for sponsor-driven plates, and startup and administrative fees. She said the bill would prohibit the department from issuing or accepting applications for new legislatively created special plates until Jan. 1, 2029, require the department to prominently display a special license plate moratorium on its website, and create a Special License Plate Work Group to conduct a comprehensive review by Oct. 1, 2025.

Myers outlined fees the bill would set: a $40 charge for original issuance of a special plate and $30 for renewals, and an increase of the personalized-plate renewal fee from $42 to $52. She also listed plates the bill would phase in by Nov. 1, 2025—including Mount St. Helens, Smokey Bear, a Historical Throwback plate and specialty plates for honeybees and pollinators—and said six additional plates (Donate Life; a firefighter memorial; Nautical Northwest; a U.S. Naval Academy plate; a Seattle Rain plate; and a Working Forests plate) would be implemented only after sponsors submit 3,500 signatures.

Myers presented fiscal and staffing estimates included in the bill packet. She said the revenue tied to the $10 renewal increase for personalized plates is estimated to generate about $1.44 million in the 2025–27 biennium, $1.75 million in 2027–29 and $1.76 million in 2029–31. Revenue projections for the new Historical Throwback plate were listed as approximately $9 million–$9.3 million in fiscal 2026 and $7.8 million in fiscal 2027, with ongoing average receipts of roughly $8 million per year based on experience in other states. The Department of Licensing’s implementation estimate included about 16.6 full-time-equivalent staff and roughly $7.0 million in one-time and biennial costs to set up plates, mailing and processing. Myers also noted the Department of Licensing must first recover start-up costs before proceeds flow to sponsoring organizations.

Public testimony was uniformly supportive. Amber Carter, representing the Seattle Mariners, asked the committee to direct Mariners plate proceeds to the Mariner Care Foundation as a corrective action. “We are here asking for the house help to correct that situation and help redirect the Seattle Mariners plates towards the Mariner Care Foundation,” Carter said. Several students from Lake Washington High School—Rosie Yang, Noga Kidani Abada and Ali Yang—testified in favor, describing how specialty plates raise awareness and fund community programs; Rosie Yang said, “When I see special plates on the road, I get an understanding for the causes that driver[s] support.” Ali Yang said proceeds from the historical throwback plate would help driver education statewide.

Committee members asked clarifying questions. Representative Steebe asked whether existing personalized-plate fees already paid by current registrants would change; Myers answered that they would not.

The committee closed the public hearing on Substitute Senate Bill 5444 and proceeded to the next bill on the agenda. No formal committee votes or amendments on SSB 5444 were recorded during this hearing.

The transcript records the technical details, sponsor-implementation sequencing and the DOL work group deadline described above; further fiscal details are in the bill packet and fiscal note referenced by committee staff.