Committee clears bill allowing specialty plates on multipurpose vehicles

The Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee approved Senate File 24, which removes statutory prohibitions preventing specialty license plates from being issued for multipurpose vehicles (MPVs) such as UTV side-by-sides and certain ATVs. Sponsor Senator Barlow said the bill stemmed from a constituent request to allow veteran plates for MPVs and that the change would also extend to other specialty plates, including Purple Heart, Pearl Harbor, tribal plates, firefighter and Gold Star family plates.

Debbie Lopez of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, which issues specialty plates, told the committee the department can manage low-volume issuance by using existing motorcycle-plate stock for MPVs and sending plates to counties for customer installation. Lopez recommended moving the bill’s effective date to Jan. 1, 2026 to ensure the interim motor-vehicle registration system is in place; the committee adopted that change.

Committee members asked about limitations on how many specialty plates a person may obtain for multiple vehicles and whether disabled-veteran exemptions attach to a single vehicle. Lopez and other speakers clarified that only the disabled-veteran free plate is limited; other specialty plates may be ordered for multiple vehicles. Public comment from a disabled veteran supported the expansion, noting MPVs are used for practical travel in rural areas.

After a brief discussion and the date amendment, the committee voted 5-0 to advance the bill. The Department of Transportation will need to code the new plate types in its registration system and coordinate with county treasurers for issuance.