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Committee approves bill to extend license plate replacement from 5 to 10 years to save costs
Summary
The committee gave House Bill 376 a favorable report after the sponsor said extending the required license‑plate replacement interval from five to ten years would cut state and county costs; sponsor and committee cited Shelby County postage estimates and a projected statewide savings.
Vice Chairman Representative Betzel presented House Bill 376, which would change Alabama's mandated license‑plate replacement interval from every five years to every ten years. "This is a cost cutting measure or cost saving measure, not only for the state of Alabama, but for our counties," Betzel said, presenting county postage and production estimates.
Betzel cited Shelby County estimates showing $148,000 in postage in 2026 and $361,000 in 2027 tied to plate mailings, and said the production cost per plate is about $1.82. He estimated roughly 600,000 plates issued statewide and said extending the replacement cycle to 10 years would produce an estimated savings of about $547,000.
Committee members supported the proposal without substantive amendment. The committee conducted a voice vote; the chair announced the bill "passes" following the voice vote.
Outcome: HB 376 received a favorable report from the State Government Committee by voice vote; the committee did not record a roll‑call tally.
