Committee advances bill allowing specialty license plates on multipurpose vehicles

The Transportation, Highways & Military Affairs Committee advanced Senate File 24, which would allow specialty license plates to be issued for multipurpose vehicles such as ATVs and side-by-sides, by a 9-0 roll call vote during the committee meeting.

Senator Barlow, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure responds to constituent requests and that current Wyoming law prohibits most specialty plates, with the exception of disabled veteran plates, from being placed on multipurpose vehicles. "I think you'll find this to be fairly straightforward, Bill," he said, and explained the statutory definition of a multipurpose vehicle (MPV) — a vehicle with at least four wheels, roughly 3,000 pounds or less, a saddle height of about 24 inches and an identifying number tied to registration or title.

The bill lists 13 types of specialty plates to be eligible for MPVs, Barlow said, including prisoner-of-war, Pearl Harbor veteran, Wyoming Army or Air Guard, Purple Heart, veteran discharge plates, the woman veteran decal, firefighter, University of Wyoming, EMT, Gold Star, bridal (tribal) plates for Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone, wildlife conservation and organ/tissue donor plates. "You can see the stricken language" in the draft that removes the prohibitions, Barlow said.

Taylor Rosetti, deputy director of YDOT, told the committee the Department of Transportation worked with the sponsor and believes implementation will not be difficult. "Senator Barlow did a really good job capturing the bill. We worked with him quite extensively to ensure that we captured as much of these as we think we did," Rosetti said. He said the department plans to use the same motorcycle-size plate blank already in use rather than create new plates and asked for a January 1 effective date to allow a full calendar year of registrations.

Committee members raised questions about future growth in the number of specialty plates and visibility for law enforcement. Representative Geringer asked whether the department foresees problems if more specialty plates are created; Rosetti said future additions could be handled as conforming changes and that the motorcycle-size plate has been a longstanding standard. Chairman Brown asked about visibility of a smaller plate when vehicles are traveling on interstate highways; Rosetti said MPVs are not allowed on interstates as motorcycles are and that YDOT would work with law enforcement on any visibility issues.

Public comment on the bill was opened and closed with no speakers. Representative Geringer moved to return the bill to the dais; Representative Banks seconded the motion. The roll call on Senate File 24 recorded nine ayes: Representative Banks (aye), Representative Geringer (aye), Representative Larson (aye), Representative McCann (aye), Representative Nicholas (aye), Representative Posey (aye), Representative Tarver (aye), Representative Wiley (aye) and Chairman Brown (aye). Donna, the clerk, recorded "9 aye." The motion passed.

The committee did not amend the bill during the meeting. YDOT said it expects to use existing plate stocks and the department requested a January 1 effective date to align with registration cycles. The bill now moves back to the dais as advanced by the committee.