Proponent says Senate Bill 91 would modernize specialty plate program via private vendor contracting

Stephen Farrar, CEO and president of License Plates of Texas (doing business as MyPlates.com), testified in support of Senate Bill 91 at its second hearing, telling the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee the bill would permit the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to use a competitive process to contract with a private vendor to manage the specialty license plate program.

Farrar said the proposal would preserve BMV authority to approve designs while allowing a vendor to provide marketing, online sales platforms and customer service. He cited his company's work in Texas, saying MyPlates has delivered more than $220,000,000 in revenue to the state since inception and is on track to deliver $30,000,000 this year to the General Revenue Fund.

Farrar described the approach as "risk free" to the state because a private vendor would fund marketing and technology while the state would retain oversight of plate approval and manufacturing steps. He said the model could generate in-state jobs in customer care and IT operations while leaving core BMV duties unchanged.

Vice Chairman Chavez asked why more states had not adopted the model; Farrar said the Texas law enabling contracting dates to 2007 and that legislative action is required in each state. The committee concluded the second hearing; no vote was taken at this meeting.