Senator Cornaby Says Tax Commission Raised 7‑Digit Personalized Plate Fees Without Legislative Approval

Senator Cornaby raised a floor complaint during the July 18 special session that the Utah State Tax Commission had begun offering 7‑digit personalized license plates with an initial $50 fee and a $10 annual maintenance charge, while the statute prescribes $30 initial and $5 annual maintenance for personalized plates.

Cornaby said his staff had asked the commission to explain the source of the change and concluded the commission had included the higher fees in a long list of agency fees approved near the end of the last session by an appropriation subcommittee. "It was buried in those fees," Cornaby said, adding that the Administrative Rules Committee was not notified and that the action appeared to conflict with legislative intent. He warned constituents were calling and that the Senate should seek clarification and a return to the statutory $30/$5 structure if the increase was improper.

Other senators agreed the matter should remain with the Legislature rather than be set by an agency and supported a nonbinding "sense of the Senate" motion opposing the fee increase until it is statutorily changed and approved by the Legislature. The motion was adopted by voice vote.

The transcript does not cite a specific statute number; the secretary read the statutory amounts as $30 initial and $5 maintenance on the floor. The Senate did not impose a binding injunction but signaled intent to investigate and seek statutory clarification before any permanent change.