The bill amends Washington state law concerning special and personalized license plates, instituting a moratorium on the issuance of new special plates until January 1, 2029, with exceptions for those created under this act. It mandates the Department of Licensing to review applications from sponsoring organizations and to prominently display the moratorium on its website. A special license work group is established to conduct a comprehensive review of the current provisions, enhancing oversight and accountability, and is required to report updates and recommendations to the joint transportation committee, culminating in a final report by January 1, 2028. The bill also introduces several new special license plates, including "Donate Life," "Firefighter Memorial," and "Keep Washington Evergreen," while modifying existing fees and descriptions to align with state goals.

Additionally, the bill specifies that applicants for special license plates for professional and volunteer firefighters must provide proof of eligibility, with volunteer firefighters required to have served at least 10 years to retain their plates. It outlines conditions for surrendering these plates if a firefighter leaves service or is convicted of certain offenses. The bill also details the allocation of funds from special license plate fees to various causes, including support for 4-H programs and organ donation awareness, while establishing a veterans stewardship account funded by the sale of armed forces plates. New license plate designs promoting environmental awareness and state pride are introduced, and fees for personalized plates are increased to $52 for both initial and renewal applications. The bill is set to take effect on November 1, 2025, and repeals a previous section related to a sports mentoring program.

Statutes affected:
Substitute Bill: 46.18.060, 44.04.300, 77.32.560, 46.17.210
Bill as Passed Legislature: 46.18.060, 44.04.300, 77.32.560, 46.17.210, 43.388.040
Session Law: 46.18.060, 44.04.300, 77.32.560, 46.17.210, 43.388.040