(a) Purpose and Scope. Transportation Code, Chapters 504, 551, and 551A charge the department with providing specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, and other devices. For the department to perform these duties efficiently and effectively, this section prescribes the policies and procedures for the application, issuance, and renewal of specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, and other devices, through the county tax assessor-collectors, and establishes application fees, expiration dates, and registration periods for certain specialty license plates. This section does not apply to military license plates except as provided by §217.43 of this title (relating to Military Specialty License Plates).
(b) Initial application for specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices.
  (1) Application Process.
    (A) Procedure. An owner of a vehicle registered as specified in this subchapter who wishes to apply for a specialty license plate, symbol, tab, or other device must do so on a form prescribed by the director.
    (B) Form requirements. The application form shall at a minimum require the name and complete address of the applicant.
  (2) Fees and Documentation.
    (A) The application must be accompanied by the prescribed registration fee, unless exempted by statute.
    (B) The application must be accompanied by the statutorily prescribed specialty license plate fee. If a registration period is greater than 12 months, the expiration date of a specialty license plate, symbol, tab, or other device will be aligned with the registration period and the specialty plate fee will be adjusted to yield the appropriate fee. If the statutory annual fee for a specialty license plate is $5 or less, it will not be prorated.
    (C) Specialty license plate fees will not be refunded after an application is submitted and the department has approved issuance of the license plate.
    (D) The application must be accompanied by prescribed local fees or other fees that are collected in conjunction with registering a vehicle, with the exception of vehicles bearing license plates that are exempt by statute from these fees.
    (E) The application must include evidence of eligibility for any specialty license plates. The evidence of eligibility may include, but is not limited to:
      (i) an official document issued by a governmental entity; or
      (ii) a letter issued by a governmental entity on that agency's letterhead.
    (F) Initial applications for license plates for display on Exhibition Vehicles must include a photograph of the completed vehicle.
  (3) Place of application. Applications for specialty license plates may be made directly to the county tax assessor-collector of the county in which the owner resides or a county tax assessor-collector who is willing to accept the application, except that applications for the following license plates must be made directly to the department:
    (A) County Judge;
    (B) Federal Administrative Law Judge;
    (C) State Judge;
    (D) State Official;
    (E) U.S. Congress--House;
    (F) U.S. Congress--Senate; and
    (G) U.S. Judge.
  (4) Gift plates.
    (A) A person may purchase general distribution specialty license plates as a gift for another person if the purchaser submits an application for the specialty license plates that provides:
      (i) the name and address of the person who will receive the plates; and
      (ii) the vehicle identification number of the vehicle on which the plates will be displayed.
    (B) To be valid for use on a motor vehicle, the recipient of the plates must file an application with the county tax assessor-collector and pay the statutorily required registration fees in the amount as provided by Transportation Code, Chapter 502 and this subchapter.
(c) Initial issuance of specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices.
  (1) Issuance. On receipt of a completed initial application for registration, accompanied by the prescribed documentation and fees, the department will issue specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices to be displayed on the vehicle for which the license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices were issued for the current registration period. If the vehicle for which the specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices are issued is currently registered, the owner must surrender the license plates currently displayed on the vehicle, along with the corresponding license receipt, before the specialty license plates may be issued.
  (2) Classic Motor Vehicles, Classic Travel Trailers, Custom Vehicles, Street Rods, and Exhibition Vehicles.
    (A) License plates. Texas license plates that were issued the same year as the model year of a Classic Motor Vehicle, Travel Trailer, Street Rod, or Exhibition Vehicle may be displayed on that vehicle under Transportation Code, §504.501 and §504.502, unless:
      (i) the license plate's original use was restricted by statute to another vehicle type;
      (ii) the license plate is a qualifying plate type that originally required the owner to meet one or more eligibility requirements, except for a plate issued under Transportation Code, §504.202; or
      (iii) the alpha numeric pattern is already in use on another vehicle.
    (B) Validation stickers and tabs. The department will issue validation stickers and tabs for display on license plates that are displayed as provided by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
  (3) Number of plates issued.
    (A) Two plates. Unless otherwise listed in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, two specialty license plates, each bearing the same license plate number, will be issued per vehicle.
    (B) One plate. One license plate will be issued per vehicle for all motorcycles and for the following specialty license plates:
      (i) Antique Vehicle (includes Antique Auto, Antique Truck, Antique Motorcycle, and Antique Bus);
      (ii) Classic Travel Trailer;
      (iii) Rental Trailer;
      (iv) Travel Trailer;
      (v) Cotton Vehicle;
      (vi) Disaster Relief;
      (vii) Forestry Vehicle;
      (viii) Golf Cart;
      (ix) Log Loader;
      (x) Military Vehicle;
      (xi) Package Delivery Vehicle;
      (xii) Fertilizer; and
      (xiii) Off-highway Vehicle.
    (C) Registration number. The identification number assigned by the military may be approved as the registration number instead of displaying Military Vehicle license plates on a former military vehicle.
  (4) Assignment of plates.
    (A) Title holder. Unless otherwise exempted by law or this section, the vehicle on which specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices is to be displayed shall be titled in the name of the person to whom the specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices is assigned, or a title application shall be filed in that person's name at the time the specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices are issued.
    (B) Non-owner vehicle. If the vehicle is titled in a name other than that of the applicant, the applicant must provide evidence of having the legal right of possession and control of the vehicle.
    (C) Leased vehicle. In the case of a leased vehicle, the applicant must provide a copy of the lease agreement verifying that the applicant currently leases the vehicle.
  (5) Classification of neighborhood electric vehicles. The registration classification of a neighborhood electric vehicle, as defined by §217.3(3) of this title (relating to Motor Vehicle Titles) will be determined by whether it is designed as a 4-wheeled truck or a 4-wheeled passenger vehicle.
  (6) Number of vehicles. An owner may obtain specialty license plates, symbols, tabs, or other devices for an unlimited number of vehicles, unless the statute limits the number of vehicles for which the specialty license plate may be issued.
  (7) Personalized plate numbers.
    (A) Issuance. The department will issue a personalized license plate number subject to the exceptions set forth in this paragraph.
    (B) Character limit. A personalized license plate number may contain no more than six alpha or numeric characters or a combination of characters. Depending upon the specialty license plate design and vehicle class, the number of characters may vary. Spaces, hyphens, periods, hearts, stars, the International Symbol of Access, or silhouettes of the state of Texas may be used in conjunction with the license plate number.
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