Section 134.06. Authorized special group license plate sales.

 

(1)   Individual plate applications.

(a) Special group plates are available for automobiles, station wagons, motor homes, motor trucks of 8,000 pounds or less, dual purpose motor homes or dual purpose farm trucks of 8,000 pounds or less, or farm trucks of 12,000 pounds or less. Special group plates may not be issued for motorcycles.

(b) License plates under this program are available only for vehicles registered for highway operation.

(c) Special group plates may not be combined with special plates for the disabled under s. 341.14 (1) , (1a) , (1m) , or (1q) , Stats., and therefore, vehicles displaying special group plates are not entitled to special parking privileges unless displaying a disabled parking identification card issued under s. 343.51 , Stats.

(d) If the authorized special group applies to have restricted license plates, all of the following shall apply:

1. The authorized special group shall certify eligibility of license plate applicants.

2. The authorized special group shall collect license plate applications and submit the applications with all required fees to the department.

3. The authorized special group shall include in its application for designation as an authorized special group the criteria it proposes for eligibility for the restricted special license plate.

4. As provided in s. 341.14 (6r) (fm) 5. , Stats., the authorized special group may not charge any fees, administrative or otherwise, and may not require or request any contribution from a license plate applicant to obtain eligibility certification for a special plate.

5. The authorized special group shall determine eligibility of the license plate applicant for initial issuance of the special group plate. After the department has issued the license plate, the department will not cancel the license plate if at some later time the license plate applicant no longer is eligible for initial issuance of the special license plate according to the authorized special group criteria.

(e) Each individual vehicle registrant who wishes to purchase a special group license plate shall submit a $15 issuance fee along with the license plate and registration application in addition to regular registration fees.

(f) Authorized special groups may apply to reserve personalized plate messages on special group plates. If a group wishes to reserve personalized plate messages, the group shall submit $15 for each reservation. The department shall search the current database and will reserve only personalized plate messages which do not duplicate any existing license plate number. If an individual vehicle registrant purchases the license plate with the reserved personalized plate message, the individual may not be charged the $15 issuance fee.

(2)   General requirements.

(a) The department may not conduct any special advertising or promotion for authorized special group license plates. Any promotion shall be the responsibility of the authorized special group.

(b) No fund-raising plates may be considered for authorization under this program, as provided in s. 341.14 (6r) (fm) 5. , Stats.

(3)   Refund of fee deposit.

(a) Part of the group's deposit up to a maximum of $12,000 may be refunded to the group after the first year of plate sales. The amount of money refunded to the group depends on the number of plates sold during the first year. The sum of $15 shall be refunded for each plate sold during the first year.

(b) The first year of plate sales begins on the first date that the department accepts individual applications for plates of the authorized special group.

(4)   Discontinuance of plate sales.

(a) The department may discontinue sales of special group plates for any authorized special group if, 5 years after plate sales begin, there are less than 100 active vehicle registrations with the special group plate, or if the department concludes for cost reasons that the special group plate should be discontinued.

(b) If the department discontinues sales of special group plates for an authorized special group, the department may continue to renew authorized special group plates which have already been issued.

(c) If an authorized special group plate is discontinued and the department continues to renew plates which have already been issued, the department, 5 years after plate sales began and when the department undertakes a general license plate reissuance, may decide either to reissue the authorized special group plate or to discontinue the plate.

(d) If an authorized special group plate has been discontinued and the group decides to re-apply for designation as an authorized special group, the department may waive up to $3,500 of the fee deposit if its data processing system will need no changes to reissue the special group plate.

(e) The department may terminate special group authorization and plate sales at any time if it discovers that false or misleading information as to the nature of the special group was provided in the application process. If the department discontinues special group authorization, it may recall all license plates issued under this chapter, and may suspend registration of all vehicles with recalled plates, if the plates are not returned to the department.

(f) Personalized plate messages obtained under this program are subject to all department policies applicable to any personalized plate messages, and plates already issued may be recalled and registration suspended, if the plates contain messages which the department determines to carry connotations offensive to good taste or decency or which may be misleading.

History: Cr. Register, December, 1999, No. 528 , eff. 1-1-00; r. and recr. (1) (d), Register, October, 2000, No. 538 , eff. 11-1-00; correction in (1) (c) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7. , Stats., Register March 2012 No. 675 .

Note

The department shall have a form for application for plates of authorized special groups. The department shall develop the application form, which will be available before any license plates are available for sale. The application form shall designate for which authorized special group plate the person is applying. Forms can be obtained by writing to the Department of Transportation, Bureau of Vehicle Services, P. O. Box 7911, or by calling [phone]. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 For example, if 100 plates are sold in the first year, the group will be refunded $1,500; if 500 plates are sold in the first year, the group will be refunded $7,500; and if 800 plates are sold in the first year, the group will be refunded the entire $12,000. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Decisions of the department to discontinue plate sales or to terminate authorized special group designation is final and not subject to judicial review under ch. 227 as provided in s. 341.14 (6r) (fm) 4. , Stats. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1