Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue or renew environmental license plates to provide revenue for the California Environmental License Plate Fund that indicate on the plates the combination of letters or numbers, or both, requested as a registration number by the applicant, to be displayed on the applicant’s vehicle in lieu of regular license plates. Existing law imposes fees for the issuance or renewal of an environmental license plate, in addition to the regular registration and renewal fees. Existing law also establishes procedures for the cancellation, transfer, or retention of the environmental license plates and requires the payment or reimbursement of additional fees in connection with those transactions, as specified.

This bill would establish a similar program, to be known as the “8-letter license plate” program, for the support of the Natural and Agricultural Open Space and State Recreational Support Fund, which would be created by the bill. The bill would impose additional fees, including, but not limited to, fees for the issuance and renewal of an 8-letter license plate, as specified. The bill would require all revenue derived from the fees to be deposited in the fund and would continuously appropriate those moneys for specified purposes that include, among other things, subventions for open-space land programs, assistance to California fairs, and support of programs administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation.