Utah’s license plate requirements will get a makeover for the new year.
Lawmakers approved SB45, License Plate Revisions, during the 2024 legislative session. The new law changes the requirements for license plate displays, fees, distribution and funding. The updates are meant to boost efficiency and make it so fewer people need to visit the DMV in person, according to the Utah State Tax Commission.
Here are some of the changes that will go into effect starting Jan. 1, 2025.
No front plate required
Utah is joining 21 other states that do not require drivers to have a front license plate on their vehicles. The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles will begin issuing just one plate to owners who register their vehicle, which has to be attached to the vehicle’s rear.
Utah DMV Director Monte Roberts said he thinks this will be advantageous for Utahns.
“If you look around now, a lot of vehicles aren't putting the second plate on their vehicles anyway. So, this eliminates the worry about having to have two plates on the front and back of a vehicle,” Roberts said. “You know, ‘I don't want to put holes in my front bumper. I have a vehicle that doesn't provide a bracket for it.’”
The change is also cost-effective, he said. License plate costs to taxpayers and the state could be cut by an estimated $3 million.
A new look and no more covers
Utah license plates’ appearances will get a revamp, too. Registration decals will be consolidated into one sticker instead of the current separate month and year design. Plates will use flat-screen printing rather than the traditional raised characters. Roberts said this will help provide a better plate overall while saving money during production.
While identifying a vehicle from the front might be more difficult, the law introduces other requirements to make the remaining rear plates more visible. Alpha-numeric characters will have to be visible from 100 feet away.
“It prohibits a license plate cover and prohibits a license plate frame that obscures the license plate number, or decals,” bill sponsor Sen. Dan McCay said in February during a House Revenue and Taxation committee meeting discussing the bill. “[The cover’s] sole purpose is to obscure, they're not trying to protect the license plate by any means.”
Centralized plate distribution
License plates will be distributed from a single central location starting in 2025. McCay said 138 distribution points currently exist before the law takes effect, which slows the process if a location doesn’t have the design a consumer wants.
“This way, we felt like it could be better inventory, better quality, as well we hope to get to the consumer faster with their needed plate,” McCay said.
Plates will be distributed from this central point through the mail, which is intended to make it easier for the DMV to serve its customers, Roberts said.
“This isn't your parents' DMV. We're really working hard to try and bring DMV services in a way to customers so that they don't have to always come to an office to get service,” he said.
Fees
While the average Utahn will pay less as the number of required plates decreases, anyone who wants a personalized plate will have an added fee.
A new $25 processing fee for personalized plates will stack on top of the existing $50 application fee. Currently, the original $50 is refunded if the plate design is rejected. The new fee, on the other hand, will not be refundable. McCay told lawmakers it's to discourage offensive designs.
“The $25 non-refundable application fee that stays at the tax commission for the purpose of administration will be a benefit, really, to the system,” he said. “Maybe somebody who thinks they're being clever might think twice before they pay 25 bucks to be rejected.”
Additionally, $1 from certain license plate fees will now be deposited into the Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Restricted Account, which goes to the Utah Highway Patrol for staffing and safety-related issues.