House bill NO. 847

INTRODUCED BY J. Dooling, D. Loge, C. Knudsen, J. Kassmier

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT AUTHORIZING PERSONALIZED LICENSE PLATES DISPLAYING LIVESTOCK BRANDS; providing authority to adopt license plate fees; providing rulemaking authority; and AMENDING SECTIONS 61-3-401 AND 61-3-403, MCA."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

NEW SECTION. Section 1. Personalized license plates for brand owners. (1) Subject to the provisions of 61-3-405 and 61-3-406, a person who is the owner of a motor vehicle titled and registered under this chapter may be issued a personalized license plate bearing a mark or brand if the person furnishes a certificate of brand issued by the department of livestock at the time of application as proof that the person owns and is authorized to use the brand.

(2)        Personalized license plates under this section may be issued only to the registered owner of the mark or brand.

(3)        The department may adopt rules to implement this section, including but not limited to setting fees and establishing additional application requirements.

Section 2. Section 61-3-401, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-3-401. Definition of personalized license plates. (1) Personalized license plates, as used in 61-3-401 through 61-3-406, are license plates that are specially produced and display a specific combination of letters or numbers, or both, expressly requested by the owner of the passenger motor vehicle.

(2)        A personalized license plate authorized in [section 1] may contain the symbols or special characters displayed in a certificate of brand issued by the department of livestock."

Section 3. Section 61-3-403, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-3-403. Color and design of personalized license plates -- exception. Except as provided in 61-3-407 and, 61-3-466, and [section 1], the personalized license plates must be the same color and design as standard license plates and must consist of numbers or letters, or any combination of numbers or letters, not exceeding eight positions and not less than two positions, provided that there are no conflicts with existing standard or special license plate series under this title. A registration decal must be displayed on personalized license plates as provided in 61-3-332."

NEW SECTION. Section 4. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 61, chapter 3, part 4, and the provisions of Title 61, chapter 3, part 4, apply to [section 1].