ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION
810-5-1-.234. Transferring Personalized And Collegiate License Plates; Procedures For Issuance Of A Combined Personalized/Collegiate License Plate And Departmental Responsibilities Therein; Providing For Replacement Tags.
(1) A person to whom a personalized or collegiate license plate has been issued pursuant to ''32-6-150, et seq., may elect to surrender said license plate to the Judge of Probate or other license plate issuing official and request either a standard license plate or a distinctive license plate. The issuing official may reissue the surrendered license plate upon collecting the additional fee plus any standard fees due. The issuing official must inform the Department of Revenue by telephone of the reissuance.
(2) In the following type situations personalized or collegiate license plate registrants will not be required to pay the additional fee upon the transfer of the license plate:
- (a) In situations where the vehicle is individually owned and the owner acquires a new vehicle which is to be titled:
- 1. both to the registrant and his/her spouse, or
- 2. which is titled in the name of the registrant and to another individual.
- (b) In cases where there is joint ownership of a vehicle, and the ownership of that vehicle (or a newly acquired vehicle) changes to individual ownership by one of the original parties.
- (c) In cases where a vehicle owner trades for another vehicle which is subsequently to be titled in the name of a business which is a single proprietorship owned by the original owner.
(3) The term "pleasure motor vehicle", as used in '32-6-150, as amended, and '32-6-130, as amended, shall include those type vehicles commonly known as "motor homes," but shall not include motorcycles or non-self-propelled vehicles.
(4) In accordance with Act 88-127, a four-year college or university electing to participate in the collegiate license plate program may authorize the Department of Revenue in writing to issue a combination personalized-collegiate license plate. This type of license plate, hereafter referred to as a prestige license plate, will be issued through the county license plate issuing officials upon payment of the additional fee provided under Act 88-127 or subsequent legislation.
(5) Those four-year colleges or universities authorizing the issuance of a prestige license plate will pay for the manufacturing costs of producing the prestige license plates as determined by the Board of Corrections as provided by Act 88-127. Subsequently the Department of Revenue will bill the participating schools on a monthly basis for the number of prestige license plates ordered to be manufactured.
(6) The maximum number of characters permitted on a personalized, collegiate or prestige license plate shall be seven (7), and may be further limited so that characters on a prestige license plate shall not obscure the approved design. Provided, however, that the Department of Revenue shall reject requests that will result in duplication of a personalized, collegiate or prestige license plate.
(7) Anyone who has either a personalized, collegiate or prestige license plate may elect to change to another personalized, collegiate or prestige license plate. If so, the registrant will be required to pay the additional fee as provided under '32-6-150, as amended, and surrender the current license plate if not expired.
(8) An Alabama resident may obtain a personalized or prestige license plate by:
- (a) Making application for said plate through the Judge of Probate or other license plate issuing official of his/her county or residency.
- (b) Obtaining approval by the Department of Revenue of the requested license plate.
- (c) Paying the additional fee provide under '32-6-150, as amended, plus any standard fees due.
(9) The county license plate issuing official will issue, without charge, a sixty (60) day temporary license plate which shall be displayed until the requested license plate is received.
(10) In the event a personalized, collegiate or prestige license plate is lost, stolen, or, becomes mutilated, the owner shall make application for replacement and pay the fee required by law for said replacement license plate. The Department of Revenue shall have manufactured a duplicate of the original for shipment to the registrant. In cases of mutilation, the original license plate must be surrendered to the county license plate issuing official. (Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, '32-6-151.) (Adopted effective March 29, 1989)
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