Bill Text: IA SSB1162 | 2025-2026 | 91st General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to vehicle registration plates, including registration plate frames and Gadsden flag special registration plates, providing fees, and making appropriations.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-03-03 - Subcommittee recommends passage. [SSB1162 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2025-SSB1162-Introduced.html
Senate
Study
Bill
1162
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
ZUMBACH)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
vehicle
registration
plates,
including
1
registration
plate
frames
and
Gadsden
flag
special
2
registration
plates,
providing
fees,
and
making
3
appropriations.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
Section
321.34,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
11E.
Gadsden
flag
plates.
3
a.
Upon
application
and
payment
of
the
proper
fees,
the
4
director
may
issue
Gadsden
flag
plates
to
the
owner
of
a
5
motor
vehicle
subject
to
registration
under
section
321.109,
6
subsection
1,
autocycle,
motor
truck,
motor
home,
multipurpose
7
vehicle,
motorcycle,
trailer,
or
travel
trailer.
8
b.
Gadsden
flag
plates
shall
be
designed
by
the
department.
9
The
background
shall
be
yellow
at
the
top
and
bottom,
with
the
10
color
fading
into
white
in
the
center.
The
plate’s
numbers
11
and
letters
shall
be
black.
The
left
side
of
the
plate
shall
12
depict
a
black
and
white
rattlesnake
coiled
on
green
grass.
13
The
image
depicting
the
coiled
rattlesnake
shall
be
at
least
14
three
inches
tall
and
two
inches
wide.
The
phrase
“Don’t
Tread
15
on
Me”
shall
appear
at
the
bottom
of
the
plate.
16
c.
The
special
Gadsden
flag
fee
for
letter-number
designated
17
Gadsden
flag
plates
is
fifty
dollars.
An
applicant
may
obtain
18
personalized
Gadsden
flag
plates
upon
payment
of
the
fee
for
19
personalized
plates
as
provided
in
subsection
5,
which
is
in
20
addition
to
the
special
Gadsden
flag
fee.
Personalized
plates
21
authorized
by
this
subsection
shall
be
limited
to
no
more
22
than
five
numerals,
letters,
or
combinations
of
numerals
and
23
letters.
24
d.
The
fees
collected
by
the
director
under
this
subsection
25
shall
be
paid
monthly
to
the
treasurer
of
state
and
deposited
26
in
the
road
use
tax
fund.
The
treasurer
of
state
shall
27
transfer
monthly
from
the
statutory
allocations
fund
created
28
under
section
321.145,
subsection
2,
to
the
general
fund
of
29
the
state
an
amount
equal
to
the
special
fees
collected
in
30
the
previous
month
for
Gadsden
flag
plates,
minus
one
dollar
31
per
issuance
or
renewal
of
the
plates
that
month.
Such
32
moneys
are
appropriated
to
the
department
of
public
safety
33
to
distribute
in
the
form
of
grants
to
provide
education
and
34
training
on
the
right
to
keep
and
bear
arms
protected
under
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the
Constitution
of
the
United
States
and
the
Constitution
of
1
the
State
of
Iowa,
and
training
on
firearm
safety.
In
the
2
awarding
of
grants,
the
department
of
public
safety
shall
give
3
first
consideration
to
any
official
state
association
of
the
4
national
rifle
association
and
similar
nonprofit
organizations.
5
Notwithstanding
section
8.33,
moneys
appropriated
under
this
6
subsection
shall
not
revert
to
the
general
fund
of
the
state.
7
e.
Upon
receipt
of
the
special
registration
plates,
the
8
applicant
shall
surrender
the
current
registration
plates
to
9
the
county
treasurer.
The
county
treasurer
shall
validate
10
the
special
registration
plates
in
the
same
manner
as
regular
11
registration
plates
are
validated
under
this
section.
The
12
annual
special
Gadsden
flag
fee
for
letter-number
designated
13
plates
is
fifty
dollars
which
shall
be
paid
in
addition
to
14
the
regular
annual
registration
fee.
The
annual
fee
for
15
personalized
Gadsden
flag
plates
is
five
dollars
which
shall
be
16
paid
in
addition
to
the
annual
special
Gadsden
flag
fee
and
the
17
regular
annual
registration
fee.
The
annual
special
Gadsden
18
flag
fee
shall
be
credited
as
provided
under
paragraph
“d”
.
19
f.
The
department
shall
not
condition
the
issuance
of
20
Gadsden
flag
plates
on
the
receipt
of
any
number
of
orders
for
21
Gadsden
flag
plates.
22
Sec.
2.
Section
321.37,
subsection
3,
Code
2025,
is
amended
23
to
read
as
follows:
24
3.
It
is
unlawful
for
the
The
owner
of
a
vehicle
to
shall
25
not
place
any
a
frame
around
or
over
the
a
registration
plate
26
which
does
not
permit
full
view
of
all
numerals
and
letters
27
printed
on
the
registration
plate
,
other
than
the
name
of
the
28
county
.
29
Sec.
3.
Section
321.166,
subsections
2
and
9,
Code
2025,
are
30
amended
to
read
as
follows:
31
2.
Every
registration
plate
or
pair
of
plates
shall
display
32
a
registration
plate
number
which
shall
consist
of
alphabetical
33
or
numerical
characters
or
a
combination
thereof
and
the
name
34
of
this
state,
which
may
be
abbreviated.
Every
registration
35
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plate
issued
by
the
county
treasurer
shall
display
the
name
1
of
the
county,
including
any
plate
issued
pursuant
to
section
2
321.34
,
except
Pearl
Harbor
and
purple
heart
registration
3
plates
issued
prior
to
January
1,
1997;
and
collegiate,
fire
4
fighter,
and
medal
of
honor
,
and
Gadsden
flag
registration
5
plates.
Special
truck
registration
plates
shall
display
the
6
word
“special”.
The
department
may
adopt
rules
to
implement
7
this
subsection
.
8
9.
Special
registration
plates
issued
pursuant
to
section
9
321.34
,
other
than
gold
star,
medal
of
honor,
collegiate,
fire
10
fighter,
natural
resources,
blackout,
and
flying
our
colors
,
11
and
Gadsden
flag
registration
plates,
shall
be
consistent
with
12
the
design
and
color
of
regular
registration
plates
but
shall
13
provide
a
space
on
a
portion
of
the
plate
for
the
purpose
of
14
allowing
the
placement
of
a
distinguishing
processed
emblem
or
15
an
organization
decal.
Special
registration
plates
shall
also
16
comply
with
the
requirements
for
regular
registration
plates
17
as
provided
in
this
section
to
the
extent
the
requirements
are
18
consistent
with
the
section
authorizing
a
particular
special
19
vehicle
registration
plate.
20
EXPLANATION
21
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
22
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
23
This
bill
relates
to
vehicle
registration
plates.
24
The
bill
authorizes
the
department
of
transportation
(DOT)
25
to
design
and
issue
Gadsden
flag
special
registration
plates.
26
The
bill
requires
the
plate’s
background
to
be
yellow
at
the
27
top
and
bottom,
with
the
color
fading
into
white
in
the
center.
28
The
plate’s
numbers
and
letters
must
be
black.
The
left
side
29
of
the
plate
must
contain
the
image
of
a
rattlesnake
in
black
30
and
white
coiled
on
green
grass.
The
phrase
“Don’t
Tread
on
31
Me”
must
appear
at
the
bottom
of
the
plate.
32
The
bill
provides
that
the
special
Gadsden
flag
fee
for
33
letter-number
designated
Gadsden
flag
plates
is
$50.
An
34
applicant
may
obtain
personalized
Gadsden
flag
plates
upon
35
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payment
of
the
$25
fee
for
personalized
plates
set
forth
under
1
current
law,
which
is
in
addition
to
the
special
Gadsden
flag
2
fee.
Personalized
Gadsden
flag
plates
are
limited
to
five
3
numerals
and
letters.
The
annual
special
Gadsden
flag
fee
for
4
letter-number
designated
plates
is
$50,
which
is
in
addition
5
to
the
regular
annual
registration
fee.
The
annual
fee
for
6
personalized
Gadsden
flag
plates
is
$5,
which
is
in
addition
7
to
the
annual
special
Gadsden
flag
fee
and
the
regular
annual
8
registration
fee.
9
The
fees
collected
by
the
DOT
must
be
paid
monthly
to
the
10
treasurer
of
state
and
deposited
in
the
road
use
tax
fund
11
(RUTF).
The
treasurer
of
state
must
transfer
monthly
from
the
12
statutory
allocations
fund
to
the
general
fund
of
the
state
13
an
amount
equal
to
the
special
fees
collected
in
the
previous
14
month
for
the
Gadsden
flag
plates,
minus
$1
per
issuance
or
15
renewal
of
the
plates
that
month.
Such
moneys
are
appropriated
16
to
department
of
public
safety
(DPS)
to
distribute
in
the
form
17
of
grants
to
provide
education
and
training
on
the
right
to
18
keep
and
bear
arms,
and
training
on
firearm
safety.
In
the
19
awarding
of
grants,
DPS
must
give
first
consideration
to
any
20
official
state
association
of
the
national
rifle
association
21
and
similar
nonprofit
organizations.
22
The
bill
prohibits
the
DOT
from
conditioning
the
issuance
of
23
Gadsden
flag
plates
on
the
receipt
of
any
number
of
orders
for
24
Gadsden
flag
plates.
25
Gadsden
flag
plates
are
exempt
from
the
general
requirements
26
to
display
the
name
of
the
county
that
issues
the
plates
and
to
27
be
consistent
with
the
design
and
color
of
regular
registration
28
plates.
29
Under
current
law,
nonprofit
organizations
are
authorized
30
to
apply
to
the
DOT
for
approval
to
issue
a
decal
of
the
31
organization’s
own
design
to
be
displayed
on
special
32
registration
plates
with
space
reserved
for
an
organizational
33
decal.
The
nonprofit
organization
may
charge
a
fee
and
retain
34
any
payment
received
for
the
organizational
decal.
Code
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section
321.34(13)
sets
forth
the
application
process
and
1
certain
limitations
for
nonprofit
organizations
and
decal
2
designs.
3
Under
current
law,
an
owner
of
a
vehicle
who
places
any
frame
4
around
or
over
a
registration
plate
which
does
not
permit
full
5
view
of
all
numerals
and
letters
printed
on
the
registration
6
plate,
including
the
name
of
the
county
printed
on
the
bottom
7
of
the
plate,
commits
a
simple
misdemeanor
punishable
by
a
8
scheduled
fine
of
$30.
Under
the
bill,
a
registration
plate
9
frame
is
no
longer
required
to
permit
full
view
of
the
name
of
10
the
county.
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