Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1178 By Senator Broxson 1-00013B-22 20221178__ Page 1 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to license plates; amending s. 320.06, 2 F.S.; requiring, rather than authorizing, the 3 corporation managing the correctional work programs of 4 the Department of Corrections to manufacture license 5 plates; deleting provisions relating to the authority 6 of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles 7 to conduct a pilot program to evaluate the designs, 8 concepts, and technologies for alternative license 9 plates; amending s. 320.07, F.S.; exempting owners of 10 digital license plates from certain penalties if 11 certain conditions are met; creating s. 320.08069, 12 F.S.; defining terms; providing applicability; 13 authorizing motor vehicles to be equipped with dig ital 14 license plates by a specified date; specifying 15 requirements for digital license plate purchasers in 16 obtaining and renewing physical license plates; 17 authorizing the department to contract with digital 18 license plate providers; providing department 19 authority relating to the display and use of digital 20 license plates; specifying requirements for digital 21 license plates, digital license plate providers, and 22 digital license plate consumers; authorizing the 23 department to adopt rules; providing an effective 24 date. 25 26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27 28

Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) of

section 320.06, 29

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1178 1-00013B-22 20221178__ Page 2 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 30 320.06 Registration certificates, license plates, and 31 validation stickers generally.— 32

(4) The corporation organized under

chapter 946 shall may 33 manufacture license plates and may produce, validation stickers, 34 and decals, as well as temporary tags, disabled hang tags, 35 vessel decals, and fuel use decals, for the Department of 36 Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles as provided in this

chapter 37 and

chapter 327. The Department of Highway Safety and Motor 38 Vehicles is not required to obtain competitive bids in order to 39 contract with the corporation. 40

(5) The department may conduct a pilot program to evaluate 41 the designs, concepts, and technologies for alternative license 42 plates. For purposes of the pilot program, the department shall 43 investigate the feasibility and use of alternative license plate 44 technologies and the long-term cost impact to the consumer. The 45 pilot program shall be limited to license plates that are used 46 on government-owned motor vehicles as described in s. 320.0655. 47 Such license plates are exempt from the requirements in 48 paragraph (3)(a). 49

Section 2. Subsection (7) is added to

section 320.07, 50 Florida Statutes, to read: 51 320.07 Expiration of registration; renewal required; 52 penalties.— 53

(7) An owner of a digital license plate as described in s. 54 320.08069 is not subject to the penalties in this

section for 55 failure to display a validation sticker if the vehicle was 56 operated in compliance with this

chapter and any rules adopted 57 by the department governing the placement of digital license 58

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1178 1-00013B-22 20221178__ Page 3 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. plates and registration renewal. 59

Section

Section 320.08069, Florida Statutes, is created 60 to read: 61 320.08069 Digital license plates.— 62

(1) DEFINITIONS.—As used in this section, the term: 63 (a) “Digital license plate” means an electronic display 64 designed to: 65 1. Display the information required in this

chapter to be 66 included on a physical license plate. 67 2. Be placed on a motor vehicle registered under this 68

chapter in lieu of a physical license plate. 69 (b) “Digital license plate provider” means a person or an 70 entity engaged in the business of providing digital license 71 plate hardware and services to motor vehicle owners. 72

(2) APPLICABILITY.—Except as otherwise provided in this 73

section or a rule adopted under this section, a digital license 74 plate issued under this

section is subject to the laws of this 75 state applicable to a physical license plate. However, digital 76 license plates issued under this

section are exempt from s. 77 320.06(3)(a). 78

(3) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE ISSUANCE.— 79 (

a) By August 1, 2022, the department shall allow a motor 80 vehicle registered under this

chapter to be equipped with a 81 digital license plate in lieu of a physical license plate issued 82 under s. 320.06 upon a determination that the information on the 83 digital license plate display is readable by current automated 84 license plate recognition hardware and software. However, the 85 purchaser of a digital license plate must first obtain a 86 physical license plate from the department before obtaining a 87

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1178 1-00013B-22 20221178__ Page 4 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. digital license plate from a digital license plate provider. 88 Physical license plates must be renewed in accordance with the 89 requirements of s. 320.06 relating to all fees due on an annual 90 or semiannual basis. 91 (

b) The department may contract with one or more digital 92 license plate providers for the issuance of digital license 93 plates, including any services related to the issuance of 94 digital license plates. The contract must include provisions 95 governing the protection of personal and motor vehicle 96 registration data obtained by a digital license plate provider 97 in the performance of its services. 98 (

c) The department may authorize the display of the motor 99 vehicle’s validation on each digital license plate in lieu of 100 the validation sticker. The validation must display the owner’s 101 birth month, the license plate number, and the year of 102 expiration or appropriate renewal period if the owner is not a 103 natural person. The validation must be displayed in the upper 104 right corner of the digital license plate. 105 (

d) The department may authorize the use of a digital 106 license plate for electronic toll collection, if such use has 107 been approved by the Department of Transportation or other 108 appropriate tolling authority, or to display a parking permit. 109 (

e) The department may establish procedures for displaying 110 the following information on a digital license plate: 111 1. An emergency alert or other public safety alert issued 112 by a governmental entity, including an alert pursuant to s. 113 937.021. 114 2. Static logo displays, including unique displays for 115 fleet license plates as described in s. 320.0657 and digital 116

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1178 1-00013B-22 20221178__ Page 5 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. versions of specialty license plates as described in s. 117 320.08058, special license plates for military service as 118 authorized in s. 320.089, and special license plates for the 119 Governor and federal and state legislators as authorized in s. 120 320.0807. 121 3. Other displays that the department, in consultation with 122 law enforcement agencies, determines are in the interest of 123 public safety. 124

(4) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE REQUIREMENTS.—A digital license 125 plate issued under this

section must: 126 (

a) Meet the specifications and requirements adopted under 127 subsection (3). 128 (

b) Include the same information required to be included on 129 a physical license plate and legibly display that information at 130 all times and in all light conditions. 131 (

c) Have wireless connectivity capability. 132

(5) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE PROVIDERS.—A digital license 133 plate provider with whom the department contracts shall: 134 (

a) Maintain an inventory of digital license plates issued 135 in this state by the digital license plate provider. 136 (

b) Make available a digital version of each specialty 137 license plate authorized by the department. 138 (

c) If a digital license plate displays a validation, 139 promptly update the display of the validation to reflect the 140 current registration period for the motor vehicle and, upon 141 request of the department, suspend the display of the validation 142 or indicate on the digital license plate that the registration 143 for the motor vehicle has expired. 144

(6) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE CONSUMERS.—A consumer who chooses 145

Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1178 1-00013B-22 20221178__ Page 6 of 6 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. to purchase a digital license plate must purchase a digital 146 license plate directly from a digital license plate provider. In 147 addition to any fees associated with the purchase of a digital 148 license plate, the consumer is also responsible for paying to 149 the department all applicable motor vehicle fees required by 150 this chapter, including any annual use fees pursuant to s. 151 320.08056 associated with any specialty license plate the 152 consumer wishes to display on the digital license plate. 153

(7) RULEMAKING.—The department may adopt rules to implement 154 this section. 155

Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. 156