Mich. Comp. Laws § 257.803b — MI Code / Chapter 257 / Act Act-300-of-1949 / Section 257.803b
Personalized registration plate; use; letters and numbers; material; duplication prohibited; submission of application; payment, disposition, and use of service fee; expiration date; letters and numbers given to different person in subsequent year; other sequence of letters and numbers; temporary permit.
Status: in_force

Sec. 803b.

(1) The secretary of state may issue 1 personalized vehicle registration plate that must be used on the passenger motor vehicle, pick-up truck, motorcycle, van, motor home, hearse, bus, trailer coach, or trailer for which the plate is issued instead of a standard plate. Personalized plates must bear letters and numbers as the secretary of state prescribes. The personalized plates must be made of the same material as standard plates. A personalized plate must not duplicate another registration plate.

(2) An application for a personalized registration plate must be submitted to the secretary of state under section 217. Application for an original personalized registration plate must be accompanied with payment of a service fee of $8.00 for the first month and of $2.00 per month for each additional month of the registration period in addition to the regular vehicle registration fee. A second duplicate registration plate may be obtained by requesting that option on the application and paying an additional service fee of $5.00. The original and duplicate service fees must be deposited in the transportation administration collection fund created in section 810b through October 1, 2027. Application for the renewal of a personalized registration plate must be accompanied with payment of a service fee of $15.00 in addition to the regular vehicle registration fee. The service fee must be credited to the Michigan transportation fund established under, and must be allocated as prescribed under, section 10 of 1951 PA 51, MCL 247.660. The amount allocated to the state trunk line fund established under section 11 of 1951 PA 51, MCL 247.661, must be used by the state transportation department for litter pickup and cleanup on state roads and rights-of-way.

(3) The expiration date for a personalized registration plate is as prescribed under section 226. Upon the issuance or renewal of a personalized registration plate, the secretary of state may issue a tab or tabs designating the month and year of expiration. Upon the renewal of a personalized registration plate, the secretary of state shall issue a new tab or tabs for the rear plate designating the next expiration date of the plate. Upon renewal, the secretary of state shall not issue the owner a new exact duplicate of the expired plate unless the plate is illegible and the owner pays the service fee and registration fee for an original personalized registration plate.

(4) The sequence of letters or numbers or combination of letters and numbers on a personalized plate must not be given to a different person in a subsequent year unless the person to whom the plate was issued does not reapply before the expiration date of the plate.

(5) An applicant who applies for a registration plate under section 217d, 803a, 803e, 803f, 803j, 803k, 803 l , 803n, or 803o is eligible to request, and the secretary of state may issue, the registration plate with a personalized sequence of letters and numbers authorized under this section.

(6) The secretary of state may issue a temporary permit to a person who has submitted an application and the proper fees for a personalized registration plate if the applicant's vehicle registration may expire before receipt of the applicant's personalized registration plate. The temporary registration is valid for not more than 60 days after the date of issuance. The temporary permit must be issued without a fee.

History: Add. 1972, Act 314, Imd. Eff. Jan. 2, 1973; Am. 1976, Act 49, Imd. Eff. Mar. 18, 1976; Am. 1978, Act 548, Imd. Eff. Dec. 22, 1978; Am. 1978, Act 549, Imd. Eff. Dec. 22, 1978; Am. 1980, Act 476, Eff. Mar. 31, 1981; Am. 1981, Act 225, Imd. Eff. Jan. 6, 1982; Am. 1988, Act 419, Eff. Mar. 30, 1989; Am. 1993, Act 295, Eff. Apr. 1, 1994; Am. 1996, Act 142, Imd. Eff. Mar. 25, 1996; Am. 2003, Act 152, Eff. Oct. 1, 2003; Am. 2004, Act 426, Eff. Jan. 1, 2006; Am. 2009, Act 99, Imd. Eff. Sept. 30, 2009; Am. 2011, Act 159, Imd. Eff. Sept. 30, 2011; Am. 2015, Act 11, Eff. July 8, 2015; Am. 2015, Act 78, Eff. Oct. 1, 2015; Am. 2019, Act 88, Imd. Eff. Sept. 30, 2019; Am. 2023, Act 129, Imd. Eff. Sept. 29, 2023; Am. 2024, Act 133, Eff. Oct. 8, 2025