2023 Kansas Statutes › Chapter 8 - Automobiles And Other Vehicles › Article 1 - General Provisions › 8-132 License plates or decals to be furnished; time for new license plates; personalized license plates, display and cost; rules and regulations.

8-132. License plates or decals to be furnished; time for new license plates; personalized license plates, display and cost; rules and regulations.
(a) Subject to the provisions of this section and K.S.A. 8-1,125, and amendments thereto, the division of vehicles shall furnish to every owner whose vehicle shall be registered one license plate for such vehicle. Such license plate shall have displayed on it the registration number assigned to the vehicle and to the owner thereof, the name of the state, which may be abbreviated, and the year or years for which it is issued. The same type of license plates shall be issued for passenger motor vehicles, rented without a driver, as are issued for private passenger vehicles.
(b) During calendar year 1975 commencing on the effective date of this act, and during every fifth calendar year thereafter, the division of vehicles shall furnish one license plate for any type of vehicle an owner registers or has the registration thereof renewed, but during the succeeding four-year period following calendar year 1975 and during the succeeding four-year period following every fifth calendar year subsequent to 1975, the division of vehicles shall not furnish any license plate for the renewal of a vehicle's registration. During calendar year 1976 and during each calendar year thereafter in which a license plate is not issued for the renewal of registration of a vehicle, the division of vehicles shall furnish one decal for the license plate issued for a vehicle as provided in K.S.A. 8-134, and amendments thereto, for each registration and renewal of registration of such vehicle. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this subsection, whenever, in the discretion of the director of vehicles, it is determined that the license plates currently being issued and displayed are not deteriorating to the extent that their replacement is warranted, the director may adopt rules and regulations to extend the five-year issuance cycle provided for in this subsection by one year at a time, and in the same manner the director may further extend such cycle by one year at a time, successively as the director determines appropriate. If the cycle is extended at the expiration of the extended term, new license plates shall again be issued in the manner and for the term provided in such rules and regulations, except that the owner of a motor vehicle currently registered may continue to display the license plate currently being issued and displayed for a period not to exceed three registration years from the date of the expiration of the extended term. The division shall furnish one decal for each such license plate in accordance with the provisions of this subsection.
(c) Any license plate issued pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) may be a personalized license plate subject to the additional fee set forth in subsection (d). The division shall allow an applicant for a personalized license plate to personalize a license plate design established by subsection (a), (b) or (d).
(d) Two personalized license plates may be issued to any owner or lessee of a passenger vehicle or a truck licensed for a gross weight of not more than 20,000 pounds, who makes proper application to the division of vehicles not less than 60 days prior to such owner's or lessee's renewal of registration date. Such application shall be on a form prescribed by the division and accompanied by a fee of $40, which shall be in addition to any other fee required to renew the registration of such passenger vehicle under the laws of this state. One such personalized license plate shall be displayed on the rear of the vehicle and, at the option of the owner or lessee, the other license plate may be displayed on the front of the vehicle, except that no registration decal shall be issued pursuant to K.S.A. 8-134, and amendments thereto, for any such license plate displayed on the front of such vehicle. One personalized license plate may be issued to any owner of a motorcycle upon proper application in the same manner provided in this subsection for passenger vehicles and trucks. The $40 fee shall be paid only once during the registration period for which such license plates were issued, and any subsequent renewals during the registration period shall be subject only to the registration fee prescribed by K.S.A. 8-143, and amendments thereto. The division shall design distinctive, personalized license plates to be issued which shall contain not more than seven letters or numbers on truck or passenger vehicle license plates and not more than five letters or numbers on motorcycle license plates, or a combination thereof, to be designated by the applicant in lieu of the letters and numbers required by K.S.A. 8-147, and amendments thereto, other than the letters required to designate the county in which such vehicle is registered. Unless the letters or numbers designated by the applicant have been assigned to another vehicle, or unless the letters or numbers designated by the applicant have a profane, vulgar, lewd or indecent meaning or connotation, as determined by the director of vehicles, the division shall assign such letters or numbers to the applicant's vehicle, and the letters or numbers, or combination thereof, so assigned shall be deemed the registration number of such vehicle. Subject to the foregoing provisions, all license plates issued under this section shall be manufactured in accordance with K.S.A. 8-147, and amendments thereto. Such license plates shall be issued for a registration period of five years commencing in 1985 and each five years thereafter.
(e) The secretary of revenue shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this act, including, without limitation, rules and regulations concerning: (1) The procedure for insuring that duplicate license plates are not issued throughout the state; (2) the procedure for reserving distinctive license plates for the purpose of obtaining the same on each annual renewal of registration; (3) the procedure for allowing the transfer of personalized license plates from one vehicle to another for which such license plates were originally issued, when the title to the original vehicle has not been transferred and the name or names of the owner or owners listed on the titles to both vehicles are identical; and (4) procedures necessary to coordinate this act with other laws of this state governing registration of vehicles. The director of vehicles shall remit all moneys received by the division of vehicles under this section to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the state highway fund.
History:
L. 1929, ch. 81, § 10; L. 1943, ch. 80, § 1; L. 1945, ch. 87, § 1; L. 1951, ch. 100, § 2; L. 1951, ch. 103, § 1; L. 1955, ch. 46, § 1; L. 1959, ch. 46, § 13; L. 1972, ch. 342, § 30; L. 1974, ch. 35, § 1; L. 1975, ch. 30, § 1; L. 1977, ch. 30, § 1; L. 1978, ch. 31, § 1; L. 1983, ch. 29, § 1; L. 1984, ch. 29, § 2; L. 1986, ch. 36, § 11; L. 1999, ch. 125, § 2; L. 2001, ch. 5, § 25; L. 2002, ch. 100, § 1; L. 2006, ch. 5, § 1; L. 2009, ch. 89, § 2; L. 2021, ch. 95, § 13; July 1.