A.B. 296
- *AB296*
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 296–ASSEMBLYMEMBER WATTS
FEBRUARY 25, 2025
____________
Referred to Committee on Growth and Infrastructure
SUMMARY—Revises various provisions relating to motor
vehicles. (BDR 43-231)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
~
EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; requiring the Department of
Motor Vehicles to contract with a person who makes
installment loans to pay the fees and taxes due for the
initial or renewal registration of a vehicle; authorizing the
Director of the Department to authorize the use of digital
license plates; providing requirements governing the use
of digital license plates; extending the pilot program to
gather data about annual vehicle miles traveled by certain
vehicles registered in this State; and providing other
matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish 1
electronic branch offices consisting of an Internet website or software application 2
through which the Department may conduct transactions that have been designated 3
by the Director of the Department as suitable to be conducted through electronic 4
means. (NRS 481.055) If the Department provides the ability to register or renew 5
the registration of a vehicle through such an electronic branch office, section 1 of 6
this bill requires the Department to contract with a person who is licensed in this 7
State to make installment loans to allow the person, through the electronic branch 8
office, to offer installment loans to vehicle owners to pay the applicable fees and 9
taxes that are due for the initial or renewal registration of a vehicle. 10
Existing law requires the Department to furnish license plates to every owner 11
whose vehicle is registered and sets forth the manner in which such license plates 12
must be displayed on a vehicle. (NRS 482.265) Section 2 of this bill authorizes the 13
Director to permit the use of digital license plates by a person who otherwise 14
complies with the requirements for registration and licensing. Section 2 requires a 15
digital license plate to: (1) display the license plate code assigned to the vehicle and 16
evidence of valid registration at all times; (2) meet certain requirements for 17
visibility; (3) be displayed on a digital license plate device that has been approved 18
– 2 –
- *AB296*
by the Department and purchased from a vendor approved by the Department; and 19
(4) display only information and images required or authorized by the Department. 20
Section 2 requires the Department to adopt regulations relating to the issuance and 21
use of digital license plates, including the personally identifiable information that 22
may be stored on a digital license plate or digital license plate device. Section 2 23
authorizes the Department to take certain additional actions with respect to digital 24
license plates, including: (1) approving banner messages to appear on the bottom of 25
a digital license plate; (2) restricting the types or classes of vehicles for which a 26
digital license plate may be used; (3) authorizing the sale or resale of digital license 27
plate devices; and (4) authorizing digital license plates to replicate the appearance 28
of certain special license plates or personalized prestige license plates. Section 3 of 29
this bill provides that the Department is not required to furnish license plates to a 30
person who applies to use a digital license plate and authorizes the Department to 31
require the return of license plates which were previously issued for the vehicle. 32
Existing law requires the Director to utilize the facility for the production of 33
license plates which is located at the Department of Corrections to produce all 34
license plates required by the Department. (NRS 482.267) Section 4 of this bill 35
creates an exception from this requirement for the use of digital license plates. 36
Section 5 of this bill requires a digital license plate device, which is an 37
electronic device capable of displaying a digital license plate, to be attached to the 38
rear of a motor vehicle. If a digital license plate has been authorized for use, section 39
5 also excuses the requirement to attach a license plate to the front of the vehicle. 40
Existing law requires the Department to conduct a pilot program to gather data 41
on the annual vehicle miles traveled by certain vehicles registered in this State. 42
(NRS 482.2175) As part of the pilot program, existing law requires the owners of 43
certain motor vehicles to report the mileage shown on the odometer of the motor 44
vehicle and certain other information required by the Department at the time of 45
initial registration, renewal of registration and transfer of registration, if applicable. 46
(NRS 482.2177) Under existing law, the provisions providing for the pilot program 47
expire by limitation on December 31, 2026. (Section 7 of chapter 498, Statutes of 48
Nevada 2019, at page 3006) Section 6 of this bill eliminates the provision of law 49
providing for the expiration of the pilot program, thereby requiring the continuation 50
of the pilot program beyond December 31, 2026. 51
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 481.055 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
481.055 1. The Department shall keep its main office at 2
Carson City, Nevada, in rooms provided by the Buildings and 3
Grounds Section of the State Public Works Division of the 4
Department of Administration. 5
2. The Department may maintain such branch offices 6
throughout the State as the Director may deem necessary to the 7
efficient operation of the Department and the various divisions 8
thereof in space provided by the Buildings and Grounds Section. 9
Any leases or agreements entered into pursuant to this subsection 10
must be executed in accordance with the provisions of 11
NRS 331.110. 12
– 3 –
- *AB296*
3. The Department may establish an electronic branch office 1
consisting of an Internet website or software application through 2
which, notwithstanding any specific statute to the contrary, a person 3
may submit forms, applications and other documentation and the 4
Department may conduct transactions that have been designated by 5
the Director as suitable to be conducted through electronic means, 6
including, without limitation: 7
(a) The electronic transmission, recording and issuance of 8
certificates of title, certificates of registration and information 9
relating to those certificates. 10
(b) The electronic transmission and recording of applications for 11
driver’s licenses. 12
(c) The recording and electronic transmission between the 13
Department, other states and law enforcement of information 14
relating to citations and crashes, collisions, accidents and other 15
casualties. 16
(d) The acceptance of electronic signatures. 17
(e) The collection and exchange of applications for licenses and 18
other information from persons who are licensed as or seeking to be 19
licensed as: 20
(1) Brokers; 21
(2) Dealers; 22
(3) Distributors; 23
(4) Lessors; 24
(5) Manufacturers; 25
(6) Rebuilders; 26
(7) Salespersons; and 27
(8) Vehicle transporters. 28
(f) The issuance of registration credentials pursuant to 29
NRS 482.217. 30
4. The Department shall not conduct a transaction through the 31
electronic branch office which state or federal law specifically 32
requires to be conducted in person or accept documentation through 33
the electronic branch office which state or federal law specifically 34
requires to be presented in original form. 35
5. If the Department provides the ability to register or renew 36
the registration of vehicles through an electronic branch office 37
consisting of an Internet website or software application, the 38
Department shall contract with a person who is licensed pursuant 39
to chapter 675 of NRS to allow the person to offer, through the 40
website or application, installment loans to vehicle owners to pay 41
the applicable fees and taxes due for the initial or renewal 42
registration of a vehicle, including, without limitation, 43
governmental services taxes, sales and use taxes due pursuant to 44
NRS 482.225, fees for license plates and registration fees. 45
– 4 –
- *AB296*
Sec. 2. Chapter 482 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto a new section to read as follows: 2
1. The Director may authorize the use of digital license plates 3
in accordance with this section upon application by a person who 4
otherwise complies with the requirements for registration and 5
licensing pursuant to this chapter. 6
2. The use of a digital license plate must be voluntary and the 7
Department shall not require any person to use or install a digital 8
license plate or digital license plate device. 9
3. All digital license plates authorized for use pursuant to this 10
section must: 11
(a) Display the license plate code assigned to the vehicle by the 12
Department and evidence of valid registration at all times, 13
including, without limitation, when the vehicle is in motion, 14
stationary, parked or unoccupied. 15
(b) Be plainly readable by the human eye from a distance of 16
100 feet during daylight and darkness. 17
(c) Be displayed on a digital license plate device that has been 18
approved by the Department and purchased from a vendor 19
approved by the Department. 20
(d) Display only information and images required or 21
authorized for display by the Department. 22
4. The Department may: 23
(a) Approve alternative banner messages to appear on the 24
bottom of a digital license plate. 25
(b) Authorize the sale or resale of digital license plate devices 26
by a device manufacturer or by participating vendors, subject to 27
review and approval by the Department. 28
(c) By regulation, restrict the types or classes of vehicles for 29
which the Department will authorize the use of a digital license 30
plate. 31
5. The Department may authorize digital license plates to 32
replicate the appearance of a license plate type other than a 33
standard license plate. If the Department authorizes a digital 34
license plate to replicate the appearance of a special license plate, 35
the Department shall charge for the use of a digital license plate 36
which replicates the appearance of a special license plate, in 37
addition to all other applicable registration and license fees and 38
governmental services taxes, only the additional fee for the initial 39
issuance or renewal of the special license plate, as applicable, 40
which is imposed to generate financial support for a particular 41
cause or charitable organization. Any such fee must be deposited 42
and distributed in the same manner as the fee imposed with 43
respect to the conventional version of the special license plate. A 44
digital license plate which replicates the appearance of a special 45
– 5 –
- *AB296*
license plate is valid for the same length of time as the 1
conventional version of the special license plate. A digital license 2
plate which replicates the appearance of a special license plate is 3
renewable upon payment of any required fee imposed to generate 4
financial support for a particular cause or charitable 5
organization, except that the Department may cease the use of 6
digital license plates which replicate the appearance of a special 7
license plate which the Department no longer issues in 8
conventional form. If the owner of a vehicle does not renew the 9
digital license plate which replicates the appearance of a special 10
license plate or the Department has ceased the use of the digital 11
license plate which replicates the appearance of a special license 12
plate previously used by the owner of a vehicle, the owner of a 13
vehicle may continue to use a digital license plate which does not 14
replicate the appearance of the special license plate. 15
6. The Department may authorize a digital license plate to 16
replicate the appearance of a personalized prestige license plate 17
issued pursuant to NRS 482.3667 by displaying a personalized 18
license plate code. The Department may impose a reasonable fee 19
to authorize and renew the use of a digital license plate that 20
replicates the appearance of a personalized prestige license plate, 21
which fee must be designed to defray the administrative costs to 22
the Department to review and approve the personalized license 23
plate code but not include any amount which is normally charged 24
for a conventional personalized prestige license plate to defray the 25
costs of manufacturing the plate. A digital license plate which 26
replicates the appearance of a personalized prestige license plate is 27
valid for the same length of time as a conventional personalized 28
prestige license plate as provided in NRS 482.3667 and is 29
renewable upon payment of the required fee. Any fees collected 30
pursuant to this subsection must be deposited with the State 31
Treasurer to the credit of the Motor Vehicle Fund. The provisions 32
of subsections 5, 6 and 7 of NRS 482.3667 apply with equal force 33
to a digital license plate which replicates the appearance of a 34
personalized prestige license plate. 35
7. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 5 and 6, the 36
Department shall not charge any additional fee for the use of a 37
digital license plate or digital license plate device in excess of any 38
applicable registration and license fee and governmental services 39
taxes. 40
8. The Department shall adopt regulations: 41
(a) Prescribing standards for the personally identifiable 42
information which may be stored on a digital license plate or 43
digital license plate device, which must be limited to that 44
information which is deemed necessary by the Department to 45
– 6 –
- *AB296*
display evidence of registration compliance or for the 1
manufacturer or vendor to provide services to the owner of a 2
digital license plate device. 3
(b) Prescribing standards governing the use of digital license 4
plates and digital license plate devices, including, without 5
limitation: 6
(1) Protocols for data sharing, privacy and security. 7
(2) Information which must be displayed on a digital 8
license plate. 9
(3) Information and images which may be displayed on a 10
digital license plate, which may include, if determined by the 11
Department to be appropriate and not contrary to the interests of 12
the public, emergency service alerts and personalized messages. 13
(4) The list of digital license plate devices which are 14
approved for use pursuant to this section. 15
(5) The procedure through which a person may apply to 16
use a digital license plate. 17
9. All provisions of this title relating to license plates apply to 18
digital license plates and digital license plate devices except: 19
(a) As otherwise specifically provided; 20
(b) As to those provisions which, owing to the physical 21
differences between digital license plates or digital license plate 22
devices and conventional license plates, can have no application; 23
(c) Provisions requiring the return or surrender of license 24
plates to the Department do not require the return or surrender of 25
a digital license plate device which was not purchased from the 26
Department; and 27
(d) The provisions of NRS 482.270 do not apply to a digital 28
license plate or digital license plate device. 29
10. As used in this section: 30
(a) “Digital license plate” means a digital image displayed on 31
a digital license plate device that includes the license plate code 32
assigned to the vehicle and any other information or images which 33
the Department may authorize or require by regulation. 34
(b) “Digital license plate device” means an electronic device 35
capable of: 36
(1) Being mounted to a motor vehicle in accordance with 37
the requirements for motor vehicle license plates; and 38
(2) Displaying a digital license plate. 39
(c) “License plate code” means the unique combination of 40
numbers, letters or both numbers and letters appearing on the face 41
of a license plate. 42
(d) “Special license plate” means a special license plate issued 43
pursuant to NRS 482.3667 to 482.3823, inclusive. 44
– 7 –
- *AB296*
Sec. 3. NRS 482.265 is hereby amended to read as follows: 1
482.265 1. [The] Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2
5, the Department shall furnish to every owner whose vehicle is 3
registered two license plates for a motor vehicle other than a 4
motorcycle or moped and one license plate for all other vehicles 5
required to be registered hereunder. Except as otherwise provided in 6
NRS 482.2085 and 482.2155, or unless unnecessary because a 7
digital license plate has been authorized for use on the vehicle, 8
upon renewal of registration, the Department may issue one or more 9
license plate stickers, tabs or other suitable devices in lieu of new 10
license plates. 11
2. The Director shall have the authority to require the return to 12
the Department of all number plates upon termination of the lawful 13
use thereof by the owner under this chapter. 14
3. Except as otherwise specifically provided by statute, for the 15
issuance of each special license plate authorized pursuant to this 16
chapter: 17
(a) The fee to be received by the Department for the initial 18
issuance of the special license plate is $35, exclusive of any 19
additional fee which may be added to generate funds for a particular 20
cause or charitable organization; 21
(b) The fee to be received by the Department for the renewal of 22
the special license plate is $10, exclusive of any additional fee 23
which may be added to generate financial support for a particular 24
cause or charitable organization; and 25
(c) The Department shall not design, prepare or issue a special 26
license plate unless, within 4 years after the date on which the 27
measure authorizing the issuance becomes effective, it receives at 28
least 250 applications for the issuance of that plate. 29
4. The provisions of subsection 3 do not apply to 30
NRS 482.37901. 31
5. If, at the time of registration, the owner of a vehicle applies 32
to use a digital license plate on the vehicle pursuant to section 2 of 33
this act, the Department is not required to furnish a license plate 34
to the vehicle owner pursuant to subsection 1. If the owner of a 35
vehicle applies to use a digital license plate on a vehicle for which 36
a license plate was previously issued by the Department, the 37
Department may require the return to the Department of the 38
license plate or plates previously issued for the vehicle. 39
Sec. 4. NRS 482.267 is hereby amended to read as follows: 40
482.267 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 [,] 41
and section 2 of this act, the Director shall utilize the facility for the 42
production of license plates which is located at the Department of 43
Corrections to produce all license plates required by the Department 44
of Motor Vehicles. 45
– 8 –
- *AB296*
2. The Director may contract with a vendor for the production 1
of license plates which require technological or mechanical 2
processes which are not available at the facility. 3
Sec. 5. NRS 482.275 is hereby amended to read as follows: 4
482.275 1. The license plates for a motor vehicle other than a 5
motorcycle, moped or motor vehicle being transported by a licensed 6
vehicle transporter must be attached thereto, one in the rear and, 7
except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 [,] or 3, one in the 8
front. The license plate issued for all other vehicles required to be 9
registered must be attached to the rear of the vehicle. The license 10
plates must be so displayed during the current calendar year or 11
registration period. 12
2. If the motor vehicle was not manufactured to include a 13
bracket, device or other contrivance to display and secure a front 14
license plate, and if the manufacturer of the motor vehicle provided 15
no other means or method by which a front license plate may be 16
displayed upon and secured to the motor vehicle: 17
(a) One license plate must be attached to the motor vehicle in 18
the rear; and 19
(b) The other license plate may, at the option of the owner of the 20
vehicle, be attached to the motor vehicle in the front. 21
3. If a digital license plate has been authorized for use on a 22
motor vehicle pursuant to section 2 of this act: 23
(a) The digital license plate device must be attached to the 24
motor vehicle in the rear; and 25
(b) No license plate is required to be attached to the motor 26
vehicle in the front. 27
4. The provisions of subsection 2 do not relieve the 28
Department of the duty to issue a set of two license plates as 29
otherwise required pursuant to NRS 482.265 or other applicable law 30
and do not entitle the owner of a motor vehicle to pay a reduced tax 31
or fee in connection with the registration or transfer of the motor 32
vehicle. If the owner of a motor vehicle, in accordance with the 33
provisions of subsection 2, exercises the option to attach a license 34
plate only to the rear of the motor vehicle, the owner shall: 35
(a) Retain the other license plate; and 36
(b) Insofar as it may be practicable, return or surrender both 37
plates to the Department as a set when required by law to do so. 38
[4.] 5. Every license plate , including a digital license plate 39
device, must at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which 40
it is assigned so as to prevent the plate from swinging and at a 41
height not less than 12 inches from the ground, measuring from the 42
bottom of such plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible, 43
and must be maintained free from foreign materials and in a 44
condition to be clearly legible. 45
– 9 –
- *AB296*
[5.] 6. Any license plate which is issued to a vehicle 1
transporter or a dealer, rebuilder or manufacturer may be attached to 2
a vehicle owned or controlled by that person by a secure means. No 3
license plate may be displayed loosely in the window or by any 4
other unsecured method in any motor vehicle. 5
Sec. 6. Section 7 of chapter 498, Statutes of Nevada 2019, at 6
page 3006, is hereby amended to read as follows: 7
Sec. 7. 1. This section and section 6.5 of this act 8
become effective on July 1, 2019. 9
2. Sections 1 to 6, inclusive, of this act become effective 10
on October 1, 2019 . [, and expire by limitation on 11
December 31, 2026.] 12
Sec. 7. 1. This section and section 6 of this act become 13
effective upon passage and approval. 14
2. Sections 1 to 5, inclusive, of this act become effective: 15
(a) Upon passage and approval for the purpose of adopting any 16
regulations and performing any other preparatory administrative 17
tasks that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this act; and 18
(b) On July 1, 2025, for all other purposes. 19
H