2025
STATE OF WYOMING
25LSO-0359
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1HB0226
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0226
License plate-search and rescue council.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Campbell, K, Allemand,
Guggenmos, Haroldson, Kelly, Posey, Strock,
Tarver, Williams and Winter and Senator(s)
Boner
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to motor vehicle license plates;
2 authorizing specially designed license plates to be issued
3 to benefit search and rescue efforts; specifying
4 requirements; authorizing fees; making conforming
5 amendments; specifying applicability; and providing for an
6 effective date.
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10. W.S. 31-2-234 is created to read:
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2HB02261 (a) Any person required to register a vehicle in
2 Wyoming pursuant to this article may apply to the
3 department for a statement of eligibility for search and
4 rescue license plates for any motor vehicle that is not a
5 commercial vehicle or multipurpose vehicle owned or leased
6 by that person upon registration of the vehicle. The
7 department may include as part of the application the
8 option for the applicant to donate an additional amount in
9 support of search and rescue activities. Upon payment by
10 the applicant of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars
11 ($150.00) to the department, plus any additional voluntary
12 amount, the department shall issue a written statement of
13 eligibility for search and rescue license plates. The
14 department shall assess an annual fee of fifty dollars
15 ($50.00) for a person to retain eligibility for search and
16 rescue license plates, but this annual fee shall not be
17 charged in the year the person pays the one hundred fifty
18 dollars ($150.00) eligibility fee. The person may submit an
19 additional voluntary amount in support of search and rescue
20 activities when remitting the annual fee.
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22 (b) The fees collected under subsection (a) of this
23 section shall be payable to the department and shall be 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0359
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3HB0226
1 accounted for separately. Except as otherwise provided by
2 law, the fees collected under subsection (a) of this
3 section shall be distributed to the search and rescue
4 account within the office of homeland security as created
5 in W.S. 19-13-301. Funds distributed to the search and
6 rescue account under this section shall be administered in
7 accordance with the following:
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9 (i) The funds deposited in the search and rescue
10 account under this section are continuously appropriated to
11 the office of homeland security and shall only be used for
12 the purposes provided in W.S. 19-13-301(b) and
13 19-13-301(c);
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15 (ii) The office of homeland security may
16 establish methods to accept voluntary contributions in
17 support of search and rescue activities for deposit into
18 the search and rescue account. The office of homeland
19 security may suggest and solicit specific contribution
20 amounts;
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22 (iii) The department, in consultation with the
23 Wyoming office of homeland security, is authorized to 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0359
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4HB0226
1 receive and credit to the search and rescue account, any
2 money or property of any kind or character donated, granted
3 or bequeathed to Wyoming search and rescue activities. The
4 office of homeland security shall have the authority to
5 carry out the terms, if any, of the grant, donation or
6 bequest, or in the absence of any terms or limitations, to
7 expend the money or the proceeds of the property as it may
8 deem advisable for search and rescue activities under the
9 provisions of this section and W.S. 19-13-301.
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11 (c) Applicants shall apply at least thirty (30) days
12 before registration is required for the vehicle for which
13 the plates are intended. Except as provided in this
14 section, application for, issuance and renewal of the
15 search and rescue license plates under this section shall
16 be subject to the same requirements and fees as provided in
17 this article in addition to the fee collected under
18 subsection (a) of this section. The license plate fees
19 required under W.S. 31-3-102(a)(viii) shall accompany each
20 application. The license plates under this section shall be
21 issued by the county treasurer of each county and shall be
22 displayed only upon the vehicle for which they are issued.
23 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0359
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5HB02261 (d) The department shall prescribe the design of the
2 search and rescue license plates authorized by this section
3 in consultation with the public and other interested
4 parties, which shall include an image of the bucking horse
5 and rider described in W.S. 8-3-117. License plates
6 authorized by this section need not include Arabic numerals
7 designating the county. The department shall arrange for
8 production of the license plates. Following initial
9 approval, search and rescue license plates shall be subject
10 to redesign on the same schedule as all license plates
11 beginning with the year 2033 reissuance.
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13 (e) The department may prepare any special forms and
14 promulgate any rules necessary to carry out this section.
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16 (f) Unless one thousand (1,000) sets of license
17 plates are issued under this section before December 31,
18 2032, the plates authorized under this section shall be
19 eliminated from production and the department shall report
20 the cessation of production to the legislature not later
21 than January 15, 2033.
22 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0359
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6HB02261. W.S. 19-13-301(a) and by creating a new
2 subsection (d), 31-2-212, 31-2-225(a) by creating a new
3 paragraph (vii) and 31-3-101 by creating a new subsection
4 (k) are amended to read:
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9 (a) The search and rescue account is created. Fees
10 identified in W.S. 23-2-101, 23-2-201, 31-2-404,
11 31-2-409, 31-2-703, 41-13-109 and 41-13-110 shall be
12 deposited in the state treasury to the credit of this
13 account.
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7HB02261
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4 Upon loss, mutilation or destruction of a certificate of
5 registration, license plate, or validation sticker the
6 owner of a vehicle may obtain a duplicate certificate of
7 registration, new license plates or validation stickers
8 from any county treasurer or the department if the vehicle
9 was registered or plates or stickers were issued by the
10 department upon application showing the loss, mutilation or
11 destruction, return of mutilated plates or stickers and
12 payment of the duplicate registration, plate or sticker
13 fee. For those vehicles registered under the provisions of
14 W.S. 31-2-213(h), 31-2-215 through 31-2-223, 31-2-226,
15 31-2-227 or 31-2-229 through replacement
16 duplicate license plates may be obtained upon application
17 with the county treasurer from which the original plates
18 were purchased or the department if applicable, accompanied
19 by fees as provided by W.S. 31-3-102(a)(vi)(C). Duplicate
20 license plates obtained under this section to replace lost
21 or stolen plates shall not be displayed on the vehicle
22 until the validation stickers on the lost or stolen plates
23 have expired. Upon loss, mutilation or destruction of a 2025STATE OF WYOMING25LSO-0359
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8HB0226
1 dealer plate or validation sticker the dealer may obtain a
2 replacement dealer plate or validation sticker from the
3 county treasurer from which he purchased the original plate
4 in the same manner as the owner of a vehicle and upon
5 payment of the appropriate fee under W.S. 31-3-102(a)(vi).
6 Obtaining a replacement plate is not the purchase of an
7 additional plate under W.S. 31-16-125(b)(i). Upon
8 application for new license plates or stickers the county
9 treasurer shall notify the department and the county
10 sheriff as soon as possible of the loss, mutilation or
11 destruction. The department shall notify the appropriate
12 law enforcement agencies of any loss, mutilation or
13 destruction of license plates or stickers.
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18 (a) Applications for registration of vehicles shall
19 be filed in the office of the county treasurer in person,
20 by regular mail, or if available, electronically, in the
21 county in which the owner of the vehicle resides or in any
22 county in any other case and contain:
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9HB02261
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16The department of transportation shall
17 make search and rescue account license plates available
18 beginning on January 1, 2026.
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20This act is effective July 1, 2025
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22 (END)