South Carolina General Assembly
121st Session, 2015-2016

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Bill 4137


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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE REGISTERING AND LICENSING OF MOTOR VEHICLES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE TEAM SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 36

National Football League Team Special License Plates

Section 56-3-13710.    (A)    The Department of Motor Vehicles may issue special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles as defined in Section 56-3-630 registered in their names which may have imprinted on the license plates an emblem, a seal, or other symbol the department considers an appropriate replica of each National Football League (NFL) team. The NFL or an NFL team may submit to the department for approval of the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for its respective special license plate. Before a design is approved, the NFL or an NFL team must submit to the department written authorization for the use of a copyrighted or registered logo, trademark, or design. The NFL or an NFL team also may request a change in its respective emblem, seal, or other symbol once the existing supply has been exhausted. Notwithstanding the provisions contained in Sections 56-3-8000 and 56-3-8100, the fee for each special license plate is seventy dollars every two years in addition to the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued.

(B)    From the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses of producing the special license plates. The remaining funds must be distributed to the United Way.

(C)    Notwithstanding the provisions contained in Sections 56-3-8000 and 56-3-8100, before the department produces and distributes an NFL team respective special license plate pursuant to this section, it must receive two hundred prepaid applications for an NFL team's respective special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of an NFL team's respective license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for the NFL team's respective license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the respective license plate, the department shall retain the deposit.

(D)    Notwithstanding the provisions contained in Sections 56-3-8000 and 56-3-8100, if the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular NFL team's special license plate, it may choose not to produce additional special license plates in that series. However, the department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on May 6, 2015 at 11:03 AM