1. An organization, other than an organization seeking a special military license plate or a collegiate or university plate, that seeks authorization to establish a new specialty license plate shall initially petition the department of revenue by submitting the following:
(1) An application in a form prescribed by the director for the particular specialty license plate being sought, describing the proposed specialty license plate in general terms and have a sponsor of at least one current member of the general assembly in the same legislative session in which the application is reviewed pursuant to subsection 5 of section 21.795 . The application may contain written testimony for support of this specialty plate;
(2) Each application submitted pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by a list of at least two hundred potential applicants who plan to purchase the specialty plate if the specialty plate is approved pursuant to this section;
(3) An application fee, not to exceed five thousand dollars, to defray the department's cost for issuing, developing and programming the implementation of the specialty plate, if authorized; and
(4) All moneys received by the department of revenue, for the reviewing and development of specialty plates shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the "Department of Revenue Specialty Plate Fund" which is hereby created. The state treasurer shall be custodian of the fund and shall make disbursements from the fund requested by the Missouri director of revenue for personal services, expenses, and equipment required to prepare, review, develop, and disseminate a new specialty plate and process the two hundred applications to be submitted once the plate is approved and to refund deposits for the application of such specialty plate, if the application is not approved by the joint committee on transportation oversight and for no other purpose.
2. At the end of each state fiscal year, the director of revenue shall:
(1) Determine the amount of all moneys deposited into the department of revenue specialty plate fund;
(2) Determine the amount of disbursements from the department of revenue specialty plate fund which were made to produce the specialty plate and process the two hundred applications; and
(3) Subtract the amount of disbursements from the income figure referred to in subdivision (1) of this subsection and deliver this figure to the state treasurer.
3. The state treasurer shall transfer an amount of money equal to the figure provided by the director of revenue from the department of revenue specialty plate fund to the state highway department fund. An unexpended balance in the department of revenue specialty plate fund at the end of the biennium not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars shall be exempt from the provisions of section 33.080 relating to transfer of unexpended balances to the general revenue fund.
4. The documents and fees required pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the department of revenue by July first prior to the next regular session of the general assembly to be approved or denied by the joint committee on transportation oversight during that legislative session.
5. The department of revenue shall give notice of any proposed specialty plate in a manner reasonably calculated to advise the public of such proposal. Reasonable notice shall include posting the proposal for the specialty plate on the department's official public website, and making available copies of the specialty plate application to any representative of the news media or public upon request and posting the application on a bulletin board or other prominent public place which is easily accessible to the public and clearly designated for that purpose at the principal office.
6. Adequate notice conforming with all the requirements of subsection 5 of this section shall be given not less than four weeks, exclusive of weekends and holidays when the facility is closed, after the submission of the application by the organization to the department of revenue. Written or electronic testimony in support or opposition of the proposed specialty plate shall be submitted to the department of revenue by November thirtieth of the year of filing of the original proposal. All written testimony shall contain the printed name, signature, address, phone number, and email address, if applicable, of the individual giving the testimony.
7. The department of revenue shall submit for approval all applications for the development of specialty plates to the joint committee on transportation oversight during a regular session of the general assembly for approval.
8. If the specialty license plate requested by an organization is approved by the joint committee on transportation oversight, the organization shall submit the proposed art design for the specialty license plate to the department as soon as practicable, but no later than sixty days after the approval of the specialty license plate. If the specialty license plate requested by the organization is not approved by the joint committee on transportation oversight, ninety-seven percent of the application fee shall be refunded to the requesting organization.
9. An emblem-use authorization fee may be charged by the organization prior to the issuance of an approved specialty plate. The organization's specialty plate proposal approved by the joint committee on transportation oversight shall state what fee is required to obtain such statement and if such fee is required annually or biennially, if the applicant has a two-year registration. An organization applying for specialty plates shall authorize the use of its official emblem to be affixed on multiyear personalized license plates within the plate area prescribed by the director of revenue and as provided in this section. Any contribution to the organization derived from the emblem-use contribution, except reasonable administrative costs, shall be used solely for the purposes of the organization. Any member of the organization or nonmember, if applicable, may annually apply for the use of the emblem, if applicable.
10. The department shall begin production and distribution of each new specialty license plate within one year after approval of the specialty license plate by the joint committee on transportation oversight.
11. The department shall issue a specialty license plate to the owner who meets the requirements for issuance of the specialty plate for any motor vehicle such owner owns, either solely or jointly, other than an apportioned motor vehicle or a commercial motor vehicle licensed in excess of twenty-four thousand pounds gross weight.
12. Each new or renewed application for an approved specialty license plate shall be made to the department of revenue, accompanied by an additional fee of fifteen dollars and the appropriate emblem-use authorization statement.
13. The appropriate registration fees, fifteen dollar specialty plate fee, processing fees and documents otherwise required for the issuance of registration of the motor vehicle as set forth by law must be submitted at the time the specialty plates are actually issued and renewed or as otherwise provided by law. However, no additional fee for the personalization of this plate shall be charged.
14. Once a specialty plate design is approved, a request for such plate may be made any time during a registration period. If a request is made for a specialty license plate to replace a current valid license plate, all documentation, credits, and fees provided for in this chapter when replacing a current license plate shall apply.
15. A vehicle owner who was previously issued a plate with an organization emblem authorized by this section, but who does not provide an emblem-use authorization statement at a subsequent time of registration if required, shall be issued a new plate which does not bear the organization's emblem, as otherwise provided by law.
16. Specialty license plates shall bear a design approved by the organization submitting the original application for approval by the joint committee on transportation oversight. The design shall be within the plate area prescribed by the director of revenue, and the designated organization's name or slogan shall be in place of the words "SHOW-ME STATE". Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme, shall be clearly visible at night, shall have a reflective white background in the area of the plate configuration, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130 and as provided in this section. In addition to a design, the specialty license plates shall be in accordance with criteria and plate design set forth in this chapter.
17. The department is authorized to discontinue the issuance and renewal of a specialty license plate if the organization has stopped providing services and emblem-use authorization statements are no longer being issued by the organization. Such organizations shall notify the department immediately to discontinue the issuance of a specialty plate.
18. The organization that requested the specialty license plate shall not redesign the specialty personalized license plate unless such organization pays the director in advance all redesigned plate fees. All plate holders of such plates must pay the replacement fees prescribed in section 301.300 for the replacement of the existing specialty plate. All other applicable license plate fees in accordance with this chapter shall be required.