Section 206.02 - Special Interest or Environmental License Plate Application(a) A registered owner or lessee of a vehicle may request a Special Interest or Environmental License Plate. An application for a special interest or environmental license plates, as defined in section 206.00 of this Article and Sections 5060 and 5103 of the Vehicle Code, shall be submitted in person or by mail to the department on a completed Special Interest or Environmental License Plate Application, form REG 17 (Rev. 11/2023), which is hereby incorporated by reference, and available on the Internet at www.dmv.ca.gov, or completed and submitted through the department's online ordering system. (1) If the application is submitted in person, it shall be submitted to any department field office.(2) If the application is submitted by mail, it shall be mailed to the Department of Motor Vehicles, SPU, MS D238, P.O. Box 932345, Sacramento, CA 94232-3450.(3) If the application is submitted online, it shall be completed through the department's online ordering system at www.dmv.ca.gov.(b) The application shall be accompanied by the applicable fees specified in Sections 4850, 5106 and 5108 of the Vehicle Code; the fees may be found by searching for "special plate fees" on the department website at www.dmv.ca.gov.(c) Environmental license plate configuration.(1) The configuration shall comply with the specifications of Section 5105 of the Vehicle Code.(2) When a requested configuration is not available, a letter shall not be substituted for a number, nor shall a number be substituted for a letter, to create another configuration of a similar appearance.(3) The number zero shall not be used in the configuration.(4) The department shall refuse any configuration that would be misleading, or the following: (A) The configuration has a sexual or scatological meaning.(B) The configuration is an expletive or term considered profane or obscene.(C) The configuration has conveys any kind of message related to the following characteristics of a group of people: race, ethnic or national origin, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.(D) The configuration contains fighting words, or refers to illegal or violent acts, including, but not limited to criminal gang affiliation or activity, weapons, genocide, or creates a risk of inciting violence.(E) The configuration misrepresents an association with government or a law enforcement through any combination of letters or numbers which indicate an affiliation to an agency or to an office or position, including, but not limited to an elected office, employment as a police officer, firefighter, emergency medical technician, paramedic or first responder.(F) The configuration is a non-English or slang word or term or is a phonetic spelling or mirror image of a word or term falling into the categories described in subsections (A) through (E) above.(d) The department shall not honor a request for a change of license plate selection or letter/number configuration, or a request for a refund, after the application is submitted, unless the request is due to department error.(1) If the department erred when making the special interest or environmental license plate, and the license plate owner requests a change, the license plate owner shall be permitted to submit a new application without payment of additional fees.(2) If the department did not err when making the special interest or environmental license plate, a new application and application fees shall be submitted for any change requested.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 13, § 206.02
Note: Authority cited: Sections 1651, 1652 and 5110, Vehicle Code. Reference: Sections 4850, 5004.3, 5024, 5060, 5064, 5066, 5067, 5068, 5072, 5074, 5075, 5101, 5102, 5103, 5105, 5106, 5108, 5109, 5156, 5156.7, 5157 and 5158, Vehicle Code; and Ogilvie v. Gordon, No. 4:20-cv-01707-JST (N.D.Cal. 11/24/20)/(EFC Nos.40,47).
Note: Authority cited: Sections 1651 and 5110, Vehicle Code. Reference: Sections 5101, 5104 and 5105, Vehicle Code.
1. Change without regulatory effect renumbering section 170.02 to new section 206.02 filed 2-15-2018 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2018, No. 7).
2. Renumbering of section 206.02 to section 206.04 and renumbering of former section 206.00 to section 206.02, including amendment of section heading, section and NOTE, filed 8-8-2024; operative 8/8/2024 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2024, No. 32).