(1) A registered owner may purchase personalized license plates with a special license plate background for any vehicle required to display one or two vehicle license plates, excluding:

(a) Amateur radio license plates;

(b) Collector vehicle license plates;

(c) Disabled American veteran license plates;

(d) Former prisoner of war license plates;

(e) Horseless carriage license plates;

(f) Medal of Honor license plates;

(g) Military affiliate radio system license plates;

(h) Pearl Harbor survivor license plates;

(i) Restored license plates; and

(j) Vehicles registered under chapter 46.87 RCW.

(2) Personalized special license plates issued under this section must:

(a) Consist of numbers or letters or any combination of numbers or letters;

(b) Not exceed seven characters; and

(c) Not contain less than one character.

(3) The department may not issue or may refuse to issue personalized special license plates that:

(a) Duplicate or conflict with existing or projected vehicle license plate series or other numbering systems for records kept by the department; or

(b) May carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency or which would be misleading.

(4) Personalized special license plates must be issued only to the registered owner of the vehicle on which they are to be displayed. The registered owner must:

(a) Pay both the personalized license plate fee required under RCW 46.17.210 and the special license plate fee required under the applicable special license plate provision, in addition to any other fee or taxes due. License plate fees must be distributed as provided in chapter 46.68 RCW;

(b) Renew personalized special license plates annually, regardless of whether or not the vehicle on which the personalized special license plates are displayed will be driven on the public highways;

(c) Surrender personalized special license plates that have not been renewed to the department. The failure to surrender expired personalized special license plates is a traffic infraction; and

(d) Immediately report to the department when personalized special license plates have been transferred to another vehicle or another owner.

(5) The department may establish rules as necessary to carry out this section including, but not limited to, identifying the maximum number of positions on personalized special license plates for motorcycles.

Effective date—Intent—Legislation to reconcile chapter 161, Laws of 2010 and other amendments made during the 2010 legislative session—2010 c 161: See notes following RCW 46.04.013.