Florida Senate - 2022 CS for SB 1178
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senator Broxson
596-02633A-22 20221178c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to license plates; amending s. 320.01,
3 F.S.; defining the term “digital license plate”;
4 amending s. 320.06, F.S.; authorizing the Department
5 of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to conduct a
6 pilot program to evaluate designs, concepts, and
7 technologies for a digital, rather than an
8 alternative, license plate pilot program; authorizing
9 the department to investigate the feasibility of
10 digital license plate designs, concepts, and
11 technologies that, at a minimum, meet certain
12 prerequisites; requiring the department to administer
13 any such pilot program and to contract with digital
14 license plate providers in implementing such a
15 program; providing timeframes for any such program;
16 requiring the department to make written
17 recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature;
18 authorizing the department to adopt rules; amending s.
19 320.07, F.S.; providing that an owner of a digital
20 license plate is not subject to penalties for failure
21 to display a validation sticker if certain conditions
22 are met; creating s. 320.08069, F.S.; providing
23 applicability; authorizing the department to allow a
24 registered motor vehicle to be equipped with an
25 approved digital license plate in lieu of a physical
26 license plate by a certain date; providing
27 requirements for purchasers of digital license plates;
28 authorizing the department to contract with digital
29 license plate providers for certain purposes;
30 providing a requirement for such contract; specifying
31 prohibited acts of digital license plate providers;
32 providing a civil penalty for violations; authorizing
33 the department to authorize digital license plates to
34 display a motor vehicle’s validation and to be used
35 for electronic toll collection and to display parking
36 permits, subject to certain requirements; requiring
37 the department to establish procedures for displaying
38 information on digital license plates; specifying
39 requirements for digital license plates, digital
40 license plate providers, and consumers; authorizing
41 the department to adopt rules; providing effective
42 dates.
43
44 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
45
46 Section 1. Subsection (46) is added to section 320.01,
47 Florida Statutes, to read:
48 320.01 Definitions, general.—As used in the Florida
49 Statutes, except as otherwise provided, the term:
50 (46) “Digital license plate” means an electronic display
51 meeting all specifications required by the department, which
52 must, at a minimum:
53 (a) Be designed to display the information required in this
54 chapter to be included on a physical license plate;
55 (b) Be designed to be placed on a motor vehicle registered
56 under this chapter in lieu of a physical license plate;
57 (c) Be designed to display any other information that the
58 department, in consultation with law enforcement agencies,
59 determines may improve public safety; and
60 (d) Have been determined by the Department of
61 Transportation to have a display readable by current toll
62 collection systems and current law enforcement automated license
63 plate recognition hardware and software.
64 Section 2. Present subsection (6) of section 320.06,
65 Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (7), a new
66 subsection (6) is added to that section, and subsection (5) of
67 that section is amended, to read:
68 320.06 Registration certificates, license plates, and
69 validation stickers generally.—
70 (5) The department may conduct a pilot program to evaluate
71 the designs, concepts, and technologies for digital alternative
72 license plates as provided for in subsection (6). For purposes
73 of the pilot program, the department may shall investigate the
74 feasibility and use of digital alternative license plate
75 technologies that modernize license plates used in this state
76 and improve public safety, and the long-term cost impact to the
77 consumer. The pilot program shall be limited to license plates
78 that are used on government-owned motor vehicles as described in
79 s. 320.0655. Such license plates are exempt from the
80 requirements in paragraph (3)(a). For the purposes of this
81 subsection, digital license plate designs, concepts, and
82 technologies that the department may investigate the feasibility
83 and use of must include, but are not limited to, the ability to:
84 (a) Display information required to be included on a metal
85 or paper license plate.
86 (b) Display safety alerts issued by a governmental entity,
87 such as emergency alerts, Amber Alerts, and Silver Alerts.
88 (c) Display static logos, including unique displays for
89 fleet license plates, digital versions of specialty license
90 plates, and special license plates.
91 (d) Display the registration status of the motor vehicle to
92 which the plate is affixed.
93 (e) Display any other information that the department, in
94 consultation with law enforcement agencies, determines may
95 improve public safety.
96 (f) Be readable by current toll collection systems and
97 current law enforcement automated license plate recognition
98 hardware and software, as determined by the Department of
99 Transportation.
100 (g) Connect to the Internet.
101 (h) Use a mobile application and to integrate with the
102 department’s information system for the purpose of renewing
103 digital license plate registrations.
104 (i) Add and transfer data at the direction and discretion
105 of the department.
106 (6)(a) The department may conduct a pilot program for the
107 purpose of evaluating the designs, concepts, and technologies of
108 digital license plates for use in this state and allowing
109 government-owned vehicles registered under this chapter to be
110 equipped with a digital license plate in addition to being
111 issued a physical license plate.
112 (b) If the department conducts the pilot program, it must
113 administer the program and allow government-owned motor vehicles
114 registered under this chapter to be equipped with a digital
115 license plate in addition to being issued a physical license
116 plate under this section.
117 1. The department may contract with digital license plate
118 providers to participate in the pilot program.
119 2. For each digital license plate provider contracted by
120 the department to participate in the pilot program, the
121 department shall select at least two geographic regions of this
122 state and use at least 10 digital license plates in each region.
123 The pilot program must be implemented in at least one urban
124 region and one rural region of this state.
125 3. For each digital license plate provider contracted by
126 the department to participate in the pilot program, the
127 evaluation of the digital license plate designs, concepts, and
128 technologies must conclude within 6 months after the execution
129 of a contract for participation in the pilot program. Within 8
130 months after the execution of a contract to participate in the
131 pilot program for the evaluation of the digital license plate
132 designs, concepts, and technologies, the department shall make
133 written recommendations to the Governor, the President of the
134 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
135 regarding the implementation and use of the digital license
136 plate designs, concepts, and technologies.
137 (c) The department may adopt rules to implement this
138 subsection.
139 Section 3. Effective July 1, 2023, subsection (7) is added
140 to section 320.07, Florida Statutes, to read:
141 320.07 Expiration of registration; renewal required;
142 penalties.—
143 (7) An owner of a digital license plate as defined in s.
144 320.01(46) is not subject to the penalties in this section for
145 failure to display a validation sticker if the vehicle was
146 operated in compliance with this chapter and any rules adopted
147 by the department governing the placement of digital license
148 plates and registration renewal.
149 Section 4. Effective July 1, 2023, section 320.08069,
150 Florida Statutes, is created to read:
151 320.08069 Digital license plates.—
152 (1) APPLICABILITY.—Except as otherwise provided in this
153 section or rules adopted under this section, a digital license
154 plate issued under this section is subject to the laws of this
155 state applicable to a physical license plate. Physical license
156 plates must be renewed in accordance with the requirements of s.
157 320.06 relating to all fees due on an annual or semiannual
158 basis. However, digital license plates issued under this section
159 are exempt from s. 320.06(3)(a).
160 (2) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE ISSUANCE.—
161 (a) The department may allow a motor vehicle registered
162 under this chapter to be equipped with a department-approved
163 digital license plate in lieu of a physical license plate issued
164 under s. 320.06. However, the purchaser of a digital license
165 plate must first obtain a physical license plate from the
166 department before obtaining a digital license plate. Physical
167 license plates must be renewed in accordance with the
168 requirements of s. 320.06 relating to all fees due on an annual
169 or semiannual basis.
170 (b) The department may contract with digital license plate
171 providers for the issuance of digital license plates, including
172 any services related to the issuance of digital license plates.
173 The contract must include provisions governing the protection of
174 personal and motor vehicle registration data obtained by a
175 digital license plate provider in the performance of its
176 services. A digital license plate provider may not sell or share
177 personal or motor vehicle registration data and may not store,
178 sell, or share geolocation data from the use of a digital
179 license plate. A digital license plate provider that violates
180 this paragraph is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed
181 $5,000 per occurrence.
182 (c) The department may authorize the display of the motor
183 vehicle’s validation on each digital license plate in lieu of
184 the validation sticker. The validation must display the owner’s
185 birth month, the license plate number, and the year of
186 expiration or the appropriate renewal period if the owner is not
187 a natural person. The validation must be displayed in the upper
188 right corner of the digital license plate.
189 (d) The department may authorize the use of a digital
190 license plate for electronic toll collection, if such use has
191 been approved by the Department of Transportation or other
192 appropriate tolling authority, or to display a parking permit.
193 (e) The department shall establish procedures for
194 displaying information on a digital license plate, which may
195 include, but not be limited to:
196 1. An emergency alert or other public safety alert issued
197 by a governmental entity, including an alert pursuant to s.
198 937.021.
199 2. A company name or logo and unit number for fleet license
200 plates as described in s. 320.0657 and digital versions of
201 specialty license plates as described in s. 320.08058, special
202 license plates for military service as authorized in s. 320.089,
203 and special license plates for the Governor and federal and
204 state legislators as authorized in s. 320.0807.
205 3. Other displays that the department, in consultation with
206 law enforcement agencies, determines are in the interest of
207 public safety.
208 (3) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE REQUIREMENTS.—A digital license
209 plate issued under this section must:
210 (a) Meet the specifications and requirements adopted under
211 subsection (2).
212 (b) Include the same information required to be included on
213 a physical license plate and legibly display that information at
214 all times and in all light conditions.
215 (c) Have wireless connectivity capability.
216 (4) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE PROVIDERS.—A digital license
217 plate provider with whom the department contracts shall:
218 (a) Maintain an inventory of digital license plates issued
219 in this state by the digital license plate provider.
220 (b) Make available a digital version of each specialty
221 license plate authorized by the department.
222 (c) If a digital license plate displays a validation,
223 promptly update the display of the validation to reflect the
224 current registration period for the motor vehicle and, upon
225 request of the department, suspend the display of the validation
226 or indicate on the digital license plate that the registration
227 for the motor vehicle has expired.
228 (5) DIGITAL LICENSE PLATE CONSUMERS.—In addition to any
229 fees associated with the purchase of a digital license plate,
230 the consumer is also responsible for paying to the department
231 all applicable motor vehicle fees required by this chapter,
232 including any annual use fees pursuant to s. 320.08056
233 associated with any specialty license plate the consumer wishes
234 to display on the digital license plate.
235 (6) RULEMAKING.—The department may adopt rules to implement
236 this section.
237 Section 5. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this
238 act, this act shall take effect July 1, 2022.