186.174 Personalized license plates. (1) For purposes of this section, "personalized license plate" means a license plate issued with personal letters or numbers significant to the applicant and it also means a license plate that is issued under this section and has been combined with a special license plate. (2) Any owner or lessee of a motor vehicle that is required to be registered under the provisions of KRS 186.050(1), (3)(a), or (4)(a), or any owner or lessee of a motorcycle required to be registered under the provisions of KRS 186.050(2) may obtain a personalized license plate by applying for a personalized license plate in the office of the county clerk and upon payment of the fee required in KRS 186.162. A person initially applying for a personalized license plate shall submit the application and appropriate SF fee in person to the county clerk, but may submit the annual application to renew the personalized license plate and entire fee required in KRS 186.162 by mail to the county clerk. (3) Personalized license plates shall expire on the last day of the birth month of the applicant. (4) A personalized license plate shall be replaced on the same schedule as regular issue license plates unless it is damaged or unreadable. A county clerk shall immediately forward the application and the fee required in KRS 186.162 for a personalized license plate to the Transportation Cabinet. The initial fee for a personalized license plate that has been combined with special license plate shall be as established in KRS 186.162(3). (5) (a) A personalized plate shall not be issued that would conflict with or duplicate the alphabetical-numerical system used for regular license plates or any other license plates issued in the Commonwealth, and shall not contain a combination of more than six (6) letters of the alphabet and Arabic numerals, including spaces. (b) A personalized plate shall not be issued if the cabinet determines the request fails to comply with the following conditions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The message to be placed on the license plate, if created, shall not discriminate against any race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and shall not be construed, as determined by the cabinet, as an attempt to victimize or intimidate any person due to the person's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; The plate shall not represent a political party and shall not have been created primarily to promote a specific political belief; The plate shall not have as its primary purpose the promotion of any specific faith, religion, or antireligion; The plate shall not be the name of a special product or brand name, and shall not be construed, as determined by the cabinet, as promoting a product or brand name; and The plate's lettering or message to be placed on the license plate, if created, shall not be obscene, as determined by the cabinet. (c) The owner or lessee shall submit an application and fee to renew a personalized license plate pursuant to the provisions of this section. Once an applicant obtains a personalized plate, he or she will have first priority on that plate for each of the following years that he or she makes timely and proper application. Effective: June 27, 2019 History: Amended 2019 Ky. Acts ch. 107, sec. 4, effective June 27, 2019. -- Amended 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 148, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2018. -- Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 133, sec. 8, effective June 20, 2005. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 347, sec. 2, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 543, sec. 2, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 200, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 428, sec. 22, effective July 15, 1994. -- Amended 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 296, sec. 4, effective July 13, 1990; and ch. 498, sec. 4, effective July 13, 1990. -- Amended 1988 Ky. Acts ch. 143, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1988; ch. 150, sec. 10, effective July 15, 1988; and ch. 241, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1988. -- Amended 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 203, sec. 5, effective July 15, 1982. -- Amended 1980 Ky. Acts ch. 335, sec. 1, effective July 15, 1980. -- Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 239, sec. 9, effective June 17, 1978. -- Created 1976 Ky. Acts ch. 153, sec. 3, effective January 1, 1977.