1. As used in this section, “special license plate” means:

(a) A license plate that the Department has designed and prepared pursuant to NRS 482.367002 in accordance with the system of application and petition described in that section;

(b) A license plate approved by the Legislature that the Department has designed and prepared pursuant to NRS 482.3747, 482.37903, 482.37905, 482.37917, 482.379175, 482.37918, 482.37919, 482.3792, 482.3793, 482.37933, 482.37934, 482.37935, 482.379355, 482.379365, 482.37937, 482.379375, 482.37938, 482.37939, 482.37945 or 482.37947; and

(c) Except for a license plate that is issued pursuant to NRS 482.3746, 482.3751, 482.3752, 482.3757, 482.3783, 482.3785, 482.3787, 482.37901, 482.37902, 482.37906, 482.3791, 482.3794 or 482.3817, a license plate that is approved by the Legislature after July 1, 2005.

2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, and except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, the Department shall not, at any one time, issue more than 30 separate designs of special license plates. Whenever the total number of separate designs of special license plates issued by the Department at any one time is less than 30, the Department shall issue a number of additional designs of special license plates that have been authorized by an act of the Legislature or the application for which has been recommended by the Commission on Special License Plates to be approved by the Department pursuant to subsection 5 of NRS 482.367004, not to exceed a total of 30 designs issued by the Department at any one time. Such additional designs must be issued by the Department in accordance with the chronological order of their authorization or approval by the Department.

3. In addition to the special license plates described in subsection 2, the Department may issue not more than five separate designs of special license plates in excess of the limit set forth in that subsection. To qualify for issuance pursuant to this subsection:

(a) The Commission on Special License Plates must have recommended to the Department that the Department approve the design, preparation and issuance of the special plates as described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection 5 of NRS 482.367004; and

(b) The special license plates must have been applied for, designed, prepared and issued pursuant to NRS 482.367002, except that:

(1) The application for the special license plates must be accompanied by a surety bond posted with the Department in the amount of $20,000; and

(2) Pursuant to the assessment of the viability of the design of the special license plates that is conducted pursuant to this section, it is determined that at least 3,000 special license plates have been issued.

4. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, on October 1 of each year the Department shall assess the viability of each separate design of special license plate that the Department is currently issuing by determining the total number of validly registered motor vehicles to which that design of special license plate is affixed. The Department shall not determine the total number of validly registered motor vehicles to which a particular design of special license plate is affixed if:

(a) The particular design of special license plate was designed and prepared by the Department pursuant to NRS 482.367002; and

(b) On October 1, that particular design of special license plate has been available to be issued for less than 12 months.

5. If, on October 1, the total number of validly registered motor vehicles to which a particular design of special license plate is affixed is:

(a) In the case of special license plates not described in subsection 3, less than 1,000; or

(b) In the case of special license plates described in subsection 3, less than 3,000,

the Director shall provide notice of that fact in the manner described in subsection 6.

6. The notice required pursuant to subsection 5 must be provided:

(a) If the special license plate generates financial support for a cause or charitable organization, to that cause or charitable organization.

(b) If the special license plate does not generate financial support for a cause or charitable organization, to an entity which is involved in promoting the activity, place or other matter that is depicted on the plate.

7. If, on December 31 of the same year in which notice was provided pursuant to subsections 5 and 6, the total number of validly registered motor vehicles to which a particular design of special license plate is affixed is:

(a) In the case of special license plates not described in subsection 3, less than 1,000; or

(b) In the case of special license plates described in subsection 3, less than 3,000,

the Director shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, issue an order providing that the Department will no longer issue that particular design of special license plate. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 of NRS 482.265, such an order does not require existing holders of that particular design of special license plate to surrender their plates to the Department and does not prohibit those holders from renewing those plates.

(Added to NRS by 2003, 3066; A 2005, 2848; 2007, 575; 2009, 494; 2011, 303, 1793; 2013, 472, 557, 1401, 1478, 2552; 2015, 257, 661, 1943, 2820; 2017, 3574; 2019, 563, 899, 1326, 1484, 3089, effective January 1, 2020)