Specialty plates on the chopping block

Montana’s bounty of more than 250 specialty license plates is set to be cut down substantially if the organizations promoting the plates can’t meet a new minimum threshold by this summer.

The Legislature in 2019 passed Senate Bill 353, which updated the rules around sponsored plates, making it mandatory that the Montana Motor Vehicle Division discontinue designs that don’t meet a 400-plate threshold within three years.

The state put 85 groups on notice in January that failed to meet the minimum standard. If they don’t hit the 400-plate requirement by July 1, their designs will be destined for the dustbin of Montana’s bumper embellishments.

Many local nonprofits are among the 85 plates on the brink of extinction, including the Flathead and Glacier high school booster clubs, Flathead Valley Skiing Foundation, Friends of the Wild Swan, Swan Valley Connections, Eureka and Libby school districts, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Blackfeet Tribe, Whitefish Historical Society and Whitefish Legacy Partners.

Each of these groups ponied up $4,000 to have their plates printed, and for many the revenue returned proved to be critical to fund operations. Quite simply, they count on it.

For Whitefish Legacy Partners, the nonprofit that oversee the Whitefish Trail system, the specialty plate revenue accounts for about 8% of its annual trail operations and maintenance budget. If the group’s plates are discontinued, it will have to find an alternative way to fund those tasks that benefit thousands of trail-users.

“We’re going to have to find something, but we don’t have it figured out yet,” said executive director Heidi Van Everen.

Whitefish Legacy Partners needs to pick up about 200 more sponsored plates before the July deadline — a tall order for sure.

Other groups are much closer, such as the Humane Society of Western Montana, which is only short by 23 plates. Thanks to an extension granted by the state last week, they’ll have a few more months to hit the requirement.

The 400-plate threshold is reasonable and should be easily attainable by nearly any nonprofit with broad appeal. Without an enforceable minimum requirement, Montana’s highways would be a confusing mess of obscure plates — something the Montana Highway Patrol has said it wants to avoid.

“It’s hard to distinguish sometimes with 250 different plate designs for law enforcement when they’re out on the road to know if they’re a legitimate plate or not,” Sarah Garcia, MVD administrator, told KTVQ News.

Now is the time for groups on the verge of losing their sponsored plates to get to work and get the word out to keep their designs on the road. And if a group you endorse is on the list of 85 endangered plates, be sure to show your support by making a trip to the Motor Vehicle Division. Don’t delay, the clock is ticking.