AB 2734: Vehicles: special interest license plates.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), in consultation with the California Coastal Commission, to design and make available for issuance special environmental design license plates that bear a graphic design depicting a California coastal motif. The department is required to impose certain fees for the issuance, renewal, substitution, and transfer of the plates, in addition to the regular fees for an original registration or renewal of registration. Existing law requires that certain additional fees be allocated to the California Environmental License Plate Fund. The department, after deducting its administrative costs, is required to deposit any additional revenue derived from the issuance, renewal, transfer, and substitution of the special environmental design license plates, in the amount of 12 in the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account in the California Environmental License Plate Fund and 12 in the California Environmental License Plate Fund.

Existing law requires the Controller to allocate the funds in the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account, upon appropriation by the Legislature, first to the California Coastal Commission for expenditure for the specified public beach and coastal maintenance programs and second, from funds remaining after the first allocation, to the State Coastal Conservancy for coastal natural resource restoration and enhancement projects and for other coastal projects.

This bill would, for fees collected on or after January 1, 2027, allocate 12 of all additional revenue to the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account and would require the Controller, upon an appropriation by the Legislature, to allocate the moneys to the California Coastal Commission for beach and coastal maintenance programs and 12 to the Coastal Access Account for the support of grant programs administered by the State Coastal Conservancy, subject to a determination by the Department of Finance that a sufficient balance exists in the Environmental License Plate Fund to maintain the amount of the current year’s total expenditures and a prudent reserve, as defined.

Existing law authorizes state agencies to apply to the DMV to sponsor a specialized license plate program and requires the department to issue specialized plates for that program if the agency complies with certain requirements.

The bill would make certain allocations of moneys deposited to the California Environmental License Plate Fund on or after January 1, 2027, from the 49ers Foundation license plate program. Specifically, the bill would require (1)10% of these moneys to be deposited in the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account to be allocated, upon appropriation, to the California Coastal Commission for expenditure for the Whale Tail Grants Program, the Adopt-A-Beach program, the Coastal Cleanup Day program, and other coastal public education programs, (2)10% to be deposited in the Coastal Access Account within the State Coastal Conservancy Fund to be allocated, upon appropriation, for support of the State Coastal Conservancy’s Explore the Coast grants, and (3)20% to be allocated, upon appropriation, for the Outdoor Equity Grants Program.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 20, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 407, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 20, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. September 10, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
4. August 30, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6939.).
5. August 30, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
6. August 30, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).
7. August 30, 2026Ordered to special consent calendar.
8. August 27, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
9. August 26, 2026Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
10. August 13, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
11. August 13, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
12. August 3, 2026In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.