(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any new distinctive license plate authorized for issuance on and after July 1, 1994, shall be subject to the personalized license plate fee prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-132(d), and amendments thereto. This section shall not apply to any distinctive license plate authorized prior to July 1, 1994.

(2) On and after January 1, 2025, any distinctive license plate may be a personalized license plate subject to the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-132, and amendments thereto. Any personalized distinctive license plate shall be subject to a fee that is double the amount prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-132(d), and amendments thereto.

(b) The director of vehicles shall not issue any new distinctive license plate unless there is a guarantee of an initial issuance of at least 250 license plates.

(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to distinctive license plates issued under the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-177d, 8-1,145, 8-1,163, 8-1,166, 8-1,185, 8-1,186, 8-1,187, 8-1,188, 8-1,194, 8-1,195, 8-1,196, 8-1,197, 8-1,198, 8-1,199, 8-1,204 or 8-1,205, and amendments thereto, except that such distinctive license plates may be personalized license plates pursuant to subsection (a)(2) if an applicant pays the personalized license plate fee prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-132(d), and amendments thereto.

(d) The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to distinctive license plates issued under the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-1,146, 8-1,148, 8-1,153, 8-1,158 or 8-1,161, and amendments thereto, except that such distinctive license plates may be personalized license plates pursuant to subsection (a)(2) if an applicant pays the personalized license plate fee prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-132(d), and amendments thereto.

(e) The provisions of subsection (f) shall not apply to distinctive license plates issued under the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-1,160, 8-1,183 and Kan. Stat. Ann. 2023 Supp. 8-1,211, and amendments thereto, except that the division shall delay the manufacturing and issuance of such distinctive license plate until the division has received not fewer than 100 orders for such plate, including payment of the personalized license plate fee required under subsection (a). Upon certification by the director of vehicles to the director of accounts and reports that not less than 100 paid orders for such plate have been received, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer $4,000 from the state highway fund to the distinctive license plate fund.

(f) (1) Any person or organization sponsoring any distinctive license plate authorized by the legislature shall submit to the division of vehicles a nonrefundable amount not to exceed $5,000, to defray the division’s cost for developing such distinctive license plate.

(2) All moneys received under this subsection shall be remitted by the secretary of revenue to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the distinctive license plate fund which is hereby created in the state treasury. All moneys credited to the distinctive license plate fund shall be used by the department of revenue only for the purpose associated with the development of distinctive license plates. All expenditures from the distinctive license plate application fee fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts, upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the secretary of the department of revenue.

(g) The director of vehicles shall discontinue the issuance of any distinctive license plate if:

(1) Fewer than 250 plates, including annual renewals, are issued for that distinctive license plate by the end of the second year of sales; and

(2) fewer than 125 license plates, including annual renewals, are issued for that distinctive license plate during any subsequent two-year period.

(h) An application for any distinctive license plate issued and the corresponding royalty fee may be collected either by the county treasurer or the entity benefiting from the issuance of the distinctive license plate. Annual royalty payments collected by the county treasurers shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of a segregated royalty fund which shall be administered by the state treasurer. All expenditures from the royalty fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the state treasurer or the state treasurer’s designee. Payments from the royalty fund shall be made to the entity benefiting from the issuance of the distinctive license plate on a monthly basis.

(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for any distinctive license plate, the division shall produce such distinctive license plate for a motorcycle upon request to the division by the organization sponsoring the distinctive license plate.

(j) In addition to any residency requirements for all distinctive license plates, any person not a resident of Kansas, serving as a member of the armed forces stationed in this state shall be eligible to apply for any distinctive license plate as if the individual was a resident of this state. Such person shall be eligible to renew the distinctive license plate registration as long as the person is still stationed in this state at the time the registration is renewed.