Today, the Office of the Utah State Auditor released its limited review of the Sponsored Special Group License Plate programs, revealing revenues generated through these license plates and the funding to their respective sponsorship organizations. According to the Auditor’s findings, more than $15.74 million was collected over a five-year period from a variety of specialty license plates.
Among the highest revenue-producing plates were the black and white Historic Utah plate, contributing 28.51% of the total revenue, the two University of Utah plates totaling 19.02%, and the four Wildlife plates, generating 12.19% of the funds collected. Together, these plates raised more than $9.4 million for their sponsoring organizations: the Department of Cultural and Community Engagement, the University of Utah’s scholarship fund and the Division of Wildlife Resources.
Auditor Tina M. Cannon commented, “The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles manages a robust program offering specialty plates that range from colleges and universities to nonprofit causes like the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the Utah Autism Council, as well as plates that support vital state agency programs, including the Departments of Transportation, Wildlife Resources, and of Veterans and Military Affairs. While each plate serves its purpose, it’s no surprise that the newest addition — the retro black and white Historic Utah plate — has quickly emerged as the top revenue generator, producing nearly $4.5 million in just two years. This underscores the growing influence and success of these specialty plates, which not only provide Utahns a unique way to demonstrate their interests but also contribute funds to supporting deserving causes and organizations.”
The Department of Motor Vehicles oversees the creation and administration of special group license plate programs, collecting the associated fees when vehicles are registered in the state. The Office of the Utah State Auditor reviewed the cost for producing these sponsored group plates, confirming that the fees charged per plate effectively cover the amount charged per plate. It was noted that the charges per plate covered these costs. Additionally, entities sponsoring the plates are required to pay all set-up costs for the initial creation of these specialty plates.
Sponsored special group license plates include those affiliated with colleges and universities, private nonprofit organizations, and state agencies. The purpose of the review was to ensure that funds collected through these programs are properly transferred and used in accordance with statutory intent — including scholarships, charitable initiatives, and agency-specific programs. The Auditor’s review specifically focused on collegiate plates and any special group plates that raised over $10,000 during the review period. Totals for the three categories are:
| Colleges and Universities | $ 5,478,575 |
| Private Non-Profit Organizations | $ 2,520,844 |
| State Agency | $ 7,743,838 |
| Total FY20-FY24 | $ 15,743,527 |
The sponsoring organizations receive the revenues from these plates on a quarterly or monthly basis and are responsible for tracking the expenditure of these funds and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and programs. The limited review found that all money was correctly used for its intended purposes. The Office of the Utah State Auditor has created an animated visualization of the top 10 plates and their associated revenues, it can be found here.
The full report can be found here.
