Rep. Johnson Announces House Passage of Legislation to Streamline Military License Plates

State Representative Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) today announced that the Ohio House passed House Bill 194, legislation that creates an automatic process for designing and approving military license plates.

House Bill 194 will require the Director of Veterans Services and the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to develop and maintain a program to establish and issue nonstandard license plates that recognize military service and military honors pertaining to valor and service. The director and registrar are to adopt rules to establish the program, including eligibility criteria, guidelines for design, and documentation requirements.

Ohio has nearly 50 different license plates and 22 separate revised code sections related to military service. Military badges can change in name and design, resulting on out of date license plates. Additionally, as service men and women return from recent foreign conflicts, they are unable to get a license plate recognizing their service if their operation’s specialty license plate is not created in code via the legislative process.

“The Ohio Legislature has a strong tradition of honoring the service and valor of our military and veterans,” said Representative Johnson.  “Unfortunately, the process for doing this has become slow and cumbersome and, frankly, difficult. House Bill 194 will streamline and efficiently systematize this procedure, allowing the General Assembly to move with greater speed and agility in its efforts to recognize our military heroes through our license plate program.” 

House Bill 194, sponsored by Representative Terry Johnson and joint-sponsored by Representative Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), now goes to the Senate for further consideration.