Section 18-433. ORGANIZATION TAGS

 

433.1This Director may issue a tag bearing markings related to an organization (“Organization Tag”) only if the tag has been established by the Council of the District of Columbia or approved by the Director as provided in this section.

 

433.2An organization seeking the Director’s approval of an organization tag must be a non-profit corporation, as that term is defined in § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (46 U.S.C.§ 501(c)(3)), and must submit an application to the Director.

 

433.3The application shall include:

 

(a)A sample of the proposed markings;

 

(b)A copy of the organization’s charter or articles of incorporation;

 

(c)Proof of the organization’s non-profit status;

 

(d)Signatures from at least twenty-five (25) members of the organization attesting to their intent to display the organization tag proposed; and

 

(e)Proof that the person submitting the application is authorized by the organization to submit that application.

 

433.4The organization tag shall only display either the name or the adopted insignia of the organization, or both.

 

433.5The format of any organization tag design shall be approved by the Director and shall not obscure any of the lettering or numbering on the tag.

 

433.6Any person requesting an organization tag must, in addition to payment of the annual and reservation fees provided for in Section 3(a) of Title IV of the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1937, approved August 17, 1937 (50 Stat. 679; D.C. Official Code § 50-1501.03(a)), provide evidence that the person is a member of that organization.

 

433.7Upon notification that a person is no longer a member of the organization, the Director may notify that person that they must surrender, within thirty (30) days of notice, the organization tags in their possession.

 

433.8The Director may rescind or revoke any organization tag issued to a person who fails to surrender their tag as provided in § 433.7.

 

433.9Organization tags shall only be issued for use on registered private passenger vehicles.

 

433.10The Director shall reject any proposed organizational tag or rescind the issuance of any organizational tag that conveys a message, or displays an image, that is confusing or offensive to the general public.

 

433.11For the purposes of § 433.9, the Director shall reject or rescind the issuance of any organizational tag with a design or combination of letters or numbers that:

 

(a) Is vulgar, derogatory, profane, scatological or obscene, with any connotation, in any language;

 

(b) Connote, in any language, breast, genitalia, pubic area, or buttocks or relate to sexual or eliminatory functions.

 

(c) Connote, in any language (i) any illicit drug, narcotic, intoxicant, or related paraphernalia; (ii) the sale, user, or purveyor of such a substance; or (iii) the physiological state produced by such a substance;

 

(d) Refer, in any language, to a race, religion, color, deity, ethnic heritage, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, or political affiliation;

 

(e) Suggest, in any language, a government or governmental agency;

 

(f) Suggest, in any language, a privilege not given by law in this state; or

 

(g) Form, in any language, a slang term, abbreviation, phonetic spelling or mirror image of a word described in this subsection.

 

 

authority

Sections 1825 and 1826 of the Department of Motor Vehicles Establishment Act of 1998, effective March 26, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-175; D.C. Official Code §§ 50-904 and 905 (2014 Repl.)), Section 6 of the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, approved March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1121; D.C. Official Code § 50-2201.03 (2014 Repl.)), and Mayor’s Order 2016-077, dated May 2, 2016.

source

Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 5029 (May 14, 2004); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 51 DCR 10223 (November 5, 2004); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 3170 (March 31, 2017); as corrected by Errata Notice published at 64 DCR 3478 (April 14, 2017).