SB 561: Motor Vehicles; additional license plate design honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States of America's independence; provide

Georgia already plans a student-designed license plate honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States, called the semiquincentennial, to be issued from 2026 through 2030. This bill adds a second, additional plate design for that same anniversary, one that would replace the county decal with the phrase '250 years of freedom and liberty.' The bill also creates a new specialty license plate honoring Girl Scouts of Georgia. Money raised from selling that plate would be split evenly between the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia organization. Because the Georgia Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers for laws creating this kind of special license plate, the bill would not become law without that supermajority. If passed, it would take effect January 1, 2027.

• Adds a second, additional license plate design commemorating the United States' 250th anniversary, separate from the student-designed plate already planned for 2026 through 2030.
• Requires the new anniversary plate to display '250 years of freedom and liberty' in place of the county decal.
• Creates a new specialty license plate honoring Girl Scouts of Georgia under the state's existing specialty plate program (O.C.G.A. § 40-2-86).
• Directs that proceeds from the Girl Scouts plate be split equally between the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia organization.
• Requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and House for the bill to become law, since it affects license plates under a specific constitutional provision.
• Sets the effective date as January 1, 2027, if the bill passes.

Georgia vehicle owners who choose the anniversary or Girl Scouts plates, the Georgia Department of Revenue's motor vehicle division, the Department of Education and civics groups involved in the original semiquincentennial plate design, and the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia organizations that would receive plate proceeds.

Drivers who want to mark the country's 250th anniversary would get an extra plate option beyond the student-designed one, and Georgians who want to support Girl Scouts could do so through a specialty plate, with sales directly funding two regional Girl Scouts councils rather than a broader fund.

• Section 1 updates the general license plate law (O.C.G.A. § 40-2-31) to reflect that plates issued from 2026 through 2030 will include multiple approved semiquincentennial designs, not just one.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 40-2-31.1, keeping the original student-designed anniversary plate (subsection (a)) and adding a new subsection (b) creating a second design that replaces the county decal with '250 years of freedom and liberty.'
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 40-2-86 to add a new specialty plate for Girl Scouts of Georgia, with proceeds divided equally between two named Girl Scouts organizations.
• Section 4 requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers under the Georgia Constitution's rules on special license plates for the bill to take effect.
• Section 5 sets the effective date at January 1, 2027.

1. 2026-02-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-24Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)Primary sponsor
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)

• license plates
• motor vehicles
• Girl Scouts
• America's 250th anniversary
• specialty plates