The Overview

If you've ever bought a 49ers license plate, a new law is about to change where some of that money goes. Starting with fees collected on or after January 1, 2027, 10% of money from the 49ers Foundation license plate program will go to beach and coastal programs, 10% to coastal access grants, and 20% to outdoor equity grants, once the Legislature appropriates it. ​

California's Vehicles: Special Interest License Plates bill, AB 2734 became law when Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed it Sept. 20. California's beaches face mounting pressure: the Los Angeles Times reported that sea-level rise and coastal erosion could erase two-thirds of Southern California's beaches, while Inside Climate News reported that a study found disparities in coastal access tied to race, gender and class.

What the Law Does

Under existing law, the Department of Motor Vehicles deposits fees from its coastal-design environmental license plates into the California Beach and Coastal Enhancement Account and the California Environmental License Plate Fund, and starting Jan. 1, 2027, the law allocates that revenue to the California Coastal Commission for beach and coastal maintenance and to a Coastal Access Account that supports State Coastal Conservancy grants, subject to a Department of Finance determination that the fund has a sufficient balance.

The law also redirects 49ers Foundation plate revenue deposited on or after Jan. 1, 2027: ten percent to the Coastal Commission for beach education programs, ten percent to the Coastal Access Account for Explore the Coast grants, and twenty percent to the Outdoor Equity Grants Program.

The Surfrider Foundation, California called the law a victory for coastal access, and the California Coastal Commission voted to support the bill.

Legislative Status

Asm. Gregg Hart (D) sponsored the bill. Across all seven recorded votes, the bill drew zero no votes: the Assembly passed it 78-0 on May 26, the Senate passed it 40-0 on Aug. 30, and the Assembly concurred in Senate amendments 78-0 the same day.

The Santa Barbara News-Press reported that Newsom signed two bills authored by Hart, including this one.

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