A special license plate recognizing aviation could be a new option for Washington state vehicle owners if a proposal for the plate is approved by the state Legislature.

The Washington State Aviation License Plate, sponsored by the Washington State Department of Transportation‘s Aviation Division, is a collaborative effort by several aviation organizations represented by the Washington State Aviation Alliance. The goal of this specialty plate is to highlight the importance of the state’s aviation system, and to raise funds to support aviation and public-use airports in Washington State.

The anticipated one-time cost for the aviation plate would be $40. Of that fee, $12 would cover vehicle licensing fees and the remaining $28 would support aviation-specific initiatives such as:

• Airport infrastructure improvements to support statewide disaster response and recovery operations (examples: wildland fires, earthquake, landslide response).

• Economic development opportunities to enhance public access to airports, such as informational kiosks.

• Statewide aviation awareness programs that promote public participation at airports.

A minimum of 3,500 signatures are needed before the specialty license plate can be considered by state Legislature. The goal is to obtain these signatures by Jan. 1 in order for the plate to be considered during the 2017 legislative session. If approved by the Legislature, the plates could be available through Department of Licensing next summer.

Supporters of the Washington State Aviation License Plate are encouraged to sign the online petition at www.surveymonkey.com/r/AviationSpecialtyLicensePLate. The petition allows people to submit a signature and indicate the number of plates they would likely purchase.

While these signatures are intended to show anticipated purchases, submitting a signature is not an obligation to buy a plate. The website also includes an image of the proposed plate.