The bill amends and reenacts existing vehicle-related statutes (RCW 46.17.220, 46.18.200, and 46.68.420), adds a new section to chapter 46.04 RCW, and creates a new special license plate type called the "Nautical Northwest." It establishes initial and renewal fees for many special plates (for example, Nautical Northwest: $40 initial, $30 renewal), requires department approval of plate artwork and issuance terms, prohibits issuing special plates for vehicles registered under chapter 46.87 RCW, and sets an effective date of November 1, 2025. The bill changes procedures for fee collection and fund handling: the department collects special plate fees, may deduct up to $12 from initial issue fees and up to $2 from renewal fees for administrative costs, remits the remainder to the state treasurer with a report, and the treasurer credits proceeds first to the motor vehicle fund until implementation costs are reimbursed and then to specified accounts recreated or amended in RCW 46.68.420. It adds a definition for "Nautical Northwest license plates" and defines "qualified nonprofit organization." The act directs that net proceeds be allocated to a long list of named programs and organizations under conditions in the statute, requires funds in those accounts to be disbursed under contract with qualified nonprofits, and provides that only the director or the director’s designee may authorize expenditures; accounts are subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW and do not require a separate appropriation for expenditures. The bill also specifies eligibility and procedural rules for certain specialty plates, including requirements for professional firefighters and paramedics to provide proof of current membership, volunteer firefighter eligibility and limits on the number of sets of plates, and mandatory surrender of volunteer firefighter plates upon certain convictions. The text provided is incomplete in places: the full list of accounts and allocation details referenced as subsection (2) is not included, the new section text added to chapter 46.04 RCW is not shown in full, the statutory name of "the department" is not specified, and some program descriptions are truncated.

If enacted, the law creates a Nautical Northwest specialty license plate that drivers can buy for $40 initially and $30 on renewal, with the vehicle licensing agency allowed to keep up to $12 of the first-year fee and $2 of renewals for administration before sending the rest to the state treasurer. Those net proceeds will first cover the motor vehicle fund’s implementation costs and then be credited to specific program accounts to be spent under the director’s authorization (without a separate appropriation) and only under contract with qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits; the act takes effect November 1, 2025. The Seattle NHL plate cannot be issued until required signature sheets are submitted. Most affected will be drivers who choose the new plate (they pay the extra fee), the licensing department and state treasurer (who handle fee collection, deductions, accounting, and transfers), and a long list of nonprofits and programs named to receive proceeds (for example Nautical Northwest, education and sports programs, health and conservation organizations). The bill likely increases funding options for those nonprofits but the provided text omits key allocation details and some recipient descriptions (so exact dollar splits, full list of accounts, and certain account conditions are unclear).