Senate Bill 2035, also known as the Mason Treat Act, transforms the way license plates are issued in the state. The legislation, which went into effect on Sept. 1, 2024, limits the amount of time that temporary paper tags are on vehicles, with the goal of improving road safety.

The law is named after Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat’s son, who was critically injured in January 2024 during a routine traffic stop. Canadian County Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza was also seriously hurt.

SB2305 requires all vehicles sold in Oklahoma on or after Sept. 1 to be pre-registered with the state. Dealers and those involved in private sales must submit pre-registration information within two business days of each sale. A licensed operator will then use the information to mail a metal license plate and pre-registration decals to the customer (or just the decals if the customer is transferring over an existing plate). The customer has ten days from the date of purchase to affix the plate and pre-registration decals to their vehicle.

While the new law adds a pre-registration process, Oklahomans still have two months from the date of purchase to complete their full vehicle registrations. They will then replace their pre-registration decals with the standard month and year decals.