Cherokee Nation and State Forge New 10-year Compact for Tribal License Plates

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA (KTUL) — Cherokee Nation announced they reached a new agreement with the state on their tribal license plates.

This agreement comes with just a month left until the current compact is set to expire.

After months of trying to come to terms on tribal compact license plates, the state and Cherokee Nation came to terms on a new 10-year agreement.

Cherokee Nation continues to operate its seven tag offices for tribal citizens to purchase Cherokee Nation tags.

Cherokee Nation citizens who live outside the Cherokee Nation will have the flexibility to utilize state tag offices or Cherokee Nation tag offices, although they will be subject to payment of fees and taxes provided by the Compact.

Cherokee Nation will share driver information for PlatePay billing and easy accessibility by law enforcement.

As part of the compact agreement, the Cherokee Nation will pay a $2 million PlatePay fee over three years and all outstanding toll fees assessed through November 30, 2024, for Cherokee plates will be waived in exchange.

Consistent with the previous compact, Cherokee Nation will continue to upload registration information to OLETS for public safety purposes.

The five counties with portions outside the Cherokee Nation (Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers, Muskogee, and Mayes counties)—commonly known as the expanded jurisdiction—will move from the previous compact model to the new at-large model.

Over the next four years, all at-large vehicles tagged under the previous compact will be exempt from Oklahoma renewal requirements and can continue to register with the Cherokee Nation.

Following this period, at-large Cherokee citizens will have the option to renew at a state tag office or at a Cherokee Nation tag office.

Additional funds Oklahoma secures from taxes and fees associated with vehicles principally garaged outside the Cherokee Nation will be expended consistent with Oklahoma law for infrastructure, education, and other public purposes.

The Cherokee Nation will continue to receive a remittance from at-large tag sales and related rebates.

The Cherokee Nation will continue to allocate funds each year from the sales of Cherokee Nation car tags for public schools, road improvements, and law enforcement, as more specifically outlined in the compact.

Cherokee Nation Chief Chuck Hoskins Jr. said in a statement:

The new compact is a government-to-government agreement that will protect the rights of our citizens and ensure we can continue to provide essential funding for public schools, roads, and law enforcement agencies. I am grateful for the good faith negotiations from our partners in Oklahoma and the support of the Cherokee people for this fundamental exercise of our self-determination and government interests.

Governor Kevin Stitt also applauded the new agreement saying:

We’re all Oklahomans and we all drive on the same roads and bridges. It’s important that we’re all contributing to the things that make us a top-ten state. I appreciate the cooperation of Cherokee leadership to reach an agreement, especially as it pertains to the ability to collect tolls on our turnpikes.

The current compact has been in place since 2002 and amendments were made in 2013.

The agreement is pending approval by the Council of Cherokee Nation and the Oklahoma Legislature Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations.

If approved, the agreement takes place January 1, 2025.