HOUSE BILL NO. 2128 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE BOYKO.
4593H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To repeal sections 301.130 and 301.147, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to motor vehicle registration.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 301.130 and 301.147, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections 2 enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 301.130 and 301.147, to read as follows: 301.130. 1. The director of revenue, upon receipt of a proper application for 2 registration, required fees and any other information which may be required by law, shall 3 issue to the applicant a certificate of registration in such manner and form as the director of 4 revenue may prescribe and a set of license plates, or other evidence of registration, as 5 provided by this section. Each set of license plates shall bear the name or abbreviated name 6 of this state, the words "SHOW-ME STATE", the month and year in which the registration 7 shall expire, and an arrangement of numbers or letters, or both, as shall be assigned from year 8 to year by the director of revenue. The plates shall also contain fully reflective material with 9 a common color scheme and design for each type of license plate issued pursuant to this 10 chapter. The plates shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive. 11 Special plates for qualified disabled veterans will have the "DISABLED VETERAN" 12 wording on the license plates in preference to the words "SHOW-ME STATE" and special 13 plates for members of the National Guard will have the "NATIONAL GUARD" wording in 14 preference to the words "SHOW-ME STATE". 15 2. The arrangement of letters and numbers of license plates shall be uniform 16 throughout each classification of registration. The director may provide for the arrangement 17 of the numbers in groups or otherwise, and for other distinguishing marks on the plates.
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 2128 2
18 3. All property-carrying commercial motor vehicles to be registered at a gross weight 19 in excess of twelve thousand pounds, all passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles, local 20 transit buses, school buses, trailers, semitrailers, motorcycles, motortricycles, autocycles, 21 motorscooters, and driveaway vehicles shall be registered with the director of revenue as 22 provided for in subsection 3 of section 301.030, or with the state highways and transportation 23 commission as otherwise provided in this chapter, but only one license plate shall be issued 24 for each such vehicle, except as provided in this subsection. The applicant for registration of 25 any property-carrying commercial vehicle registered at a gross weight in excess of twelve 26 thousand pounds may request and be issued two license plates for such vehicle, and if such 27 plates are issued, the director of revenue shall provide for distinguishing marks on the plates 28 indicating one plate is for the front and the other is for the rear of such vehicle. The director 29 may assess and collect an additional charge from the applicant in an amount not to exceed the 30 fee prescribed for personalized license plates in subsection 1 of section 301.144. 31 4. The plates issued to manufacturers and dealers shall bear the letters and numbers as 32 prescribed by section 301.560, and the director may place upon the plates other letters or 33 marks to distinguish commercial motor vehicles and trailers and other types of motor 34 vehicles. 35 5. No motor vehicle or trailer shall be operated on any highway of this state unless it 36 shall have displayed thereon the license plate or set of license plates issued by the director of 37 revenue or the state highways and transportation commission and authorized by section 38 301.140. Each such plate shall be securely fastened to the motor vehicle or trailer in a manner 39 so that all parts thereof shall be plainly visible and reasonably clean so that the reflective 40 qualities thereof are not impaired. Each such plate may be encased in a transparent cover so 41 long as the plate is plainly visible and its reflective qualities are not impaired. License plates 42 shall be fastened to all motor vehicles except trucks, tractors, truck tractors or truck-tractors 43 licensed in excess of twelve thousand pounds on the front and rear of such vehicles not less 44 than eight nor more than forty-eight inches above the ground, with the letters and numbers 45 thereon right side up. The license plates on trailers, motorcycles, motortricycles, autocycles, 46 and motorscooters shall be displayed on the rear of such vehicles either horizontally or 47 vertically, with the letters and numbers plainly visible. The license plate on buses, other than 48 school buses, and on trucks, tractors, truck tractors or truck-tractors licensed in excess of 49 twelve thousand pounds shall be displayed on the front of such vehicles not less than eight 50 nor more than forty-eight inches above the ground, with the letters and numbers thereon right 51 side up or if two plates are issued for the vehicle pursuant to subsection 3 of this section, 52 displayed in the same manner on the front and rear of such vehicles. The license plate or 53 plates authorized by section 301.140, when properly attached, shall be prima facie evidence 54 that the required fees have been paid. HB 2128 3
55 6. (1) The director of revenue shall issue annually or biennially a tab or set of tabs as 56 provided by law as evidence of the annual payment of registration fees and the current 57 registration of a vehicle in lieu of the set of plates. Beginning January 1, 2010, the director 58 may prescribe any additional information recorded on the tab or tabs to ensure that the tab or 59 tabs positively correlate with the license plate or plates issued by the department of revenue 60 for such vehicle. Such tabs shall be produced in each license bureau office. 61 (2) The vehicle owner to whom a tab or set of tabs is issued shall affix and display 62 such tab or tabs in the designated area of the license plate, no more than one per plate. 63 (3) A tab or set of tabs issued by the director of revenue when attached to a vehicle in 64 the prescribed manner shall be prima facie evidence that the registration fee for such vehicle 65 has been paid. 66 (4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the director of revenue shall issue 67 plates for a period of at least six years. 68 (5) For those commercial motor vehicles and trailers registered pursuant to section 69 301.041, the plate issued by the highways and transportation commission shall be a 70 permanent nonexpiring license plate for which no tabs shall be issued. Nothing in this section 71 shall relieve the owner of any vehicle permanently registered pursuant to this section from the 72 obligation to pay the annual registration fee due for the vehicle. The permanent nonexpiring 73 license plate shall be returned to the highways and transportation commission upon the sale or 74 disposal of the vehicle by the owner to whom the permanent nonexpiring license plate is 75 issued, or the plate may be transferred to a replacement commercial motor vehicle when the 76 owner files a supplemental application with the Missouri highways and transportation 77 commission for the registration of such replacement commercial motor vehicle. Upon 78 payment of the annual registration fee, the highways and transportation commission shall 79 issue a certificate of registration or other suitable evidence of payment of the annual fee, and 80 such evidence of payment shall be carried at all times in the vehicle for which it is issued. 81 (6) Upon the sale or disposal of any vehicle permanently registered under this section, 82 or upon the termination of a lease of any such vehicle, the permanent nonexpiring plate issued 83 for such vehicle shall be returned to the highways and transportation commission and shall 84 not be valid for operation of such vehicle, or the plate may be transferred to a replacement 85 vehicle when the owner files a supplemental application with the Missouri highways and 86 transportation commission for the registration of such replacement vehicle. If a vehicle which 87 is permanently registered under this section is sold, wrecked or otherwise disposed of, or the 88 lease terminated, the registrant shall be given credit for any unused portion of the annual 89 registration fee when the vehicle is replaced by the purchase or lease of another vehicle 90 during the registration year. HB 2128 4
91 7. Beginning January 1, 2027, the director of revenue may issue five-year tabs as 92 provided by law as evidence of the payment of registration fees and the current 93 registration of a vehicle in lieu of the set of plates to motor vehicle owners electing a five- 94 year registration under subsection 2 of section 301.147. 95 8. The director of revenue and the highways and transportation commission may 96 prescribe rules and regulations for the effective administration of this section. No rule or 97 portion of a rule promulgated under the authority of this section shall become effective unless 98 it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of section 536.024. 99 [8.] 9. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law to the contrary, owners of 100 motor vehicles other than apportioned motor vehicles or commercial motor vehicles licensed 101 in excess of twenty-four thousand pounds gross weight may apply for special personalized 102 license plates. Vehicles licensed for twenty-four thousand pounds that display special 103 personalized license plates shall be subject to the provisions of subsections 1 and 2 of section 104 301.030. On and after August 28, 2016, owners of motor vehicles, other than apportioned 105 motor vehicles or commercial motor vehicles licensed in excess of twenty-four thousand 106 pounds gross weight, may apply for any preexisting or hereafter statutorily created special 107 personalized license plates. 108 [9.] 10. No later than January 1, 2019, the director of revenue shall commence the 109 reissuance of new license plates of such design as approved by the advisory committee under 110 section 301.125 consistent with the terms, conditions, and provisions of section 301.125 and 111 this chapter. Except as otherwise provided in this section, in addition to all other fees 112 required by law, applicants for registration of vehicles with license plates that expire during 113 the period of reissuance, applicants for registration of trailers or semitrailers with license 114 plates that expire during the period of reissuance and applicants for registration of vehicles 115 that are to be issued new license plates during the period of reissuance shall pay the cost of 116 the plates required by this subsection. The additional cost prescribed in this subsection shall 117 not be charged to persons receiving special license plates issued under section 301.073 or 118 301.443. Historic motor vehicle license plates registered pursuant to section 301.131 and 119 specialized license plates are exempt from the provisions of this subsection. Except for new, 120 replacement, and transfer applications, permanent nonexpiring license plates issued to 121 commercial motor vehicles and trailers registered under section 301.041 are exempt from the 122 provisions of this subsection. 301.147. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 301.020 to the contrary, 2 beginning July 1, 2000, the director of revenue may provide owners of motor vehicles, other 3 than commercial motor vehicles licensed in excess of fifty-four thousand pounds gross 4 weight, the option of biennially registering motor vehicles[. Any vehicle manufactured as an 5 even-numbered model year vehicle shall be renewed each even-numbered calendar year and HB 2128 5
6 any such vehicle manufactured as an odd-numbered model year vehicle shall be renewed each 7 odd-numbered calendar year], subject to the following requirements: 8 (1) The fee collected at the time of biennial registration shall include the annual 9 registration fee plus a pro rata amount for the additional twelve months of the biennial 10 registration; 11 (2) Presentation of all documentation otherwise required by law for vehicle 12 registration including, but not limited to, a personal property tax receipt or certified statement 13 for the preceding year that no such taxes were due as set forth in section 301.025, proof of a 14 motor vehicle safety inspection and any applicable emission inspection conducted within 15 sixty days prior to the date of application and proof of insurance as required by section 16 303.026. 17 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 301.020 to the contrary, beginning 18 January 1, 2027, the director of revenue may provide owners of motor vehicles with a 19 model year of manufacture that is less than six years old, other than commercial motor 20 vehicles licensed in excess of fifty-four thousand pounds gross weight, the option of a 21 five-year registration period, subject to the following requirements: 22 (1) The fee collected at the time of five-year registration shall include the annual 23 registration fee plus a pro rata amount for the additional four years of the five-year 24 registration; 25 (2) Presentation of all documentation otherwise required by law for vehicle 26 registration including, but not limited to, a personal property tax receipt or certified 27 statement for the preceding year that no such taxes were due as set forth in section 28 301.025, proof of a motor vehicle safety inspection if applicable, and proof of insurance 29 as required by section 303.026. 30 3. The director of revenue may prescribe rules and regulations for the effective 31 administration of this section. The director is authorized to adopt those rules that are 32 reasonable and necessary to accomplish the limited duties specifically delegated within this 33 section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is 34 promulgated pursuant to the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if 35 it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 536. This section and chapter 36 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to 37 chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date or to disapprove and annul a rule are 38 subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule 39 proposed or adopted after July 1, 2000, shall be invalid and void. 40 [3.] 4. The director of revenue shall have the authority to stagger the registration 41 period of motor vehicles other than commercial motor vehicles licensed in excess of twelve 42 thousand pounds gross weight. Once the owner of a motor vehicle chooses the option of HB 2128 6
43 biennial registration, such registration must be maintained for the full twenty-four month 44 period. ✔
Statutes affected: