PRINTER'S NO. 2038
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1796
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY T. DAVIS, R. MACKENZIE, KINSEY, LEE, HILL-EVANS,
INNAMORATO, ISAACSON, SANCHEZ, GUZMAN, WEBSTER, ZIMMERMAN,
WARREN, ROWE AND OTTEN, AUGUST 18, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, AUGUST 18, 2021
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, in registration of vehicles, further providing for
3 issuance of registration card and for registration card to be
4 signed and exhibited on demand.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Sections 1308(a) and 1311 of Title 75 of the
8 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
9 § 1308. Issuance of registration card.
10 (a) General rule.--The department, upon registering a
11 vehicle, shall issue to the registrant a paper or electronic
12 registration card which shall contain the registration number
13 assigned to the vehicle, the name and address of the registrant
14 and the name of the owner, if other than the registrant, a
15 description of the vehicle including the vehicle identification
16 number, the expiration date and such other information as may be
17 determined by the department.
18 * * *
 1 § 1311. Registration card to be signed and exhibited on demand.
2 (a) Signing card.--Upon receiving the paper or electronic
3 registration card or any duplicate, the registrant shall sign
4 his name in the space provided.
5 (b) Carrying and exhibiting card.--Every registration card
6 shall, at all times while the vehicle is being operated upon a
7 highway, be in the possession of the person driving or in
8 control of the vehicle or carried in the vehicle and shall be
9 exhibited upon demand of any police officer. The person driving
10 or in control of the vehicle shall display the paper or
11 electronic registration card to the police officer. The
12 following shall apply:
13 (1) If the person displays an electronic registration
14 card using an electronic device, the police officer shall
15 only view the electronic registration card and may not
16 manipulate the electronic device to view any other
17 information on the electronic device. The person who displays
18 the electronic registration card using an electronic device
19 as provided in this subsection shall not be presumed to have
20 consented to a search of the electronic device.
21 (2) The Commonwealth, a law enforcement agency or an
22 employee of the Commonwealth or a law enforcement agency
23 shall not be liable for damage to or loss of an electronic
24 device that occurs as a result of the police officer's
25 viewing of the electronic registration card in the manner
26 provided in paragraph (1), regardless of whether the police
27 officer or the person displaying the electronic registration
28 card was in possession of the electronic device when the
29 damage or loss occurred.
30 (3) A digital photograph of a valid registration card
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 1 shall satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
2 (c) Production to avoid penalty.--No person shall be
3 convicted of violating this section or section 1301 (relating to
4 driving unregistered vehicle prohibited) if the person produces
5 at the office of the issuing authority or at the office of the
6 arresting police officer within five days of the violation, a
7 paper or electronic registration card valid in this Commonwealth
8 at the time of the arrest. The following shall apply:
9 (1) If the person displays an electronic registration
10 card using an electronic device, an employee at the office of
11 the issuing authority or at the office of the arresting
12 police officer shall only view the electronic registration
13 card and may not manipulate the electronic device to view any
14 other information on the electronic device. The person who
15 displays the electronic registration card using an electronic
16 device as provided in this subsection shall not be presumed
17 to have consented to a search of the electronic device.
18 (2) The office of the issuing authority, the office of
19 the arresting police officer, an employee of the office of
20 the issuing authority or an employee of the office of the
21 arresting police officer shall not be liable for damage to or
22 loss of an electronic device that occurs as a result of the
23 employee's viewing of the electronic registration card in the
24 manner provided in paragraph (1), regardless of whether the
25 employee or the person displaying the electronic registration
26 card was in possession of the electronic device when the
27 damage or loss occurred.
28 (3) A digital photograph of a valid registration card
29 shall satisfy the requirements of this subsection.
30 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 2038: 75-1308(a), 75-1311