Senate Study Bill 1156 - Introduced
SENATE FILE _____
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
TRANSPORTATION BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON BROWN)
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the display of registration plates on motor
2 vehicles.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 321.37, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2021,
2 are amended to read as follows:
3 1. a. Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle other
4 than an autocycle, motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or truck
5 tractor shall be attached to the motor vehicle, one in the
6 front and the other in the rear. The registration plate issued
7 for an autocycle, motorcycle, or other vehicle required to
8 be registered hereunder shall be attached to the rear of the
9 vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck tractor
10 shall be attached to the front of the truck tractor. The
11 special plate issued to a dealer shall be attached on the rear
12 of the vehicle when operated on the highways of this state.
13 b. A peace officer shall not stop or detain a person solely
14 for a suspected violation of this subsection if the suspected
15 violation involves a motor vehicle required to display two
16 registration plates under this subsection, one in the front and
17 the other in the rear, and the suspected violation is based
18 on the motor vehicle displaying only one registration plate
19 in the rear. Such a suspected violation is enforceable by a
20 peace officer only when the driver of the motor vehicle has
21 been stopped or detained for a suspected violation of another
22 provision of this chapter, a local ordinance equivalent to a
23 provision of this chapter, or any other law.
24 2. Registration plates issued for Notwithstanding
25 subsection 1, paragraph “a”, a motor vehicle which is model
26 year 1948 or older, and reconstructed or specially constructed
27 vehicles built to resemble a model year 1948 vehicle or older
28 registered as an antique vehicle under section 321.115, or a
29 motor vehicle that would require modifications including but
30 not limited to adding or mounting hardware, drilling, or adding
31 adhesives in order to secure a front registration plate, other
32 than a truck registered for more than five tons, autocycle,
33 motorcycle, or truck tractor, may display one registration
34 plate on the rear of the vehicle if the other registration
35 plate issued to the vehicle is carried in the vehicle at all
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1 times when the vehicle is operated on a public highway.
2 EXPLANATION
3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
5 This bill prohibits a peace officer from stopping or
6 detaining a person solely for a suspected violation of Code
7 section 321.37(1) if the suspected violation involves a motor
8 vehicle required to display two registration plates, one in the
9 front and the other in the rear, and the suspected violation
10 is based on the motor vehicle displaying only one registration
11 plate in the rear. Such a suspected violation is enforceable
12 by a peace officer only when the driver of the motor vehicle
13 has been stopped or detained for a suspected violation of
14 another provision of law.
15 Since 1997, Iowa has allowed certain motor vehicles which
16 are model year 1948 or older, and certain reconstructed or
17 specially constructed vehicles built to resemble vehicles which
18 are model year 1948 or older, to display one registration plate
19 on the rear of the vehicle if the other registration plate
20 issued to the vehicle is carried in the vehicle at all times
21 when the vehicle is operated on a public highway. Trucks
22 registered for more than five tons, autocycles, motorcycles,
23 and truck tractors are excluded from the provision. The bill
24 instead applies the provision to motor vehicles registered
25 as antique vehicles and motor vehicles that would require
26 modifications including but not limited to adding or mounting
27 hardware, drilling, or adding adhesives in order to secure a
28 front registration plate. Under Code section 321.115, a motor
29 vehicle may register as an antique vehicle if the vehicle is
30 25 years old or older. The bill does not amend the list of
31 vehicles excluded from the provision under current law.
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