SB 6: "An Act relating to motor vehicle registration plates."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 6 01 "An Act relating to motor vehicle registration plates." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 28.10.051(a) is amended to read: 04 (a) The department may suspend or revoke the registration of a vehicle, the 05 certificate of registration or registration plates for a vehicle, or a special permit when 06 (1) the department determines that the registration or certificate, plate, 07 or permit was fraudulently procured or erroneously issued or approved; 08 (2) the department determines that a registered vehicle is mechanically 09 unsafe to be driven or moved on a highway, vehicular way or area, or other public 10 property in this state and the vehicle has been seized or impounded under 11 AS 28.05.091; 12 (3) a registered vehicle has been scrapped, dismantled, or destroyed 13 beyond repair; 14 (4) the department determines that a required fee or tax has not been 15 paid and the fee or tax is not paid upon reasonable notice and demand;
01 (5) a registration plate, permit, or certificate is knowingly displayed 02 upon a vehicle other than the vehicle for which issued or approved; 03 (6) the department determines that the owner of a vehicle has 04 committed an offense under this chapter involving the registration or the certificate, 05 plate, or permit to be suspended or revoked; 06 (7) the vehicle has been reported to the department as stolen or 07 unlawfully converted; 08 (8) the department is otherwise required to do so under the laws of this 09 state; 10 (9) the department determines that the vehicle owner has violated the 11 requirements of AS 28.10.146 or 28.10.147; 12 (10) the department determines that a repair to a commercial motor 13 vehicle, ordered by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities or the 14 Department of Public Safety under regulations adopted under AS 19, was not 15 completed after the owner or operator represented to the Department of Transportation 16 and Public Facilities, the Department of Public Safety, or the Department of 17 Administration that the repair had been completed; or 18 (11) the owner or operator of a commercial motor vehicle has placed a 19 commercial motor vehicle back in service after it has been placed out of service by the 20 Department of Transportation and Public Facilities or the Department of Public Safety 21 without having it reinspected as required under regulations adopted under AS 19. 22 * Sec. 2. AS 28.10.091 is amended to read: 23 Sec. 28.10.091. Lost or mutilated certificates of registration or 24 registration plates. If a certificate of registration or a registration plate is lost, stolen, 25 mutilated, or becomes illegible, the owner or legal representative or successor in 26 interest of the owner of the vehicle for which the certificate or plate was issued or 27 approved as shown by the records of the department shall, immediately upon 28 discovering the fact, apply for a duplicate or substitute certificate of registration or 29 registration plate and shall return to the department all parts of the original certificate 30 of registration or registration plates that the applicant possesses. 31 * Sec. 3. AS 28.10.161(a) is amended to read:
01 (a) Except for a vehicle registered under AS 28.10.152, the department, upon 02 registering a vehicle, shall issue the owner one fully reflectorized registration plate for 03 a trailer or a motorcycle and two fully reflectorized registration plates for every other 04 vehicle. When vehicle ownership is transferred or assigned, the registration plate 05 or plates shall remain with the owner or organization to whom they are issued. 06 The registration plate or plates may not be used on or transferred to a vehicle 07 other than the vehicle for which the plate or plates are issued without approval of 08 the department and payment of any required fees and taxes imposed under this 09 chapter. If the registration plate or plates issued under this section are 10 transferred to a vehicle for which the registration fee is more than the fee for the 11 vehicle from which the plates are transferred, the owner shall pay the difference 12 between the two fees. The registration plate or plates issued under this 13 subsection that a person is no longer entitled to use or the transfer of which the 14 department does not approve shall be returned immediately to the department 15 by the person or organization to whom the plate or plates were originally issued 16 [EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED IN AS 28.10.181, THE PLATE OR 17 PLATES MUST REMAIN WITH THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS THE VEHICLE IS 18 SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION UNDER THIS CHAPTER]. 19 * Sec. 4. AS 28.10.161(b) is amended to read: 20 (b) Every passenger vehicle registration plate, except as specifically provided 21 in AS 28.10.181, shall have displayed upon it 22 (1) the Alaska flag; 23 (2) the traditional colors of yellow-gold and blue; 24 (3) the slogan "The Last Frontier"; 25 (4) the registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it is 26 issued or approved; 27 (5) the name of this state, which may be abbreviated; and 28 (6) the registration year number or expiration date for which time it is 29 validated; the registration year number or expiration date may be part of the license 30 plate or contained on a suitable sticker or tab device issued by the department; 31 however, only one sticker or tab device may be issued for each pair of plates, and the
01 sticker or tab device must be affixed to the rear plate. 02 * Sec. 5. AS 28.10.171 is amended to read: 03 Sec. 28.10.171. Display of registration plates. (a) When two registration 04 plates are issued or approved for a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for 05 which issued or approved, one in front and the other in the rear. When one 06 registration plate is issued or approved, it shall be attached to the rear of the vehicle 07 for which issued or approved. 08 (b) Every registration plate issued or approved under this chapter shall be 09 securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned, with the upper edge of the 10 plate horizontal, at a height of not less than 12 inches from the ground measuring from 11 the bottom of the plate, and maintained in a location and condition so as to be clearly 12 legible. However, when considered necessary to insure legibility, the commissioner 13 may provide by regulation for another method of installation. 14 * Sec. 6. AS 28.10.181(a) is amended to read: 15 (a) The department shall register unique and special vehicles and vehicles 16 used for special purposes and issue registration plates as provided in this section. 17 [NOTWITHSTANDING OTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER, 18 REGISTRATION PLATES ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION REMAIN WITH 19 THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION TO WHOM THEY ARE ISSUED WHEN 20 VEHICLE OWNERSHIP IS TRANSFERRED OR TITLE OR INTEREST IN THE 21 VEHICLE IS ASSIGNED, EXCEPT FOR PLATES ISSUED UNDER (b), (h) AND 22 (i) OF THIS SECTION. REGISTRATION PLATES ISSUED UNDER THIS 23 SECTION MAY NOT BE USED ON, OR TRANSFERRED TO, A VEHICLE 24 OTHER THAN THE VEHICLE FOR WHICH THE PLATES ARE ISSUED 25 WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE DEPARTMENT AND PAYMENT OF ANY 26 REQUIRED FEES AND TAXES PRESCRIBED IN AS 28.10.421(d), 28.10.431 27 AND 28.10.441; HOWEVER, IF THE PLATES ISSUED UNDER (c), (f) AND (j) 28 OF THIS SECTION ARE TRANSFERRED TO A VEHICLE FOR WHICH THE 29 REGISTRATION FEE IS MORE THAN THE FEE FOR THE VEHICLE FROM 30 WHICH THE PLATES ARE TRANSFERRED, THE OWNER SHALL PAY THE 31 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO FEES. REGISTRATION PLATES ISSUED
01 UNDER THIS SECTION TO WHICH A PERSON IS NO LONGER ENTITLED OR 02 THE TRANSFER OF THE PLATES TO ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH THE 03 DEPARTMENT DOES NOT APPROVE SHALL BE RETURNED IMMEDIATELY 04 TO THE DEPARTMENT BY THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION TO WHOM 05 THE PLATES WERE ORIGINALLY ISSUED]. 06 * Sec. 7. AS 28.10.181(b) is amended to read: 07 (b) Historic vehicles. The owner of a historic vehicle may make application 08 for special registration under this subsection. The department, when satisfied that the 09 vehicle meets the requirements for historic vehicle registration under regulations 10 adopted by the commissioner, shall register the vehicle and (1) issue two permanent 11 registration plates of distinctive design and color bearing no date; vehicles qualifying 12 for registration under this paragraph shall be issued registration plates numbered in a 13 separate numerical series beginning with "Historic Vehicle No. 1"; or (2) allow the 14 vehicle to use registration plates of this state supplied by the vehicle owner that 15 correspond to the year the vehicle was manufactured if the vehicle was manufactured 16 30 or more years before the year of application. Notwithstanding AS 28.10.161(a), 17 historic registration [REGISTRATION] plates issued under this subsection remain 18 with the vehicle as long as the vehicle is registered under this subsection. 19 * Sec. 8. AS 28.10.181(r) is amended to read: 20 (r) Special request custom collector plates. Upon application by the owner of a 21 custom collector vehicle, the department may design and issue and approve 22 registration plates appropriate for custom collector vehicles. The department may 23 disapprove the issuance of registration plates under this subsection when the requested 24 plates are a duplication of an existing registration. 25 * Sec. 9. AS 28.10.271(a) is amended to read: 26 (a) When the owner of a registered vehicle transfers or assigns the owner's 27 title or interest in the vehicle, the registration of the vehicle expires; however, the 28 registration plates remain with the owner or organization [ON THE VEHICLE] 29 except as otherwise provided in AS 28.10.181. 30 * Sec. 10. AS 28.10.331 is amended to read: 31 Sec. 28.10.331. Department to issue new certificates of title and
01 registration. The department, upon receipt of the certificate of title properly 02 endorsed, the certificate of registration, [THE REGISTRATION PLATES, IF ANY,] 03 the application for new title and registration, and all required fees and taxes, shall 04 issue a certificate of title and a certificate of registration to the transferee or the 05 lienholder lawfully entitled to the certificates. 06 * Sec. 11. AS 28.10.351 is amended to read: 07 Sec. 28.10.351. Dismantling or wrecking vehicle. A person who dismantles, 08 scraps, or destroys a registered vehicle shall immediately forward to the department 09 the certificates of title and registration [AND THE REGISTRATION PLATES] for 10 the vehicle. 11 * Sec. 12. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 12 read: 13 APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to registration of a motor vehicle that occurs on 14 or after the effective date of this Act.