HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1737
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO VEHICLE NUMBER PLATES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Section 249-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§249-7  Number plates.  (a)  Upon receipt of the tax, the director of finance shall number and register the vehicle in the owner's name in a permanent record or book to be kept by the director for this purpose, and shall furnish the owner thereof with a receipt showing upon its face the license number issued for the vehicle and the fact that the license tax has been paid thereon for the whole or the remainder of the current year in which the receipt is issued.  The director of finance shall also furnish the owner, upon the original registration of the vehicle, two number plates for the vehicle or one plate in the case of trailers, semitrailers, or motorcycles, or upon approval of a request of the owner of a vehicle pursuant to subsection (f), with the registration number marked thereon.  Upon the payment of the tax for each year, a tag or emblem bearing a serial number and the month and year of expiration shall be provided to the owner.  Transfer of current number plates, tag, or emblem, except as authorized by this chapter or by chapter 286, is punishable by a fine of not more than $50 for each offense.

     (b)  Upon an original registration the director of finance shall fix, and shall charge to the owner, a fee equal to the cost of the number plate and tag or emblem plus the administrative cost of furnishing the plate and tag or emblem and effecting the registration.  Upon the issuance of a new series of number plates as determined by the directors of finance of each county through majority consent, the director of finance shall charge the owner a fee equal to the costs of the number plate plus the administrative cost of furnishing the plates.  Upon issuing a tag or emblem, the director of finance shall charge the owner a fee of 50 cents.  The owner shall securely fasten the number plates on the vehicle, one on the front and the other on the rear, at a location provided by the manufacturer or in the absence of such a location upon the bumpers of the vehicle and in conformance with section 291-31, in such a manner as to prevent the plates from swinging[.]; provided that if the owner of any vehicle has received one number plate upon original registration of the vehicle or returns one number plate to the director of finance pursuant to subsection (f), the owner shall not be required to fasten a number plate to the front of the vehicle.  Number plates shall at all times be displayed entirely unobscured and be kept reasonably clean.  In the case of trailers, semitrailers, or motorcycles, one plate shall be used and it shall be fastened to the rear thereof at a location provided by the manufacturer or in the absence of such a location at the rear thereof, and in the case of motorcycles in conformance with section 291-31.

     (c)  Upon the issuance of the tag or emblem the owner shall affix the tag or emblem to the top right portion of the rear number plate, except that all vehicles owned by the State, any county government, any board of water supply, and official representatives of any foreign governments shall be issued registrations which need be renewed only in the new plate issue year.

     (d)  After the initial payment of the tax and the original registration of a vehicle as herein specified, a motor vehicle shall not be required to be reweighed in any succeeding year unless it has been so altered or changed as to increase or diminish its weight.  No new number plates shall, however, be issued to a new owner except as provided in sections 249-7.5 and 249-8.

     (e)  If an owner of a vehicle registered in any county, upon the disposition of the vehicle, requests that the license plates furnished to the owner with respect to the registration of the vehicle be assigned to another vehicle subsequently acquired by the owner, the assignment may be made by the director of finance at the director's discretion.  To defray additional administrative costs incurred by acceding to those requests, the director of finance shall charge a fee of $5 for each reassignment of license plates, in addition to the fee for registration.  The procedure for registering the vehicles shall otherwise be identical with that provided by this section.

(f)  The director of finance shall allow the owner of any vehicle containing safety equipment originally installed by the vehicle manufacturer that would be or is impaired by a front number plate to:

(1) Request one number plate upon original registration of the vehicle; or

(2) Remove and return the front number plate of a vehicle that has been registered.

The director of finance shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 specifying the vehicles with safety equipment originally installed by the vehicle manufacturer that are impaired by a front number plate."

     SECTION 2.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Motor Vehicles; License Plates; Number Plates

Description:

Allows a motor vehicle owner to be exempt from being required to fasten a front license plate to the motor vehicle if the vehicle's safety equipment originally installed by the vehicle manufacturer is impaired by a front number plate.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.