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2007 SESSION

073720392
HOUSE BILL NO. 2465
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 9, 2007
A BILL to amend and reenact § 46.2-730 of the Code of Virginia, relating to license plates for antique motor vehicles and antique trailers; penalties.
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Patron-- Marshall, D.W.
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Referred to Committee on Transportation
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 46.2-730 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 46.2-730. License plates for antique motor vehicles and antique trailers; fee; penalties.

A. On receipt of an application and evidence that the applicant owns or has regular use of another motor vehicle, the Commissioner shall issue appropriately designed license plates to owners of antique motor vehicles and antique trailers. These license plates shall be valid so long as title to the vehicle is vested in the applicant. The annual fee for the registration card and license plates of any of these vehicles shall be $10.

B. On receipt of an application and evidence that the applicant owns or has regular use of another motor vehicle, the Commissioner may authorize for use on antique motor vehicles and antique trailers Virginia license plates manufactured prior to 1976 and designed for use without decals, if such license plates are embossed with or are of the same year of issue as the model year of the antique motor vehicle or antique trailer on which they are to be displayed. Original metal year tabs issued in place of license plates for years 1943 and 1953 1952 and used with license plates issued in 1942 and 1952 1951, respectively, also may be authorized by the Commissioner for use on antique motor vehicles and antique trailers that are of the same model year as the year the metal tab was originally issued. These license plates and metal tabs shall remain valid so long as title to the vehicle is vested in the applicant. The annual fee for the registration card and permission to use the license plates and metal tabs on any of these vehicles shall be $10. If more than one request is made for use, as provided in this subsection, of license plates having the same number, the Department shall accept only the first such application.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of §§ 46.2-711 and 46.2-715, antique motor vehicles may display single license plates if the original manufacturer's design of the antique motor vehicles allows for the use of only single license plates or if the license plate was originally issued in one of the following years and is displayed in accordance with the provisions of subsection B of this section: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1945, or 1946.

D. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, Antique motor vehicles and antique trailers registered with license plates issued or authorized for use under this section shall not be used or driven for general transportation or commercial purposes, including, but not limited to, daily travel to and from the owner's place of employment, but shall only be used:

1. For participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, and similar events; and

2. On the highways of the Commonwealth for the purpose of testing their operation, obtaining repairs or maintenance, transportation to and from events as described in subdivision 1 of this subsection, and for occasional pleasure driving not exceeding 250 miles from the residence of the owner. to carry or transport (i) passengers in the antique motor vehicles, (ii) personal effects in the antique motor vehicles and antique trailers, or (iii) other antique motor vehicles being transported for show purposes.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, antique motor vehicles and antique trailers manufactured in model year 1932 and later and registered pursuant to subsections A, B, and C shall be subject to annual safety inspections, as prescribed in Article 21 (§ 46.2-1157 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of this title, to verify that such vehicles and trailers meet the safety equipment requirements for the model year in which they were manufactured and to ensure that such vehicles and trailers shall be capable of being safely operated on the highways of the Commonwealth.

E. Notwithstanding the foregoing provision of this section, antique Antique motor vehicles and antique trailers displaying license plates issued or authorized for use pursuant to subsections B and C of this section may be used for general transportation purposes if the following conditions are met:

1. The For license plates issued pursuant to subsections B and C, the physical condition of the vehicle's license plate or plates has been inspected and approved by the Department;

2. The license plate or plates are registered to the specific vehicle by the Department;

3. The owner of the vehicle periodically registers the vehicle with the Department and pays a registration fee for the vehicle equal to that which would be charged to obtain regular state license plates for that vehicle;

4. The vehicle passes a periodic safety inspection as provided in Article 21 (§ 46.2-1157 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of this title;

5. The vehicle displays current decals attached to the license plate, issued by the Department, indicating the valid registration period for the vehicle; and

6. When applicable, the vehicle meets the requirement of Article 22 (§ 46.2-1176 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of this title.

If more than one request is made for use, as provided in this subsection, of license plates having the same number, the Department shall accept only the first such application. Only vehicles titled to the person seeking to use license plates as provided in this subsection shall be eligible to use license plates as provided in this subsection.

F. Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the use of an antique motor vehicle to tow a trailer or semitrailer.

G. Any owner of an antique motor vehicle or antique trailer registered with license plates pursuant to this section who is convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor. Upon receiving a record of conviction of a violation of this section, the Department shall forthwith revoke and not reinstate the owner's privilege to register the vehicle operated in violation of this section with license plates issued or authorized for use pursuant to this section for a period of five years from the date of conviction.

2.  That the owners of vehicles and trailers registered with license plates issued under this section prior to July 1, 2007, shall be in compliance with the provisions of this act before January 1, 2008.