Bill Text: HI SB667 | 2021 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To License Plates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-10 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to JDC. [SB667 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2021-SB667-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
667 |
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THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 249-5.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"(a) All vehicles taxable under sections 249-1, 249-2, 249-4 and 249-6 to 249-13, which are stored so that they are not used for transportation, or for the other purposes covered by section 249-2, shall be exempt from the tax for the period of storage; provided that the owner of each vehicle shall first present to the director of finance a signed statement of the fact of the storage, together with other relevant facts as may be required by the director of finance and shall surrender the last issued certificate of registration, license plate or plates, and emblem for the vehicle. If the affidavit, certificate of registration, license plate or plates, and emblem are presented to the director of finance after the expiration of the vehicle's registration period, then the unpaid tax for each month the license plate or plates could have been validated with an emblem plus the fee for the currently issued license plate or plates and emblem shall be paid in full upon presenting the affidavit.
(b) The director of finance may dispose of the
license plate or plates for any vehicle whose registration has expired
and the owner shall be required to purchase a new license [plates]
plate and a new emblem upon removing the vehicle from storage."
SECTION 2. Section 249-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:
1. By amending subsections (a) and (b) to read:
"(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]
one number [plates] plate for the vehicle [or one plate
in the case of trailers, semitrailers, or motorcycles] 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] plate 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.] plate. 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]
plate on the rear of the vehicle, [one on the front and the
other on the rear,] trailer, semitrailer, or motorcycle at a location
provided by the manufacturer or in the absence of such a location upon the [bumpers]
bumper of the vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and motorcycle and
in conformance with section 291-31, in such a manner as to prevent the [plates]
plate from swinging. [Number plates]
The number plate 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.]"
2. By amending subsection (e) to read:
"(e) If an owner of a vehicle registered in any county, upon the disposition of the vehicle, requests that the license plate or 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 a license plate or plates, in addition to the fee for registration. The procedure for registering the vehicles shall otherwise be identical with that provided by this section."
SECTION 3. Section 249-7.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§249-7.5
New motor vehicle with a temporary number plate. Any person who has purchased a new motor
vehicle which has attached a temporary number plate under section 286-53 shall
register the new motor vehicle in accordance with this chapter within thirty
days after taking possession of the motor vehicle. For the purposes of this chapter, the
registration of such a motor vehicle shall be considered an original
registration under section 249-7. Within
thirty days of the original registration of such a motor vehicle, the director
of finance shall furnish [two] one number [plates] plate
and the valid tag or emblem appropriate for the year of registration, if any,
which shall be attached to the motor vehicle as provided under section
249-7. Upon attachment of the number [plates,]
plate, the temporary number plate provided under section 286-53 shall be
destroyed."
SECTION 4. Section 286-22, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
"(c) If upon inspection, the chief of police or any police officer determines that any vehicle or moped is in such unsafe condition as to constitute a menace to the public or is not equipped as required and cannot reasonably be restored to a safe condition as required in this part, the chief of police or police officer shall remove the sticker which signifies the certificate of inspection and inform the director of finance who shall immediately suspend the registration of the vehicle or moped and give notice of the suspension to its owner. Whenever the director of finance has suspended the registration of any vehicle or moped under this part, the owner of the vehicle or moped shall immediately surrender and forward to the director of finance the certificate of registration and the license plate or plates last issued upon registration of the vehicle for the current year."
SECTION 5. Section 286-48, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"(a) Whenever a motor vehicle subject to
registration under this part is sold as salvage or conveyed to an insurance
company, in the ordinary course of business or as the result of a total loss
insurance settlement where the insurance company receives the certificates of
registration and ownership, the purchaser or, if an insurance company its
authorized agent, shall within ten days from the purchase, or the settlement of
the insurance loss, forward the motor vehicle's endorsed certificate of
ownership or other evidence of title, certificate of registration, license plate
or plates, and an application for a salvage certificate as provided for in
section 286-44.5, to the director of finance.
If the certificate of registration or [one or both] any
license [plates are] plate is lost, an affidavit, duly notarized
and signed by the party responsible for the compliance of this section stating
that the party has no knowledge of the location of the certificate of
registration or the license plates, shall be filed with the director of finance
of the county having jurisdiction over the vehicle. In any event the certificate of ownership or
other evidence of title shall be forwarded to the director of finance.
(b) Upon receipt of the certificate of ownership, certificate of registration, license plate or plates, and application for a salvage certificate, the director of finance shall issue a salvage certificate in the name of the purchaser or insurance company."
SECTION 6. Section 290-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§290‑8 Derelict vehicle. A vehicle shall be deemed a derelict vehicle by the administrative head of the county agency designated to carry out section 290-1, or by the executive director or a representative of the executive director of the Hawaii public housing authority in the case of a vehicle that has been abandoned on property owned, managed, or administered by the authority, if a part has been removed or material damage to the vehicle has rendered the vehicle inoperable and one of the following conditions exists:
(1) The vehicle is registered for the current registration period and the registered and legal owners no longer reside at the addresses on record with the county director of finance;
(2) The vehicle has been registered for the current or previous registration period and the registered and legal owners disclaim ownership, or a notice of transfer has been submitted by the registered and legal owners and recorded with the director of finance and the new owner has not transferred the title or registration into the new owner's name within thirty days of release;
(3) The vehicle identification number and any
license [plates have] plate has been removed so as to nullify
efforts to locate or identify the current registered and legal owners;
(4) The vehicle has not been registered for the previous twelve month period; or
(5) The vehicle registration records of the county director of finance contain no record that the vehicle has ever been registered in the county.
Prior to authorizing the removal of a derelict vehicle, the administrative head of the county agency designated to carry out section 290-1 or the executive director or a representative of the executive director of the Hawaii public housing authority in the case of vehicles that have been abandoned on property owned, managed, or operated by the authority, shall notify the county chief of police only if the vehicle is reported stolen or otherwise needed for police investigation."
SECTION 7. Section 431:10C-114, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§431:10C-114 Insured's obligations upon termination of insurance. An owner of a motor vehicle registered in this State who fails to maintain insurance as required by section 431:10C‑104 shall:
(1) Immediately surrender the registration certificate and license plate or plates for the vehicle to the county director of finance; and
(2) Not operate or permit operation of the vehicle in this State until insurance has again been obtained."
SECTION 8. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2050.
Report Title:
License Plates; Issuance
Description:
Requires the director of finance to furnish to an owner of a vehicle one, rather than two, number plate for the vehicle. Makes conforming amendments. Takes effect 1/1/2050. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
