H.B. 255

1

VEHICLE REGISTRATION RENEWAL
2 REQUIREMENTS
3 1999 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Kory M. Holdaway
6 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; AMENDING CERTAIN VEHICLE
7 REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GOVERNMENTAL VEHICLES.
8 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
9 AMENDS:
10 41-1a-215, as last amended by Chapters 10 and 360, Laws of Utah 1997
11 41-1a-221, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 1, Laws of Utah 1992
12 41-1a-402, as last amended by Chapter 384, Laws of Utah 1997
13 41-1a-407, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 1, Laws of Utah 1992
14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
15 Section 1. Section 41-1a-215 is amended to read:
16 41-1a-215. Staggered registration dates - Exceptions.
17 (1) (a) Except under Subsections (2) and (3), every vehicle registration, every registration
18 card, and every registration plate issued under this chapter for the first registration of the vehicle
19 in this state, continues in effect for a period of 12 months beginning with the first day of the
20 calendar month of registration and does not expire until the last day of the same month in the
21 following year.
22 (b) If the last day of the registration period falls on a day in which the appropriate state or
23 county offices are not open for business, the registration of the vehicle is extended to midnight of
24 the next business day.
25 (2) The provisions of Subsection (1) do not apply to the following:
26 (a) registration issued to government vehicles under Section 41-1a-221 ;
27 (b) registration issued to apportioned vehicles under Section 41-1a-301 ;

28 (c) multiyear registration issued under Section 41-1a-222 ;
29 (d) lifetime trailer registration issued under Section 41-1a-1206 ;
30 (e) partial year registration issued under Section 41-1a-1207 ;
31 (f) vintage vehicle registration issued under Section 41-1a-226 ; or
32 (g) plates issued to a dealer, dismantler, manufacturer, remanufacturer, and transporter
33 under Title 41, Chapter 3, Part 5, Special Dealer License Plates.
34 (3) Upon application of the owner or lessee of a fleet of commercial vehicles not
35 apportioned under Section 41-1a-301 and required to be registered in this state, the State Tax
36 Commission may permit the vehicles to be registered for a registration period commencing on the
37 first day of March, June, September, or December of any year and expiring on the last day of
38 March, June, September, or December in the following year.
39 (4) When the expiration of a registration plate is extended by affixing a [validation]
40 registration decal to it, the expiration of the decal governs the expiration date of the plate.
41 Section 2. Section 41-1a-221 is amended to read:
42 41-1a-221. Registration of vehicles of political subdivisions or state -- Renewal of
43 registration -- Expiration of registration -- Certification of information -- Failure to comply.
44 (1) (a) An entity referred to in Subsection 41-1a-407 (1) shall register by June 30 of each
45 year each vehicle that it owns, operates, or leases.
46 (b) This section does not apply to unmarked vehicles referred to in [Subsection] Section
47 41-1a-407 [(5)], which shall be registered by the expiration date on the registration card.
48 (2) (a) The entity shall apply to the division to renew registration pursuant to Section
49 41-1a-217 .
50 (b) The division shall renew registration pursuant to Section 41-1a-216 .
51 (3) A registration card and license plate issued to an entity under this section are in full
52 force and effect until:
53 (a) the registration expires;
54 (b) the vehicle is no longer owned or operated by that entity; or
55 (c) the division takes action as provided in Subsection (6).
56 (4) (a) If the owner of a vehicle subject to the provisions of this section transfers or assigns
57 title or interest in the vehicle, the registration of that vehicle expires.
58 (b) The transferor shall remove the license plates and within 20 days from the date of

59 transfer forward them to the division to be destroyed.
60 (5) Each entity shall:
61 (a) account to the division annually for all "EX" license plates issued to it; and
62 (b) certify to the division that the information is correct.
63 (6) If an entity fails to comply with this section, the division may:
64 (a) refuse to renew the registration of its vehicles;
65 (b) refuse to issue it additional license plates;
66 (c) suspend all its vehicle registrations; and
67 (d) recall license plates issued to an entity refusing to comply with this section.
68 Section 3. Section 41-1a-402 is amended to read:
69 41-1a-402. Required colors, numerals, and letters -- Expiration.
70 (1) Except as provided in Subsection (3) and in Section 41-1a-407 , each license plate shall
71 be in colors selected by the commission and shall have displayed on it:
72 (a) the registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it is issued;
73 (b) the name of the state;
74 (c) a designation of the county in which the vehicle is registered as provided in Section
75 41-1a-406 ;
76 (d) a registration decal showing the date of expiration; and
77 (e) a slogan determined as provided in Section 41-1a-405 .
78 (2) If registration is extended by affixing a [validation] registration decal to the license
79 plate, the expiration date of the decal governs the expiration date of the license plate.
80 (3) [Beginning July 1, 1997, each] Each original license plate that is not one of the special
81 group license plates issued under Section 41-1a-408 shall be a:
82 (a) statehood centennial license plate with the same color, design, and slogan as the plates
83 issued in conjunction with the statehood centennial; or
84 (b) Ski Utah license plate.
85 Section 4. Section 41-1a-407 is amended to read:
86 41-1a-407. Plates issued to political subdivisions or state -- Use of "EX" letters --
87 Confidential information.
88 (1) Except as provided in Subsection (2), each [town, city] municipality, board of
89 education, school district, state institution of learning, county, other governmental division,

90 subdivision, or district, and the state shall:
91 (a) place a license plate displaying the letters, "EX" on every vehicle owned and operated
92 by it or leased for its exclusive use; and
93 (b) display an identification mark designating the vehicle as the property of the entity in
94 a conspicuous place on both sides of the vehicle.
95 (2) The entity need not display the "EX" license plate or the identification mark required
96 by Subsection (1) if:
97 (a) the vehicle is in the direct service of the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney
98 general, state auditor, or state treasurer of Utah;
99 (b) the vehicle is used in official investigative work where secrecy is essential;
100 (c) the vehicle is provided to an official of the entity as part of a compensation package
101 allowing unlimited personal use of that vehicle; or
102 (d) the personal security of the occupants of the vehicle would be jeopardized if the "EX"
103 license plate were in place.
104 (3) Plates issued to Utah Highway Patrol vehicles may bear the capital letters "UHP," a
105 beehive logo, and the call number of the vehicle for which the plate is issued.
106 (4) The commission shall issue "EX" and "UHP" plates and shall make rules establishing
107 the procedure for application for and distribution of the plates.
108 (5) For a vehicle that qualifies for "EX" or "UHP" license plates, the entity is not required
109 to display an annual registration decal or a county designation under Section 41-1a-402 .
110 [(5)] (6) (a) Information shall be confidential for vehicles that are not required to display
111 the "EX" license plate or the identification mark under Subsections (2) (a), (b), and (d).
112 (b) (i) If a law enforcement officer's identity must be kept secret, his agency head may
113 request in writing that the division remove the license plate information of the officer's personal
114 vehicles from all public access files and place it in a confidential file until the assignment is
115 completed.
116 (ii) The agency head shall notify the division when the assignment is completed.

Legislative Review Note
as of 1-4-99 11:46 AM

A limited legal review of this legislation raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel