S.B. 209 Enrolled

REGISTRATION FOR ATV'S AND
NONAUTOMOBILES
2003 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble
This act modifies the Motor Vehicles Code and the Water and Irrigation Code by
amending off-highway vehicle and motorboat and sailboat registration requirements.
This act provides that off-highway vehicle and boat registrations, registration cards,
registration stickers, and registration decals are effective for 12 months. This act
provides the process for obtaining an off-highway vehicle or boat renewal registration.
This act eliminates the provisions that the Board of Parks and Recreation establish the
day and month that a registration expires for boats and off-highway vehicles. This act
makes technical changes. This act takes effect January 1, 2004.
This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
AMENDS:
41-22-5, as last amended by Chapter 1, Laws of Utah 1986, Second Special Session
73-18-7, as last amended by Chapter 221, Laws of Utah 1993
ENACTS:
41-22-3.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 41-22-3.5 is enacted to read:
41-22-3.5. Staggered registration dates -- Registration renewal.
(1) Unless exempted under Section 41-22-9 , every off-highway vehicle registration,
every registration card, and every registration sticker issued under this chapter for the first
registration of the off-highway vehicle in this state, continues in effect for a period of 12
months beginning with the first day of the calendar month of registration and does not expire
until the last day of the same month in the following year.
(2) If the last day of the registration period falls on a day in which the appropriate state
or county offices are not open for business, the registration of the off-highway vehicle is

extended to 12 midnight of the next business day.
(3) (a) The division may receive applications for registration renewal and issue new
registration cards at any time prior to the expiration of the registration, subject to the availability
of renewal materials.
(b) Applications for registration renewal shall be made in accordance with Section
41-22-3 .
(4) (a) The new registration shall retain the same expiration month as recorded on the
original registration even if the registration has expired.
(b) The year of registration expiration shall be changed to reflect the renewed registration
period.
(5) If the registration renewal application is an application generated by the division
through its automated system, the owner need not surrender the last registration card or duplicate.
Section 2. Section 41-22-5 is amended to read:
41-22-5. Rules of board relating to registration.
[The] In accordance with Title 63, Chapter 46a, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
the board shall [adopt] make rules which provide:
[(1) determine the day and month when the annual registration expires;]
[(2) provide] (1) for the issuance and control of dealer registrations for use by dealers
and manufacturers for demonstrating and testing purposes; and
[(3) provide] (2) for the issuance and control of temporary permits for use by purchasers
of off-highway vehicles pending completion of the registration.
Section 3. Section 73-18-7 is amended to read:
73-18-7. Registration requirements -- Exemptions -- Agents -- Records -- Period of
registration and renewal -- Expiration -- Notice of transfer of interest or change of address
-- Duplicate registration card -- Invalid registration -- Powers of board.
(1) (a) Each motorboat and sailboat on the waters of this state shall be registered, unless
it is exempt from registration as provided for in Section 73-18-9 .
(b) A person may not place, or give permission for the placement of, a motorboat or

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sailboat on any waters of this state or operate or give permission for the operation of a motorboat
or sailboat on the waters of this state, unless the motorboat or sailboat is registered in accordance
with this chapter or is exempt from registration as provided for in Section 73-18-9 .
(2) (a) The owner of each motorboat or sailboat required to be registered by this state
shall file an application for registration with the division on forms approved by the division.
(b) (i) The application shall be signed by the owner of the motorboat or sailboat and
accompanied by a fee set by the board.
(ii) This fee may not exceed $10 per year.
(c) The division, before issuing a registration card and registration decals, shall require
from each applicant a certificate from the county assessor of the county in which the motorboat
or sailboat has situs for taxation containing one of the following statements:
(i) the property tax on the motorboat or sailboat for the current year has been paid;
(ii) in the county assessor's opinion, the property tax is a lien on real property sufficient
to secure the payment of the property tax; or
(iii) the motorboat or sailboat is exempt by law from payment of property tax for the
current year.
(3) (a) Upon receipt of the application in the approved form, the division shall record the
receipt and issue to the applicant registration decals and a registration card which state the
number assigned to the motorboat or sailboat and the name and address of the owner.
(b) The registration card shall be available for inspection on the motorboat or sailboat for
which it was issued, whenever that motorboat or sailboat is in operation.
(4) The assigned number shall:
(a) be painted or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the motorboat
or sailboat;
(b) consist of plain vertical block characters not less than three inches in height;
(c) contrast with the color of the background and be distinctly visible and legible;
(d) have spaces or hyphens equal to the width of a letter between the letter and numeral
groupings; and

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(e) read from left to right.
(5) Any vessel with a valid marine document issued by the United States Coast Guard is
exempt from the number display requirements of Subsection (4).
(6) The nonresident owner of any motorboat or sailboat already covered by a valid
number, which has been assigned to it pursuant to federal law or a federally-approved numbering
system of his resident state, shall be exempt from registration while operating the motorboat or
sailboat on the waters of this state unless he is operating in excess of the reciprocity period
provided for in Subsection 73-18-9 (1).
(7) (a) If the ownership of a motorboat or sailboat changes, a new application form with
the fee shall be filed with the division and a new registration card and registration decals shall be
issued in the same manner as provided for in Subsections (2) and (3).
(b) The current number assigned to the vessel shall be reassigned to the new owner to
display on the motorboat or sailboat.
(8) If the United States Coast Guard has in force an overall system of identification
numbering for motorboats or sailboats within the United States, the numbering system employed
under this chapter by the board shall be in conformity with that system.
(9) The division may authorize any person to act as its agent for the registration of
motorboats and sailboats. Any number assigned and any registration card and registration decals
issued by an agent of the division in conformity with this chapter and rules of the board shall be
valid.
(10) (a) All records of the division made or kept pursuant to this section shall be
classified by the Motor Vehicle Division in the same manner as motor vehicle records are
classified under Section 41-1a-116 .
(b) Division records are available for inspection in the same manner as motor vehicle
records pursuant to Section 41-1a-116 .
(11) (a) Each registration, registration card, and decal issued under this chapter shall
continue in effect for a period [set by the board] of 12 months beginning with the first day of the
calendar month of registration. A registration may be renewed by the owner in the same manner

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provided for in the initial application. The current number assigned to the vessel shall be
reassigned when the registration is renewed.
[(12) The board shall fix a day and month of the year on which registrations, registration
cards, and registration decals expire.]
(b) Each registration, registration card, and registration decal expires the last day of the
month in the year following the calendar month of registration.
(c) If the last day of the registration period falls on a day in which the appropriate state or
county offices are not open for business, the registration of the motorboat or sailboat is extended
to 12 midnight of the next business day.
(d) The division may receive applications for registration renewal and issue new
registration cards at any time prior to the expiration of the registration, subject to the availability
of renewal materials.
(e) The new registration shall retain the same expiration month as recorded on the
original registration even if the registration has expired.
(f) The year of registration shall be changed to reflect the renewed registration period.
(g) If the registration renewal application is an application generated by the division
through its automated system, the owner need not surrender the last registration card or duplicate.
[(13)] (12) (a) The owner shall notify the division of the transfer of all or any part of his
interest, other than creation of a security interest, in a motorboat or sailboat registered in this
state under Subsections (2) and (3) or of the destruction or abandonment of the motorboat or
sailboat.
(b) This notification must take place within 15 days of the transfer, destruction, or
abandonment.
(c) The transfer, destruction, or abandonment of a motorboat or sailboat terminates its
registration except if a transfer of a part interest which does not affect the owner's right to operate
a motorboat or sailboat, the transfer shall not terminate the registration.
[(14)] (13) (a) The registered owner shall notify the division within 15 days if his address
changes from the address appearing on the registration card and shall, as a part of this

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notification, furnish the division with his new address.
(b) The board may provide in its rules for the surrender of the registration card bearing
the former address and its replacement with a new registration card bearing the new address, or
for the alteration of an outstanding registration card to show the new address of the holder.
[(15)] (14) (a) If the registration card is lost or stolen, a fee of $4 may be collected by the
division for the issuance of a duplicate.
(b) If the registration decals are lost or stolen, a fee of $3 may be collected by the
division for the issuance of duplicate decals.
[(16)] (15) A number other than the number assigned to a motorboat or sailboat or a
number for a motorboat or sailboat granted reciprocity under this chapter may not be painted,
attached, or otherwise displayed on either side of the bow of a motorboat or sailboat.
[(17)] (16) A motorboat or sailboat registration and number shall be invalid if obtained
by knowingly falsifying an application for registration.
[(18)] (17) The board may:
(a) designate the suffix to assigned numbers;
(b) adopt rules for the display of registration decals;
(c) adopt rules for the issuance and display of dealer numbers and registrations; and
(d) adopt rules for the issuance and display of temporary registrations.
Section 4. Effective date.
This act takes effect on January 1, 2004.

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