| HB 1110 - Motor vehicle license plates; front and rear display |
First Reader Summary
A BILL to amend Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicle registration and
licensing, so as to provide for issuance of duplicate license
plates and simultaneous display thereof on the front and rear of
certain motor vehicles; and for other purposes.
HB 1110 LC 25 1469
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1- 1 To amend Chapter 2 of Title 40 the Official Code of Georgia
1- 2 Annotated, relating to motor vehicle registration and
1- 3 licensing, so as to provide for issuance of duplicate
1- 4 license plates and simultaneous display thereof on the front
1- 5 and rear of certain motor vehicles; to change certain
1- 6 provisions relating to use of license plate for purpose of
1- 7 concealing or misrepresenting identity of vehicle and use of
1- 8 expired prestige license plate; to change certain provisions
1- 9 relating to display of license plates; to change certain
1-10 provisions relating to consular corps license plates; to
1-11 amend Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 46 of the Official
1-12 Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to limousine carriers,
1-13 so as to repeal certain provisions relating to license
1-14 plates; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting
1-15 laws; and for other purposes.
1-16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
1-17 SECTION 1.
1-18 Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia
1-19 Annotated, relating to motor vehicle registration and
1-20 licensing, is amended by striking subsection (c) of Code
1-21 Section 40-2-5, relating to use of license plate for purpose
1-22 of concealing or misrepresenting identity of vehicle and use
1-23 of expired prestige license plate, which reads as follows:
1-24 "(c) It shall not be unlawful for any person to place an
1-25 expired prestige license plate on the front of a motor
1-26 vehicle provided that such vehicle also bears a current
1-27 valid license plate on the rear of such vehicle."
1-28 SECTION 2.
1-29 Said chapter is further amended by adding a new Code Section
1-30 40-2-31.1 to read as follows:
1-31 "40-2-31.1.
1-32 Whenever any license plate, including any regular,
1-33 commemorative, prestige, or special license plate, or any
-1-
2- 1 decal required to be affixed thereto is issued under this
2- 2 chapter on or after January 1, 2002, to the owner of a
2- 3 motor vehicle which is required by Code Section 40-2-41 to
2- 4 display simultaneously a license plate on the rear and its
2- 5 duplicate on the front of such motor vehicle, a duplicate
2- 6 of such license plate or decal shall be issued to the
2- 7 owner of such motor vehicle for purposes of such
2- 8 simultaneous display."
2- 9 SECTION 3.
2-10 Said chapter is further amended by striking Code Section
2-11 40-2-41, relating to display of license plates, and
2-12 inserting in lieu thereof the following:
2-13 "40-2-41.
2-14 (a)(1) Every vehicle required to be registered under
2-15 this chapter, which is in use upon the highways, shall
2-16 at all times display the license plate issued to the
2-17 owner for such vehicle, and the plate shall be fastened
2-18 to the rear of the vehicle in a position so as not to
2-19 swing and shall be at all times plainly visible. No
2-20 person shall display on the rear of a motor vehicle any
2-21 temporary or permanent plate or tag not issued by the
2-22 State of Georgia which is intended to resemble a license
2-23 plate which is issued by the State of Georgia.
2-24 (2) The commissioner is authorized to adopt rules and
2-25 regulations so as to permit, in lieu of the rear display
2-26 required by paragraph (1) of this subsection, the
2-27 display of a license plate on the front of certain
2-28 vehicles any motor vehicle which routinely engages in
2-29 activities wherein it is inevitable that a license plate
2-30 attached to the rear thereof would be defaced,
2-31 destroyed, or lost.
2-32 (b)(1) Each motor vehicle required to be registered
2-33 under this chapter in 2002 or in any year thereafter,
2-34 which is in use upon the highways, shall at all times
2-35 after such registration display additionally a duplicate
2-36 license plate issued to the owner for such vehicle, and
2-37 the duplicate plate shall be fastened to the front of
2-38 the vehicle in a position so as not to swing and shall
2-39 be at all times plainly visible.
2-40 (2) The provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection
2-41 shall not apply to any motorcycle or to any motor
2-42 vehicle for which display of a single license plate on
-2-
3- 1 the front of the vehicle is authorized pursuant to
3- 2 paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section.
3- 3 (c) No person shall display on the front or rear of a
3- 4 motor vehicle any temporary or permanent plate or tag not
3- 5 issued by the State of Georgia which is intended to
3- 6 resemble a license plate which is issued by the State of
3- 7 Georgia.
3- 8 (d) It shall be the duty of the operator of any vehicle to
3- 9 keep the any license plate required to be displayed on
3-10 such vehicle legible at all times. No such license plate
3-11 shall be covered with any material unless the material is
3-12 colorless and transparent. No apparatus that obstructs or
3-13 hinders the clear display and legibility of a of any such
3-14 license plate or any decal required to be affixed to such
3-15 license plate shall be attached to the rear of any motor
3-16 vehicle required to be registered in the state.
3-17 (e) Any person who violates any provision of this Code
3-18 section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."
3-19 SECTION 4.
3-20 Said chapter is further amended by striking subsection (a)
3-21 of Code Section 40-2-64, relating to consular corps license
3-22 plates, and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
3-23 "(a) Honorary consuls, upon application and compliance
3-24 with the state motor vehicle laws relative to the
3-25 registration and licensing of motor vehicles, payment of
3-26 the regular license fees for license plates as provided by
3-27 law, payment of a manufacturing fee of $25.00, and payment
3-28 of an additional annual registration fee of $25.00 which
3-29 fee shall be collected by the county tag agent at the time
3-30 of collection of other registration fees and shall be
3-31 remitted as provided in Code Section 40-2-34, shall be
3-32 issued license plates as prescribed in Code Section
3-33 Sections 40-2-31 in duplicate and 40-2-31.1 for use on
3-34 their official or private passenger automobiles. Such
3-35 license plates shall be fastened to both the front and the
3-36 rear of the vehicle displayed as prescribed in Code
3-37 Section 40-2-41. No more than two sets of honorary
3-38 consular corps license plates shall be issued to any
3-39 country. Such plates shall not be used by any person
3-40 after his or her appointment has ended."
-3-
4- 1 SECTION 5.
4- 2 Article 3 of Chapter 7 of Title 46 of the Official Code of
4- 3 Georgia Annotated, relating to limousine carriers, is
4- 4 amended by striking and reserving Code Section 46-7-85.15,
4- 5 relating to license plates, which reads as follows:
4- 6 "46-7-85.15.
4- 7 Each limousine carrier which registers any vehicle under
4- 8 this article shall, for each such certificated vehicle,
4- 9 affix to the center of the front bumper of each such
4-10 certificated vehicle a standard size license plate bearing
4-11 the following information: (1) limousine company name,
4-12 (2) city and state of principal domicile, (3) company
4-13 telephone number, and (4) the vehicle classification,
4-14 IE-1. The cost for such license plate shall be the sole
4-15 responsibility of the limousine carrier and must be placed
4-16 on each certificated vehicle prior to said vehicle being
4-17 placed in service and no later than May 1, 1994, for all
4-18 such vehicles currently owned and to be registered and
4-19 operated by a limousine carrier."
4-20 SECTION 6.
4-21 This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2002.
4-22 SECTION 7.
4-23 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are
4-24 repealed.
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Clerk of the House
Robert E. Rivers, Jr., Clerk
Last Updated on 01/07/00
