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SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2412
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Passed Legislature - 1994 Regular Session
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994
Regular Session
By
Read first time 02/02/94.
Revising provisions relating to
registration of rental cars.
AN ACT Relating to
rental car businesses; amending RCW 46.87.023 and 82.44.023; and repealing RCW
46.16.0101.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec.
1. RCW 46.16.0101 and 1992
c 194 s 6 are each repealed.
Sec. 2. RCW 46.87.023 and 1992 c 194
s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Rental car
businesses must register with the department of licensing. This registration
must be renewed annually by the rental car business.
(2) ((Rental car
businesses must obtain a certificate of ownership and indicate that the vehicle
is a rental car. Registration must be obtained for all rental cars and shall
be valid for the period in which the rental car is part of an authorized
business up to a maximum of twelve months)) Rental cars must be titled
and registered under the provisions of chapters 46.12 and 46.16 RCW. The
vehicle must be identified at the time of application with the rental car
company business number issued by the department.
(3) ((In addition
to all other fees prescribed for the registration of vehicles under chapter
46.16 RCW, the department shall collect a fee of five dollars per registration
for the administration of the program and a vehicle transaction fee as
authorized in RCW 46.87.130 to be deposited to the motor vehicle fund.
(4))) Use of rental cars is restricted to the rental
customer unless otherwise provided by rule.
(((5) The
department will issue rental car license plates to businesses authorized under
this section. A rental car business shall pay a fee of ten dollars for each
set of rental car license plates as defined in RCW 46.87.090. Rental cars no
longer eligible for use of the rental plates will be considered unlicensed
vehicles and must be registered and pay the required motor vehicle excise taxes
and registration fees prior to operation on public roads of this state.
(6) The department
may authorize rental car businesses to issue temporary authorization permits as
defined in RCW 46.87.080.
(7))) (4) The department may suspend or
cancel the exemptions, benefits, or privileges granted under this section to ((any
person or)) a rental car business ((firm who)) that
violates the laws of this state relating to the operation or registration of
vehicles or rules lawfully adopted thereunder. The department may initiate and
conduct audits, investigations, and enforcement actions as may be reasonably
necessary for administering this section.
(((8) Except as
provided in this section or by rule adopted pursuant to this section, the
transfer or use of the rental plates is a traffic infraction subject to a fine
not to exceed five hundred dollars. Any law enforcement agency that determines
that a special license plate has not been used in conformance with this section
will confiscate the license plates and return them to the department for nullification
along with full details of the reasons for confiscation.
(9))) (5) The department shall adopt such
rules as may be necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this
section.
Sec. 3. RCW 82.44.023 and 1992 c 194
s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
Rental
cars as defined in RCW 46.04.465 are exempt from the taxes imposed in RCW
82.44.020 (1) and (2). When a rental car ceases to be used for rental car
purposes and at the time of its retail sale, the excise tax imposed in RCW
82.44.020 (1) and (2) shall be imposed in an amount equal to one-twelfth of the
annual excise tax then in effect, for each full month remaining in the
vehicle's registration year.
