S-151                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5423

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senators Peterson, Metcalf, Patterson, Johnson, Garrett and Bender

Read first time 1/29/87 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to special license plates for honorary consuls of foreign governments; and adding a new section to chapter 46.16 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 46.16 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) Every honorary consul or official representative of any foreign government who is a citizen or resident of the United States of America, duly licensed and holding an exequatur issued by the department of state of the United States of America is entitled to apply to the director for, and upon satisfactory showing, to receive, in lieu of the regular motor vehicle license plates, such special plates of a distinguishing color and running in a separate numerical series, as the director shall prescribe.  In addition to paying all other initial fees required by law, each applicant for the special license plates shall pay an additional license fee of twenty-five dollars upon the issue of the plates, which fee shall not apply for those years in which tabs are issued.  Application for renewal of the license plates shall be as prescribed for the license renewal of other vehicles.

          (2) Whenever the owner or lessee as provided in subsection (1) of this section transfers or assigns his interest or title in the motor vehicle to which the special plates were attached, the plates shall be removed from the motor vehicle, and if another vehicle is acquired, attached thereto, and the director shall be immediately notified of the transfer of the plates; otherwise the removed plates shall be immediately forwarded to the director to be reissued upon payment of the regular license fee.  Whenever the owner or lessee as provided in subsection (1) of this section is for any reason relieved of his duties as an honorary consul or official representative of a foreign government, he shall immediately forward the special plates to the director, who shall upon receipt thereof provide such plates as are otherwise provided by law.