H-4496.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2896

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives K. Schmidt, Scott, Robertson, Chappell and Blanton

Read first time 01/24/96.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Requiring replacement of old license plates.

     AN ACT Relating to motor vehicle license plates; amending RCW 46.16.270; 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:

     Effective with vehicle registrations due or to become due on January 1, 2000, all vehicle license plates must have a common background except commercial vehicles as defined in RCW 46.32.005, vehicles originally licensed before January 1, 1987, that are currently owned by the original licensee, and vehicles with special plates designated in RCW 46.16.305 (1) and (3).

     Sec. 2.  RCW 46.16.270 and 1990 c 250 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:

     Replacement plates issued after January 1, ((1987, will be centennial plates as described in RCW 46.16.650)) 2000, must have a common background.  The ((total)) replacement plate fee ((including the one dollar per plate centennial plate fee)) shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.

     Upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of one or both of the vehicle license number plates issued for any vehicle where more than one plate was originally issued or where one or both have become so illegible or in such a condition as to be difficult to distinguish, or upon the owner's option, the owner of the vehicle shall make application for new vehicle license number plates upon a form furnished by the director.  The application shall be filed with the director or the director's authorized agent, accompanied by the certificate of license registration of the vehicle and a fee in the amount of three dollars per plate, whereupon the director, or the director's authorized agent, shall issue new vehicle license number plates to the applicant.  It shall be accompanied by a fee of two dollars for a new motorcycle license number plate.  In the event the director has issued license period tabs or a windshield emblem instead of vehicle license number plates, and upon the loss, defacement, or destruction of the tabs or windshield emblem, application shall be made on a form provided by the director and in the same manner as above described, and shall be accompanied by a fee of one dollar for each pair of tabs or for each windshield emblem, whereupon the director shall issue to the applicant a duplicate pair of tabs, year tabs, and when necessary month tabs or a windshield emblem to replace those lost, defaced, or destroyed.  For vehicles owned, rented, or leased by the state of Washington or by any county, city, town, school district, or other political subdivision of the state of Washington or United States government, or owned or leased by the governing body of an Indian tribe as defined in RCW 46.16.020, a fee shall be charged for replacement of a vehicle license number plate only to the extent required by the provisions of RCW 46.16.020, 46.16.061, 46.16.237, and 46.01.140.  For vehicles owned, rented, or leased by foreign countries or international bodies to which the United States government is a signatory by treaty, the payment of any fee for the replacement of a vehicle license number plate shall not be required.

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