S-2258.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5700

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1995 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Senators Owen, Prince, Heavey, Wood, Kohl and Deccio)

Read first time 03/06/95.

Requiring replacement of old license plates.

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

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 46.16.270 and 1990 c 250 s 32 are each amended to read as follows:

     ((Replacement)) Vehicle plates ((issued after)) must be replaced if the license plates were issued before January 1, ((1987, will be centennial plates as described in RCW 46.16.650)) 1988.  The ((total)) replacement plate fee ((including the one dollar per plate centennial plate fee)) shall be deposited in the motor vehicle fund.  A person applying for a renewal vehicle license after January 1, 1997, must purchase replacement vehicle license number plates if the vehicle license number plates were issued before January 1, 1988.  The requirement for replacement license plates does not apply to commercial vehicles, as defined in RCW 46.32.005; special plates designated in RCW 46.16.305; nor personalized plates as defined in RCW 46.16.560.

     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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