State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2014 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/27/14.
AN ACT Relating to the creation of intermittent-use trailer license plates; amending RCW 46.17.220, 46.16A.200, 46.18.277, and 46.19.060; adding a new section to chapter 46.18 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.04 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 46.18 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) A registered owner may apply to the department, county auditor
or other agent, or subagent appointed by the director for an
intermittent-use trailer license plate for an intermittent-use trailer.
The applicant for the intermittent-use trailer license plate must:
(a) Purchase a registration for the intermittent-use trailer as
required under chapters 46.16A and 46.17 RCW; and
(b) Pay the special license plate fee established under RCW
46.17.220(1)(k).
(2) A person applying for an intermittent-use trailer license plate
may:
(a) Receive an intermittent-use trailer license plate assigned by
the department; or
(b) Provide an actual Washington state issued license plate
designated for general use in the year of the intermittent-use
trailer's manufacture.
(3) Intermittent-use trailer license plates:
(a) Are valid for the life of the intermittent-use trailer;
(b) Are not required to be renewed; and
(c) Must be displayed on the rear of the intermittent-use trailer.
(4) If the owner of an intermittent-use trailer obtains an
intermittent-use trailer license plate and then sells, transfers, or
otherwise conveys the intermittent-use trailer to another individual or
entity, the intermittent-use trailer license plate must be removed
prior to the sale, transfer, or conveyance and the new owner of the
intermittent-use trailer must obtain a new registration and appropriate
license plate.
(5) Any person who knowingly provides a false or facsimile license
plate under subsection (2)(b) of this section is subject to a traffic
infraction and fine in an amount equal to the monetary penalty for a
violation of RCW 46.16A.200(7)(b). Additionally, the person must pay
for the cost of an intermittent-use trailer license plate as listed
under RCW 46.17.220(1)(k), unless already paid.
(6) A person that is determined to be in violation of this section
is subject to a traffic infraction of a maximum fine of one hundred
fifty dollars including all other applicable assessments and fees.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 46.04 RCW
to read as follows:
"Intermittent-use trailer" means a trailer in good working order
that is used only for participation in club activities, exhibitions,
tours, and parades, and for occasional pleasure use. For purposes of
this section, "occasional pleasure use" means use of an intermittent
trailer that is not general or daily, but seasonal or sporadic and not
more than once per week on average.
Sec. 3 RCW 46.17.220 and 2013 c 286 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) In addition to all fees and taxes required to be paid upon
application for a vehicle registration in chapter 46.16A RCW, the
holder of a special license plate shall pay the appropriate special
license plate fee as listed in this section.
PLATE TYPE | INITIAL FEE | RENEWAL FEE | DISTRIBUTED UNDER |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 | |
$ 5.00 | N/A | RCW 46.68.070 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.425 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | Subsection (2) of this section | |
$ 35.00 | N/A | RCW 46.68.030 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.430 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.425 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 | |
$ 35.00 | N/A | RCW 46.68.030 | |
(k) Intermittent-use trailer | $187.50 | N/A | RCW 46.68.030 |
$ 45.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.425 | |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 | |
(( | $ 5.00 | N/A | RCW 46.68.070 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 | |
$ 25.00 | N/A | RCW 46.68.030 | |
(( | $40.00 | $30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $40.00 | $30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
$ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 | |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $ 40.00 | N/A | RCW 46.68.070 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.425 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.425 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.420 |
(( | $ 40.00 | $ 30.00 | RCW 46.68.425 |
Sec. 4 RCW 46.16A.200 and 2011 c 171 s 46 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) Design. All license plates may be obtained by the director
from the metal working plant of a state correctional facility or from
any source in accordance with existing state of Washington purchasing
procedures. License plates:
(a) May vary in background, color, and design;
(b) Must be legible and clearly identifiable as a Washington state
license plate;
(c) Must designate the name of the state of Washington without
abbreviation;
(d) Must be treated with fully reflectorized materials designed to
increase visibility and legibility at night;
(e) Must be of a size and color and show the registration period as
determined by the director; and
(f) Before July 1, 2010, may display a symbol or artwork approved
by the former special license plate review board and the legislature.
Beginning July 1, 2010, special license plate series approved by the
department and enacted into law by the legislature may display a symbol
or artwork approved by the department.
(2) Exceptions to reflectorized materials. License plates issued
before January 1, 1968, are not required to be treated with
reflectorized materials.
(3) Dealer license plates. License plates issued to a dealer must
contain an indication that the license plates have been issued to a
vehicle dealer.
(4)(a) Furnished. The director shall furnish to all persons making
satisfactory application for a vehicle registration:
(i) Two identical license plates each containing the license plate
number; or
(ii) One license plate if the vehicle is a trailer, semitrailer,
intermittent-use trailer, camper, moped, collector vehicle, horseless
carriage, or motorcycle.
(b) The director may adopt types of license plates to be used as
long as the license plates are legible.
(5)(a) Display. License plates must be:
(i) Attached conspicuously at the front and rear of each vehicle if
two license plates have been issued;
(ii) Attached to the rear of the vehicle if one license plate has
been issued;
(iii) Kept clean and be able to be plainly seen and read at all
times; and
(iv) Attached in a horizontal position at a distance of not more
than four feet from the ground.
(b) The Washington state patrol may grant exceptions to this
subsection if the body construction of the vehicle makes compliance
with this section impossible.
(6) Change of license classification. A person who has altered a
vehicle that makes the current license plate or plates invalid for the
vehicle's use shall:
(a) Surrender the current license plate or plates to the
department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the
director;
(b) Apply for a new license plate or plates; and
(c) Pay a change of classification fee required under RCW
46.17.310.
(7) Unlawful acts. It is unlawful to:
(a) Display a license plate or plates on the front or rear of any
vehicle that were not issued by the director for the vehicle;
(b) Display a license plate or plates on any vehicle that have been
changed, altered, or disfigured, or have become illegible;
(c) Use holders, frames, or other materials that change, alter, or
make a license plate or plates illegible. License plate frames may be
used on license plates only if the frames do not obscure license tabs
or identifying letters or numbers on the plates and the license plates
can be plainly seen and read at all times;
(d) Operate a vehicle unless a valid license plate or plates are
attached as required under this section;
(e) Transfer a license plate or plates issued under this chapter
between two or more vehicles without first making application to
transfer the license plates. A violation of this subsection (7)(e) is
a traffic infraction subject to a fine not to exceed five hundred
dollars. Any law enforcement agency that determines that a license
plate or plates have been transferred between two or more vehicles
shall confiscate the license plate or plates and return them to the
department for nullification along with full details of the reasons for
confiscation. Each vehicle identified in the transfer will be issued
a new license plate or plates upon application by the owner or owners
and the payment of full fees and taxes; or
(f) Fail, neglect, or refuse to endorse the registration
certificate and deliver the license plate or plates to the purchaser or
transferee of the vehicle, except as authorized under this section.
(8) Transfer. (a) Standard issue license plates follow the vehicle
when ownership of the vehicle changes unless the registered owner
wishes to retain the license plates and transfer them to a replacement
vehicle of the same use. A registered owner wishing to keep standard
issue license plates shall pay the license plate transfer fee required
under RCW 46.17.200(1)(c) when applying for license plate transfer.
(b) Special license plates and personalized license plates may be
treated in the same manner as described in (a) of this subsection
unless otherwise limited by law.
(c) License plates issued to the state or any county, city, town,
school district, or other political subdivision entitled to exemption
as provided by law may be treated in the same manner as described in
(a) of this subsection.
(9) Replacement. (a) An owner or the owner's authorized
representative shall apply for a replacement license plate or plates if
the current license plate or plates assigned to the vehicle have been
lost, defaced, or destroyed, or if one or both plates have become so
illegible or are in such a condition as to be difficult to distinguish.
An owner or the owner's authorized representative may apply for a
replacement license plate or plates at any time the owner chooses.
(b) The application for a replacement license plate or plates must:
(i) Be on a form furnished or approved by the director; and
(ii) Be accompanied by the fee required under RCW 46.17.200(1)(a).
(c) The department shall not require the payment of any fee to
replace a license plate or plates for vehicles owned, rented, or leased
by foreign countries or international bodies to which the United States
government is a signatory by treaty.
(10) Periodic replacement. License plates must be replaced
periodically to ensure maximum legibility and reflectivity. The
department shall:
(a) Use empirical studies documenting the longevity of the
reflective materials used to make license plates;
(b) Determine how frequently license plates must be replaced; and
(c) Offer to owners the option of retaining the current license
plate number when obtaining replacement license plates for the fee
required in RCW 46.17.200(1)(b).
(11) Periodic replacement -- Exceptions. The following license
plates are not required to be periodically replaced as required in
subsection (10) of this section:
(a) Horseless carriage license plates issued under RCW 46.18.255
before January 1, 1987;
(b) Congressional Medal of Honor license plates issued under RCW
46.18.230;
(c) License plates for commercial motor vehicles with a gross
weight greater than twenty-six thousand pounds.
(12) Rules. The department may adopt rules to implement this
section.
(13) Tabs or emblems. The director may issue tabs or emblems to be
attached to license plates or elsewhere on the vehicle to signify
initial registration and renewals. Renewals become effective when tabs
or emblems have been issued and properly displayed on license plates.
Sec. 5 RCW 46.18.277 and 2010 c 161 s 627 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A registered owner may purchase personalized license plates
with a special license plate background for any vehicle required to
display one or two vehicle license plates, excluding:
(a) Amateur radio license plates;
(b) Collector vehicle license plates;
(c) Disabled American veteran license plates;
(d) Former prisoner of war license plates;
(e) Horseless carriage license plates;
(f) Intermittent-use trailer license plates;
(g) Congressional Medal of Honor license plates;
(((g))) (h) Military affiliate radio system license plates;
(((h))) (i) Pearl Harbor survivor license plates;
(((i))) (j) Restored license plates; and
(((j))) (k) Vehicles registered under chapter 46.87 RCW.
(2) Personalized special license plates issued under this section
must:
(a) Consist of numbers or letters or any combination of numbers or
letters;
(b) Not exceed seven characters; and
(c) Not contain less than one character.
(3) The department may not issue or may refuse to issue
personalized special license plates that:
(a) Duplicate or conflict with existing or projected vehicle
license plate series or other numbering systems for records kept by the
department; or
(b) May carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency or
which would be misleading.
(4) Personalized special license plates must be issued only to the
registered owner of the vehicle on which they are to be displayed. The
registered owner must:
(a) Pay both the personalized license plate fee required under RCW
46.17.210 and the special license plate fee required under the
applicable special license plate provision, in addition to any other
fee or taxes due. License plate fees must be distributed as provided
in chapter 46.68 RCW;
(b) Renew personalized special license plates annually, regardless
of whether or not the vehicle on which the personalized special license
plates are displayed will be driven on the public highways;
(c) Surrender personalized special license plates that have not
been renewed to the department. The failure to surrender expired
personalized special license plates is a traffic infraction; and
(d) Immediately report to the department when personalized special
license plates have been transferred to another vehicle or another
owner.
(5) The department may establish rules as necessary to carry out
this section including, but not limited to, identifying the maximum
number of positions on personalized special license plates for
motorcycles.
Sec. 6 RCW 46.19.060 and 2012 c 71 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) An additional fee may not be charged for special license plates
for persons with disabilities except for any other fees and taxes
required to be paid upon registration of a motor vehicle.
(2) A registered owner who qualifies for special parking privileges
as described in RCW 46.19.010 may apply to the department for special
license plates for persons with disabilities or special license plates
with a special year tab for persons with disabilities. Special license
plates with a special year tab for persons with disabilities are
available on any special license plate created under chapter 46.18 RCW,
except ((the)) collector vehicle license plates, horseless carriage
license plates, intermittent-use trailer license plates, and ride share
((special)) license plates.
(3) A registered owner who chooses to purchase special license
plates as described in subsection (2) of this section shall pay the
applicable special license plate fee, in addition to any other fees or
taxes required for registering a motor vehicle.
(4) Special license plates for persons with disabilities or special
license plates with a special year tab for persons with disabilities
must be renewed in the same manner and at the time required for the
renewal of standard motor vehicle license plates under chapter 46.16A
RCW.
(5) Special license plates for persons with disabilities or special
license plates with a special year tab for persons with disabilities
may be transferred from one motor vehicle to another motor vehicle
owned by the person with the parking privilege upon application to the
department, county auditor or other agent, or subagent appointed by the
director.
(6) Special license plates for persons with disabilities or special
license plates with a special year tab for persons with disabilities
must be removed from the motor vehicle when the person with
disabilities transfers or assigns his or her interest in the motor
vehicle.