H. B. 4329
(By Delegates Hrutkay, Boggs and Schadler)
[Introduced January 29, 2008; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then the
Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §17A-3-16 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §17A-10-3 of said
code, all relating to registration fees for vehicles, allowing
a registrant to register a Class G vehicle for a two-year
period, requiring registration for at least one full year and
facilitation expiration date changes.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §17A-3-16 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted; and that §17A-10-3 of said code be
amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. ORIGINAL AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION; ISSUANCE OF
CERTIFICATES OF TITLE.
§17A-3-16. Expiration of registration and certificates of title.
(a) Every vehicle registration under this chapter and every
registration card and registration plate issued under this chapter expires at midnight on the last day of the month designated by the
commissioner:
Provided, That the commissioner may extend the
period during which the registration plates may be used.
Certificates of title need not be renewed annually but remain
valid until canceled by the division for cause or upon a transfer
of any interest shown in the vehicle.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or of any
provision of this chapter, the commissioner shall adopt a staggered
registration system whereby the registration of Class A motor
vehicles is for a period of twelve consecutive calendar months, the
expiration dates of the registrations to be staggered throughout
the year:
Provided, That on or after the first day of July, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, the commissioner shall also
offer an optional two-year registration system, whereby the
registration of all vehicles shall be for a period of twenty-four
consecutive calendar months, the expiration dates of the
registrations to be staggered throughout the year. Under this
option, all annual fees due at the time of registration shall be
multiplied by two.
(1) On or after the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-seven, all Class A motor vehicles as defined in
section one, article ten of this chapter, shall be registered for
a period of twelve or twenty-four consecutive calendar months.
There hereby are established twelve registration periods, each of which shall start on the first day of each calendar month of the
year and shall end on the last day of the twelfth month from date
of beginning. The period ending on the thirty-first day of January
is designated the first period; that ending on the twenty-eighth
(twenty-ninth) day of February is designated the second; that
ending on the thirty-first day of March is designated the third;
that ending on the thirtieth day of April is designated the fourth;
that ending on the thirty-first day of May is designated the fifth;
that ending on the thirtieth day of June is designated the sixth;
that ending on the thirty-first day of July is designated the
seventh; that ending on the thirty-first day of August is
designated the eighth; that ending on the thirtieth day of
September is designated the ninth; that ending on the thirty-first
day of October is designated the tenth; that ending on the
thirtieth day of November is designated the eleventh; and that
ending on the thirty-first day of December is designated the
twelfth.
(2) All Class A motor vehicles, which are operated for the
first time upon the public highways of this state to and including
the fifteenth day of any given month are subject to registration
and payment of the fee for the twelve or twenty-four-month period
commencing the first day of the month of operation. All Class A
motor vehicles operated for the first time upon the public highways
of this state on and after the sixteenth day of any given month are subject to registration and payment of fee for the twelve or
twenty-four-month period commencing the first day of the month of
the next following calendar month.
(c) On or before the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-six, all Class T and Class R vehicles shall be
registered for a maximum period of three years or portion thereof
based on the number of years remaining in the three-year period
designated by the commissioner.
(d) On or before the first day of July, two thousand, all
Class C trailers shall be registered for the duration of the
owner's interest in the trailer and shall not expire until either
sold or otherwise permanently removed from the service of the
owner.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or of any
provision of this chapter, the commissioner shall on or before the
first day of July, two thousand nine, offer an optional two-year
registration for Class G vehicles. The commissioner may offer
extended prorated registration renewal cycles to accommodate
changes in designated expiration dates.
ARTICLE 10. FEES FOR REGISTRATION, LICENSING, ETC.
§17A-10-3. Registration fees for vehicles equipped with pneumatic
tires.
The following registration fees for the classes indicated
shall be paid to the division for the registration of vehicles subject to registration under this chapter when equipped with
pneumatic tires:
(a) Registration fees for the following classes shall be paid
to the division annually:
(1)
Class A. -- The registration fee for all motor vehicles of
this class is twenty-eight dollars and fifty cents:
Provided, That
the registration fees and any other fees required by this chapter
for Class A vehicles under the optional biennial staggered
registration system shall be multiplied by two and paid biennially
to the division.
No license fee may be charged for vehicles owned by churches,
or by trustees for churches, which are regularly used for
transporting parishioners to and from church services.
Notwithstanding the exemption, the certificate of registration and
license plates shall be obtained the same as other cards and plates
under this article.
(2)
Class B. -- The registration fee for all motor vehicles of
this class is as follows:
(A) For declared gross weights of eight thousand one pounds to
sixteen thousand pounds -- twenty-eight dollars plus five dollars
for each one thousand pounds or fraction of one thousand pounds
that the gross weight of the vehicle or combination of vehicles
exceeds eight thousand pounds.
(B) For declared gross weights greater than sixteen thousand pounds, but less than fifty-five thousand pounds -- seventy-eight
dollars and fifty cents plus ten dollars for each one thousand
pounds or fraction of one thousand pounds that the gross weight of
the vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds sixteen thousand
pounds.
(C) For declared gross weights of fifty-five thousand pounds
or more -- seven hundred thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents plus
fifteen dollars and seventy-five cents for each one thousand pounds
or fraction of one thousand pounds that the gross weight of the
vehicle or combination of vehicles exceeds fifty-five thousand
pounds.
(3)
Class G. -- The registration fee for each motorcycle or
parking enforcement vehicle is eight dollars.
The registration fee
and any other fees required by this chapter for Class G vehicles
shall be for at least one year. However, under an optional
biennial registration system the annual fee shall be multiplied by
two and paid biennially to the division.
(4)
Class H. -- The registration fee for all vehicles for this
class operating entirely within the state is five dollars; and for
vehicles engaged in interstate transportation of persons, the
registration fee is the amount of the fees provided by this section
for Class B, reduced by the amount that the mileage of the vehicles
operated in states other than West Virginia bears to the total
mileage operated by the vehicles in all states under a formula to be established by the Division of Motor Vehicles.
(5)
Class J. -- The registration fee for all motor vehicles of
this class is eighty-five dollars. Ambulances and hearses used
exclusively as ambulances and hearses are exempt from the special
fees set forth in this section.
(6)
Class M. -- The registration fee for all vehicles of this
class is seventeen dollars and fifty cents.
(7)
Class farm truck. -- The registration fee for all motor
vehicles of this class is as follows:
(A) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of eight
thousand one pounds to sixteen thousand pounds -- thirty dollars.
(B) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of sixteen
thousand one pounds to twenty-two thousand pounds -- sixty dollars.
(C) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of twenty-two
thousand one pounds to twenty-eight thousand pounds -- ninety
dollars.
(D) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of twenty-eight
thousand one pounds to thirty-four thousand pounds -- one hundred
fifteen dollars.
(E) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of thirty-four
thousand one pounds to forty-four thousand pounds -- one hundred
sixty dollars.
(F) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of forty-four
thousand one pounds to fifty-four thousand pounds -- two hundred five dollars.
(G) For farm trucks of declared gross weights of fifty-four
thousand one pounds to eighty thousand pounds -- two hundred fifty
dollars:
Provided, That the provisions of subsection (a), section
eight, article one, chapter seventeen-e do not apply if the vehicle
exceeds sixty-four thousand pounds and is a truck tractor or road
tractor.
(b) Registration fees for the following classes shall be paid
to the division for a maximum period of three years, or portion of
a year based on the number of years remaining in the three-year
period designated by the commissioner:
(1)
Class R. -- The annual registration fee for all vehicles
of this class is twelve dollars.
(2)
Class T. -- The annual registration fee for all vehicles
of this class is eight dollars.
(c) The fees paid to the division for a multi-year
registration provided by this chapter shall be the same as the
annual registration fee established by this section and any other
fee required by this chapter multiplied by the number of years for
which the registration is issued.
(d) The registration fee for all Class C vehicles is fifty
dollars. On or before the first day of July, two thousand, all
Class C trailers shall be registered for the duration of the
owner's interest in the trailer and do not expire until either sold or otherwise permanently removed from the service of the owner
:
Provided, That a registrant may transfer a Class C registration
plate from a trailer owned less than thirty days to another Class
C trailer titled in the name of the registrant upon payment of the
transfer fee prescribed in section ten of this article.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for an optional
two-year registration period for motorcycles by collecting either
one full year or two full year's fees. The bill also contains a
provision to facilitate a change to expiration dates.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.