Senate Bill No. 360
(By Senators Helmick and Ross)
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[Introduced February 15, 1995; referred to the Committee
on Transportation; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty-three, article three,
chapter seventeen-a of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to
requiring the department of motor vehicles to issue
designated registration plates for law-enforcement vehicles
of the county sheriff's departments with black on grey
colors, a sheriff's department badge to the left of the
registration numbers and with registration plate numbers
designating the county and the vehicle.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty-three, article three, chapter
seventeen-a of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read
as follows:
ARTICLE 3. ORIGINAL AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION; ISSUANCE OF
CERTIFICATES OF TITLE.
§17A-3-23. Registration plates to state, county, municipal and
other governmental vehicles.
Any motor vehicle designed to carry passengers, owned or
leased by the state of West Virginia, or any of its departments,
bureaus, commissions or institutions, except vehicles used by the
governor, treasurer, vehicles operated by the department of
public safety, not to exceed six vehicles operated by
conservation officers of the division of natural resources, not
to exceed ten vehicles operated by the arson investigators of the
office of state fire marshal, and not to exceed sixteen vehicles
operated by inspectors of the office of the alcohol beverage
control commissioner, shall not be operated or driven by any
person unless it shall have displayed and attached to the front
thereof, in the same manner as regular motor vehicle registration
plates are attached, a plate of the same size as the regular
registration plate, with white lettering on a green background
bearing the words "West Virginia" in one line and the words "State Car" in another line, and the lettering for the words
"State Car" shall be of sufficient size to be plainly readable
from a distance of one hundred feet during daylight.
Such vehicle shall also have attached to the rear a plate
bearing a number and such other words and figures as the
commissioner of motor vehicles shall prescribe. The rear plate
shall also be green with the number in white.
On registration plates issued to vehicles owned by counties,
except for those vehicles issued to the county sheriff's
department, the color shall be white on red with the word
"County" on top of the plate and the words "West Virginia" on the
bottom. On any registration plates issued to a city or
municipality, the color shall be white on blue with the word
"City" on top, and the words "West Virginia" on the bottom. The
colors may not be reversed and shall be of reflectorized
material. On registration plates issued to vehicles issued to
county sheriff's departments, the registration number shall be in
black and the background in grey, and an emblem of a sheriff's
badge shall be imprinted to the left of the registration number. The registration numbers shall be designed such that the first
two numbers represent the county that the registration plate was
issued and the other numbers represent the car that it is affixed
to. The commissioner is hereby authorized to designate the
colors and design of any other registration plates that are
issued without charge to any other agency in accordance with the
motor vehicle laws. The registration plates issued to counties,
municipalities and other governmental agencies authorized to
receive colored plates hereunder shall be affixed to both the
front and rear of such vehicles: Provided, That upon application
and payment of fees, the commissioner is hereby authorized to
issue a maximum of five Class A license plates per applicant to
be used by county sheriffs and municipalities on law-enforcement
vehicles while engaged in undercover investigations.
No other registration plate shall be issued for, or attached
to, any such state-owned vehicle.
The commissioner of motor vehicles shall have a sufficient
number of both front and rear plates produced to attach to all
state-owned cars. Not including vehicles issued to county sheriff's departments, the numbered registration plates for such
vehicles shall start with the number "five hundred" and the
commissioner shall issue consecutive numbers for all state-owned
cars.
It shall be the duty of each office, department, bureau,
commission or institution furnished any such vehicle to have such
plates affixed thereto prior to the operation of such vehicle by
any official or employee.
Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred
dollars.
Magistrates shall have concurrent jurisdiction with circuit
and criminal courts for the enforcement of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the department
of motor vehicles to issue designated registration plates for
law-enforcement vehicles of the county sheriff departments with
black on grey colors, a sheriff's badge to the left of the
registration number, and a number that designates the county and
the car.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.