WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2023 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 511

By Senators Woodrum, Deeds, and Hamilton

[Introduced January 30, 2023; referred
to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §17A-3-17 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to ensuring the $1 service fee for the renewal of vehicle registration is dedicated to the county sheriff for contribution to the county general fund and the deputy sheriff's retirement system.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. ORIGINAL AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION; ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF TITLE.

§17A-3-17. Application for and renewal of registration; sheriffs authorized to issue renewals of registration for certain vehicles.

(a) Application for renewal of a vehicle registration shall be made by the vehicle owner by proper application and payment of taxes and registration fees provided by law.

(b) The division may receive applications for renewal of any vehicle registration and each sheriff shall receive applications from residents in his or her county for renewal of any Class A or G vehicle registration. The division and each sheriff shall issue the renewals of registration each receives, respectively, in accordance with all of the provisions in this article pertaining to renewal of vehicle registration including, but not limited to, the payment of the taxes and fees required thereunder.

(c) Each renewal of a Class A or G vehicle registration, whether received by the division or by the sheriff, is subject to a sheriff shall charge a service fee of $1. for each renewal of a Class A or G vehicle registration he or she issues The fee shall be paid to the sheriff in the county in where the vehicle is registered. Effective July 1, 1998, the sheriff shall pay one half of this fee into the county general fund. The sheriff shall pay the remaining one half of this fee into the deputy sheriff retirement fund created in §7-14D-6 of this code.

(d) On the first day of each month, each sheriff shall pay over to the commissioner all fees he or she collected during the preceding month for renewal of Class A and G vehicle registrations, except his or her service fees. The payment shall be accompanied by a report showing the name of the county, the name and address of the person who obtained the registration and paid the registration fee therefor, the vehicle registered, the registration number, the date the registration was issued, the signature of the sheriff and any other information the commissioner may reasonably require in order to maintain the functions and records of the department. The commissioner shall deposit all fees he or she receives from the sheriffs for renewal of Class A and G vehicle registrations in the State Treasury to the credit of the state road fund as provided in section twenty-one, article two of this chapter.

(e) The commissioner shall provide each sheriff with the necessary forms, supplies, registration plates, registration decals and instructions necessary to enable him or her to perform the duties and functions specified in this section.

(f) No person may display upon a vehicle a new registration plate or registration decal prior to the first day of the month preceding the new registration period.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to ensure the $1 service fee for the renewal of vehicle registration is dedicated to the county sheriff for contribution to the county general fund and the deputy sheriff's retirement system.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.