29-A §462. Temporary registration plates

Title 29-A: MOTOR VEHICLES HEADING: PL 1993, C. 683, PT. A, §2 (NEW); PT. B, §5 (AFF)

Chapter 5: VEHICLE REGISTRATION HEADING: PL 1993, C. 683, PT. A, §2 (NEW); PT. B, §5 (AFF)

Subchapter 1: REGISTRATION HEADING: PL 1993, C. 683, PT. A, §2 (NEW); PT. B, §5 (AFF)

Article 3: REGISTRATION PLATES HEADING: PL 1993, C. 683, PT. A, §2 (NEW); PT. B, §5 (AFF)

§462. Temporary registration plates

1. Temporary plate attachment. Except a transporter licensee or loaner licensee, a person licensed as a dealer may, on the sale or exchange of a motor vehicle or trailer, attach to its rear a temporary registration plate. For the purposes of this subsection, "loaner licensee" means a person to whom the Secretary of State has granted permission to use loaner plates on vehicles owned by that person for the purpose of loaning those vehicles to customers whose vehicles are being repaired at the licensee's business location.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

2. Payment of fee for temporary registration plate. The fee for a temporary registration plate is $1 per plate. A purchaser may operate the motor vehicle or trailer with a temporary registration plate for a period of 14 consecutive days without payment of a regular fee. If the purchaser is a nonresident member of the Armed Services, the purchaser may operate a motor vehicle or trailer for a period of 20 consecutive days without payment of a regular fee. At the end of this initial period, a resident who is unable to comply with the requirements of chapter 7 or a nonresident who has applied for but has not yet received a registration certificate from a home state may request the Secretary of State to extend this period without charge for an additional 20 days.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

3. Trucks. A temporary registration plate may not be used on a loaded truck without a written permit from the Secretary of State.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

4. Mobile homes. A temporary registration plate may not be used on a house trailer or mobile home unless the operator of the vehicle possesses the written certificate from the tax collector required by section 1002, subsection 9.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

5. Motorcycle. A temporary registration plate for a motorcycle must be the same size as the regular motorcycle plate.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

6. Notice of date of expiration. A person attaching a temporary registration plate to a vehicle sold or exchanged by that person, shall mark on the plate the date of expiration and immediately notify the Secretary of State of the sale or exchange, giving the name and address of the purchaser, the number of the temporary plate and other information as the Secretary of State may require. The date may not be less than one inch in height and must be written with indelible or waterproof ink.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

7. Temporary registration certificate. When a temporary registration plate is attached to a vehicle, the Secretary of State must furnish the purchaser a certificate of temporary registration.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

8. Trailer transit plate. A business that delivers or services mobile homes, leases or transports storage trailers or transports light trailers, modular homes or frames for transporting modular homes may apply for a trailer transit license and plate. The transit plate may not be loaned, used in place of registration plates on another vehicle, used for personal reasons or used on the towing vehicle. Issuance of a trailer transit license and plate does not exempt the holder from compliance with any state law or municipal ordinance governing the movement of mobile homes, storage trailers, modular homes or frames for transporting modular homes or light trailers over the highways of this State and does not exempt the holder from required permits or certificates prior to moving the vehicles. Trailer transit plates issued pursuant to this subsection may only be used subject to the following conditions.

A. A storage trailer must be empty during transportation. [2001, c. 149, §1 (NEW).]

B. A light trailer may be transported with a load appropriate for the light trailer, provided that the load is owned by or in the custody of the transporting business. [2001, c. 149, §1 (NEW).]

C. A light trailer may be transported with a trailer transit plate only if the business owner or an employee of the business accompanies the vehicle transporting the light trailer. [2001, c. 149, §1 (NEW).]

Fees for trailer transit licenses and plates are established in section 852. Trailer transit licenses are exempt from section 951, subsection 6.

For purposes of this subsection, "business" means a corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, sole proprietorship or other commercial entity. For the purposes of this subsection, "modular home" has the same meaning as in Title 30-A, section 4358, subsection 1, paragraph A, subparagraph (2).

[ 2003, c. 132, §1 (AMD) .]

9. Unavailability. The Secretary of State, if unable to furnish immediately a plate or marker, may issue a temporary certificate with temporary plates. The certificate must be carried and plates displayed in the same manner as regular certificates and plates.

[ 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF) .]

10. Prohibition. A person issued temporary registration plates may not:

A. Attach a plate to a vehicle that the person did not sell, lease or transfer; or [2003, c. 452, Pt. Q, §4 (NEW); 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]

B. Provide the plates to another person other than by attachment to a vehicle as authorized by this section. [2003, c. 452, Pt. Q, §4 (NEW); 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]

A person who violates this subsection commits a traffic infraction.

[ 2003, c. 452, Pt. Q, §4 (RPR); 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF) .]

11. Records. A person issued temporary registration plates by the Secretary of State shall maintain a written record of the use or disposal of every plate. The record must be available for inspection by the Secretary of State at the person's place of business. A person who violates this subsection commits a traffic infraction.

[ 2003, c. 452, Pt. Q, §5 (NEW); 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF) .]

SECTION HISTORY

1993, c. 683, §A2 (NEW). 1993, c. 683, §B5 (AFF). 2001, c. 149, §1 (AMD). 2003, c. 132, §1 (AMD). 2003, c. 452, §§Q4,5 (AMD). 2003, c. 452, §X2 (AFF).