HF 54 (LSB 1493YH (1) 90)

HOUSE FILE 54

BY  LOHSE

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to antique vehicle special registration plates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.34, Code 2023, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  11E.  Antique vehicle plates —— identical to model year.
   a.  Upon application and payment of the proper fees, the director shall issue antique vehicle plates to the owner of a motor vehicle registered pursuant to section 321.115, subsection 1.
   b.  Antique vehicle plates shall be designed by the department and each plate issued shall be designed to be as identical as practicable to the regular registration plate issued in the model year of the antique vehicle.
   c.  (1)  The special antique vehicle fee for letter-number designated antique vehicle plates is fifty dollars. An applicant may obtain personalized antique vehicle plates upon payment of the fee for personalized plates as provided in subsection 5, which is in addition to the special fee. The fees collected by the director under this subsection shall be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund.
   (2)  The treasurer of state shall credit monthly from the statutory allocations fund created under section 321.145, subsection 2, to the department of cultural affairs, the amount of the special fees collected in the previous month for antique vehicle plates. Moneys credited under this subparagraph are appropriated to the department of cultural affairs to support the state historical society for the purposes of preserving and promoting automotive history within the state.
   d.  Upon receipt of the special registration plates, the applicant shall surrender the current registration plates to the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall validate the special registration plates in the same manner as regular registration plates are validated under this section. The annual special antique vehicle fee for letter-number designated antique vehicle plates is ten dollars which shall be paid in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for personalized antique vehicle plates is five dollars which shall be paid in addition to the annual special antique vehicle fee and the regular annual registration fee. The annual special antique vehicle fee shall be credited as provided under paragraph “c”.
    Sec. 2.  Section 321.115, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  (1)  The owner of a motor vehicle registered under this subsection may display authentic Iowa registration plates from the model year of the motor vehicle, furnished by the person and approved by the department, in lieu of the current and valid Iowa registration plates issued for the vehicle, provided that the current and valid Iowa registration plates and the registration card issued for the vehicle are simultaneously carried within the vehicle and are available for inspection to any peace officer upon the officer’s request.
   (2)  Alternatively, the owner of a motor vehicle registered under this subsection may display antique vehicle special registration plates issued under section 321.34, subsection 11E. The owner of a “limited use” antique vehicle displaying antique vehicle special registration plates need not purchase special “limited use” plates under section 321.60, but must otherwise comply with the “limited use” registration requirements in accordance with sections 321.58 through 321.62.
    Sec. 3.  Section 321.166, subsection 9, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   9.  Special registration plates issued pursuant to section 321.34, other than gold star, medal of honor, collegiate, fire fighter, natural resources, blackout, and flying our colors, and antique vehicle registration plates, shall be consistent with the design and color of regular registration plates but shall provide a space on a portion of the plate for the purpose of allowing the placement of a distinguishing processed emblem or an organization decal. Special registration plates shall also comply with the requirements for regular registration plates as provided in this section to the extent the requirements are consistent with the section authorizing a particular special vehicle registration plate.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, a motor vehicle that is 25 model years old or older may be registered as an antique vehicle. The registration fee for an antique vehicle is generally $50 per year, though it may be higher for certain motor homes and vehicles weighing more than three tons, or lower for vehicles owned by the same person since before January 1, 2009. Alternatively, a motor truck, truck tractor, road tractor, or motor home may register as a “limited use” antique vehicle for purposes of operating to and from state and county fairs or other places of entertainment or education for exhibition or educational purposes. The registration fee for “limited use” antique vehicles is $35 per year plus $20 per year per special “limited use” plate. An antique vehicle may display authentic Iowa registration plates from the model year of the motor vehicle, furnished by the person and approved by the department of transportation (DOT), in lieu of the current and valid Iowa registration plates issued for the vehicle, provided that the current and valid Iowa registration plates and the registration card issued for the vehicle are simultaneously carried within the vehicle and are available for inspection upon a peace officer’s request.
   This bill allows the owner of an antique vehicle to display special registration plates that are designed by the DOT to mirror plates from the model year of the motor vehicle and that are furnished by the DOT. The bill requires the DOT to issue antique vehicle special registration plates upon proper application and payment of fees. The bill further requires that the antique vehicle plate be designed to be as identical as practicable to the regular registration plate issued for the model year of the antique vehicle.
   The bill provides that the special antique vehicle fee for letter-number designated antique vehicle plates is $50 and that an applicant may obtain personalized antique vehicle plates upon the payment of the $25 fee for personalized plates set forth under current law, which is in addition to the special antique vehicle fee. The annual special antique vehicle fee for letter-number designated plates is $10, which is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for personalized antique vehicle plates is $5, which is in addition to the annual special antique vehicle fee and the regular annual registration fee. The bill requires the fees collected by the DOT for antique vehicle plates to be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state must then credit monthly from the statutory allocations fund to the department of cultural affairs (DCA) the amount of special fees for antique vehicle plates collected in the previous month. The moneys received by the DCA under the bill are appropriated to the DCA to support to the state of Iowa historical society to preserve and promote automotive history within the state.
   Finally, the bill provides that the owner of a “limited use” antique vehicle displaying antique vehicle plates need not also purchase “limited use” plates.