House File 974 H-1312 Amend House File 974 as follows: 1 1. Page 1, before line 1 by inserting: 2 < Section 1. Section 321.18, subsection 7, Code 2025, is 3 amended to read as follows: 4 7. Any school bus in this state used exclusively for 5 the transportation of pupils to and from school or a school 6 function or for the purposes provided in section 285.1, 7 subsection 1 , and section 285.10, subsection 9 , or used 8 exclusively for the transportation of children enrolled in a 9 federal head start program. Upon application the department 10 shall, without charge, issue a registration certificate and a 11 registration plates plate . The plates plate shall be attached 12 to the front and rear of each bus exempt from registration 13 under this subsection . 14 Sec. ___. Section 321.22, subsection 1, Code 2025, is 15 amended to read as follows: 16 1. An urban transit company or system having a franchise 17 to operate in any city and any regional transit system may 18 make application to the department, upon forms furnished by 19 the department, for a certificate containing a distinguishing 20 number and for one or more pairs of registration plates to be 21 attached to the front and rear of buses owned or operated by 22 the transit company or system. 23 Sec. ___. Section 321.26, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 24 amended to read as follows: 25 2. The county treasurer may adjust the registration renewal 26 or expiration date of vehicles for which the county treasurer 27 is responsible for renewal under section 321.40 when deemed 28 necessary to equalize the number of vehicles registered in 29 each twelve-month period or for the administrative efficiency 30 of the county treasurer’s office. The adjustment shall 31 be accomplished by delivery of a written notice to the 32 vehicle owner of the adjustment and allowance of a credit 33 for the remaining months of the unused portion of the annual 34 registration fee, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, 35 -1- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 1/ 7 #1.
which amount shall be deducted from the annual registration 1 fee due at the time of registration. Upon receipt of the 2 notification the owner shall, within thirty days, surrender 3 the registration card and registration plates plate to any 4 county treasurer, except that the registration plates plate 5 shall not be surrendered if a validation stickers sticker or 6 other emblems are emblem is used to designate the month and 7 year of expiration of registration. Upon payment of the annual 8 registration fee, less the credit allowed for the remaining 9 months of the unused portion of the annual registration fee, 10 the county treasurer that adjusted the registration renewal or 11 expiration date of the vehicle shall issue a new registration 12 card and registration plates plate , validation stickers 13 sticker , or emblems emblem which indicate indicates the month 14 and year of expiration of registration. 15 Sec. ___. Section 321.34, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2025, 16 are amended to read as follows: 17 1. Plates Plate issued. The county treasurer upon receiving 18 application, accompanied by proper fee, for registration of a 19 vehicle shall issue to the owner one registration plate for 20 a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, autocycle, truck tractor, 21 trailer, or semitrailer and two registration plates for every 22 other motor vehicle . The registration plates plate , including 23 any special registration plates plate , shall be assigned to the 24 owner of a vehicle. When the owner of a registered vehicle 25 transfers or assigns ownership of the vehicle to another 26 person, the owner shall remove the registration plates plate 27 from the vehicle. The owner shall forward the plates plate to 28 any county treasurer or the owner may have the plates plate 29 assigned to another vehicle within thirty days after transfer, 30 upon payment of the fees required by law. The owner shall 31 immediately affix the registration plates plate retained 32 by the owner to another vehicle owned or acquired by the 33 owner, providing the owner complies with section 321.46 . The 34 department shall adopt rules providing for the assignment of a 35 -2- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 2/ 7
registration plates plate to the transferee of a vehicle for 1 which a credit is allowed under section 321.46, subsection 6 . 2 2. Validation stickers. 3 a. In lieu of issuing a new registration plates plate 4 each registration year for a vehicle renewing registration, 5 the department may reassign the registration plates plate 6 previously issued to the vehicle and may adopt and prescribe 7 an annual validation sticker indicating payment of annual 8 registration fees. The department shall issue one validation 9 sticker for each set of registration plates plate . The 10 sticker shall specify the month and year of expiration of the 11 registration plates plate . The sticker shall be displayed 12 only on the rear registration plate , except that the sticker 13 shall be displayed on the front registration plate of a truck 14 tractor . 15 b. The state department of transportation shall adopt rules 16 to provide for the placement of the motor vehicle registration 17 validation sticker. > 18 2. Page 2, by striking lines 23 through 29 and inserting: 19 < Sec. ___. Section 321.37, Code 2025, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 321.37 Display of plates plate . 22 1. Registration plates The registration plate issued for a 23 motor vehicle other than an autocycle, motorcycle, motorized 24 bicycle, or a truck tractor shall be attached to the rear of 25 the motor vehicle , one in the front and the other in the rear. 26 The registration plate issued for an autocycle, motorcycle, 27 or other vehicle required to be registered hereunder shall be 28 attached to the rear of the vehicle . The registration plate 29 issued for a truck tractor shall be attached to the front of 30 the truck tractor. The special plate issued to a dealer shall 31 be attached on the rear of the vehicle when operated on the 32 highways of this state. 33 2. Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle which 34 is model year 1948 or older, and reconstructed or specially 35 -3- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 3/ 7 #2.
constructed vehicles built to resemble a model year 1948 1 vehicle or older, other than a truck registered for more than 2 five tons, autocycle, motorcycle, or truck tractor, may display 3 one registration plate on the rear of the vehicle if the other 4 registration plate issued to the vehicle is carried in the 5 vehicle at all times when the vehicle is operated on a public 6 highway. 7 3. 2. It is unlawful for the The owner of a vehicle to 8 shall not place any a frame around or over the registration 9 plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and 10 letters printed on the registration plate , other than the name 11 of the county . 12 Sec. ___. Section 321.115, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 13 2025, is amended to read as follows: 14 c. The owner of a motor vehicle registered under this 15 subsection may display an authentic Iowa registration plate 16 or set of plates from the model year of the motor vehicle, 17 furnished by the person and approved by the department, in 18 lieu of the current and valid Iowa registration plates plate 19 issued for the vehicle, provided that the current and valid 20 Iowa registration plates plate and the registration card issued 21 for the vehicle are simultaneously carried within the vehicle 22 and are available for inspection to any peace officer upon the 23 officer’s request. 24 Sec. ___. Section 321.115A, subsection 1, Code 2025, is 25 amended to read as follows: 26 1. A motor vehicle may be registered as a replica vehicle or 27 street rod. The annual registration fee is the fee provided 28 for in section 321.109 , 321.113 , 321.122 , or 321.124 . The 29 owner of a vehicle registered under this section may display 30 a registration plate or set of plates from or representing 31 the model year of the motor vehicle or the model year of the 32 motor vehicle the registered vehicle is designed to resemble, 33 furnished by the person and approved by the department, in 34 lieu of the current and valid Iowa registration plates plate 35 -4- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 4/ 7
issued for the vehicle, provided that the current and valid 1 Iowa registration plates plate and the registration card issued 2 for the vehicle are simultaneously carried within the vehicle 3 and are available for inspection to any peace officer upon the 4 officer’s request. > 5 3. Page 3, after line 20 by inserting: 6 < Sec. ___. Section 321.385A, subsection 1, paragraph b, 7 Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 8 b. A citation issued for failure to have rear lamps as 9 required under section 321.387 or a rear registration plate 10 light as required under section 321.388 shall first provide for 11 a seventy-two hour period within which the person charged with 12 the violation shall replace or repair the lamps or light. 13 Sec. ___. Section 321.385A, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 14 amended to read as follows: 15 2. If the person complies with the directive to replace or 16 repair the headlamp, rear lamps, or rear registration plate 17 light within the allotted time period, the citation shall be 18 expunged. If the person fails to comply within the allotted 19 time period, the citation shall be processed in the same manner 20 as other citations. 21 Sec. ___. Section 321.388, Code 2025, is amended to read as 22 follows: 23 321.388 Illuminating plates Registration plate illuminated . 24 Either the rear lamp or a separate lamp shall be so 25 constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the 26 rear registration plate attached to the rear of the vehicle and 27 render it clearly legible from a distance of fifty feet to the 28 rear. When the rear registration plate is illuminated by an 29 electric lamp other than the required rear lamp, the two lamps 30 shall be turned on or off only by the same control switch at 31 all times when headlamps are lighted. This section does not 32 apply to commercial vehicles engaged exclusively in intrastate 33 commerce that are dump trucks or that are used exclusively for 34 the movement of construction materials and equipment to and 35 -5- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 5/ 7 #3.
from construction projects. 1 Sec. ___. Section 321J.4B, subsection 5, paragraph f, 2 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 3 (1) If the vehicle subject to the court order is not in 4 the custody of a law enforcement agency, the person or agency 5 designated in the order as the person or agency responsible for 6 executing the order shall, upon receipt of the order, promptly 7 locate the vehicle specified in the order, seize the motor 8 vehicle and the license plates registration plate , and send or 9 deliver the vehicle’s license plates registration plate to the 10 department. 11 Sec. ___. Section 321J.4B, subsection 7, Code 2025, is 12 amended to read as follows: 13 7. a. Upon receipt of a notice of conviction of the 14 defendant for a violation of subsection 2 , the impounding 15 authority shall seize the motor vehicle’s license plates 16 registration plate and registration, and shall send or deliver 17 them to the department. 18 b. The department shall destroy license plates a 19 registration plate received under this section and shall not 20 authorize the release of the vehicle or the issuance of a new 21 license plates registration plate for the vehicle until the 22 period of impoundment or immobilization has expired, and the 23 fee and costs assessed under subsection 10 have been paid. The 24 fee for issuance of a new license plates registration plate and 25 certificates certificate of registration shall be the same as 26 for the replacement of a lost, mutilated, or destroyed license 27 plates registration plate and certificates certificate of 28 registration. 29 Sec. ___. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE. The Code editor may make 30 any change the Code editor deems necessary to correct any Code 31 section or any enacted legislation that refers, in any context, 32 to a set of, a pair of, or two motor vehicle registration 33 plates for one vehicle, rather than one registration plate, 34 when there appears to be no doubt as to the proper method of 35 -6- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 6/ 7
making the correction. 1 Sec. ___. TRANSITION PROVISIONS. The transition from the 2 use of motor vehicle registration plates on both the front 3 and rear of certain vehicles to the use of such plates on 4 only the rear of certain vehicles, as directed by this Act, 5 shall be accomplished in stages. A person applying for a new 6 or replacement registration plate on or after the effective 7 date of this Act shall receive only one registration plate. 8 Otherwise, the transition shall not be accomplished until a new 9 series of registration plates is issued to replace a current 10 series. A person who was issued a pair of registration plates, 11 including special registration plates, may attach only one 12 plate in accordance with this Act on and after the effective 13 date of this Act. A person who is required to transfer a 14 registration plate, or to return a registration plate to the 15 department of transportation or to a county treasurer, shall 16 transfer or return both plates, as applicable, if the person 17 was issued a pair of plates. The department of transportation 18 may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement the 19 transition. > 20 4. Title page, line 1, after < including > by inserting < the 21 issuance and display of one registration plate, > 22 5. Title page, line 2, by striking < frames > and inserting 23 < frames, > 24 6. By renumbering as necessary. 25 ______________________________ COOLING of Linn -7- HF 974.1622 (3) 91 th/ns 7/ 7 #4. #5. #6.