Senate Study Bill 1156 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON BROWN) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the display of registration plates on motor 1 vehicles. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2084XC (4) 89 th/ns

S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.37, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2021, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 1. a. Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle other 3 than an autocycle, motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or truck 4 tractor shall be attached to the motor vehicle, one in the 5 front and the other in the rear. The registration plate issued 6 for an autocycle, motorcycle, or other vehicle required to 7 be registered hereunder shall be attached to the rear of the 8 vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck tractor 9 shall be attached to the front of the truck tractor. The 10 special plate issued to a dealer shall be attached on the rear 11 of the vehicle when operated on the highways of this state. 12 b. A peace officer shall not stop or detain a person solely 13 for a suspected violation of this subsection if the suspected 14 violation involves a motor vehicle required to display two 15 registration plates under this subsection, one in the front and 16 the other in the rear, and the suspected violation is based 17 on the motor vehicle displaying only one registration plate 18 in the rear. Such a suspected violation is enforceable by a 19 peace officer only when the driver of the motor vehicle has 20 been stopped or detained for a suspected violation of another 21 provision of this chapter, a local ordinance equivalent to a 22 provision of this chapter, or any other law. 23 2. Registration plates issued for Notwithstanding 24 subsection 1, paragraph “a” , a motor vehicle which is model 25 year 1948 or older, and reconstructed or specially constructed 26 vehicles built to resemble a model year 1948 vehicle or older 27 registered as an antique vehicle under section 321.115 , or a 28 motor vehicle that would require modifications including but 29 not limited to adding or mounting hardware, drilling, or adding 30 adhesives in order to secure a front registration plate, other 31 than a truck registered for more than five tons, autocycle, 32 motorcycle, or truck tractor, may display one registration 33 plate on the rear of the vehicle if the other registration 34 plate issued to the vehicle is carried in the vehicle at all 35 -1- LSB 2084XC (4) 89 th/ns 1/ 2

S.F. _____ times when the vehicle is operated on a public highway. 1 EXPLANATION 2 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 4 This bill prohibits a peace officer from stopping or 5 detaining a person solely for a suspected violation of Code 6 section 321.37(1) if the suspected violation involves a motor 7 vehicle required to display two registration plates, one in the 8 front and the other in the rear, and the suspected violation 9 is based on the motor vehicle displaying only one registration 10 plate in the rear. Such a suspected violation is enforceable 11 by a peace officer only when the driver of the motor vehicle 12 has been stopped or detained for a suspected violation of 13 another provision of law. 14 Since 1997, Iowa has allowed certain motor vehicles which 15 are model year 1948 or older, and certain reconstructed or 16 specially constructed vehicles built to resemble vehicles which 17 are model year 1948 or older, to display one registration plate 18 on the rear of the vehicle if the other registration plate 19 issued to the vehicle is carried in the vehicle at all times 20 when the vehicle is operated on a public highway. Trucks 21 registered for more than five tons, autocycles, motorcycles, 22 and truck tractors are excluded from the provision. The bill 23 instead applies the provision to motor vehicles registered 24 as antique vehicles and motor vehicles that would require 25 modifications including but not limited to adding or mounting 26 hardware, drilling, or adding adhesives in order to secure a 27 front registration plate. Under Code section 321.115, a motor 28 vehicle may register as an antique vehicle if the vehicle is 29 25 years old or older. The bill does not amend the list of 30 vehicles excluded from the provision under current law. 31 -2- LSB 2084XC (4) 89 th/ns 2/ 2