Assembly Bill No. 76–Committee on Transportation

February 4, 1999

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Referred to Committee on Transportation

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to transfer of ownership of motor vehicle and color of license plates. (BDR 43-1304)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; requiring the director of the department of motor vehicles and public safety to order the redesign and preparation of motor vehicle license plates with colors that are predominately blue and silver; authorizing the department to use symbols on personalized prestige license plates; authorizing the department to adopt regulations which prescribe methods, other than by pen and ink, by which a signature may be affixed upon a manufacturer’s certificate of origin or a manufacturer’s statement of origin; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. NRS 482.270 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2 482.270 1. Except as otherwise provided by specific statute, the

1-3 director shall order the redesign and preparation of motor vehicle license

1-4 plates with [no other colors than] colors that are predominately blue and

1-5 silver. The director may substitute white in place of silver when no suitable

1-6 material is available.

1-7 2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, the department shall,

1-8 upon the payment of all applicable fees, issue redesigned motor vehicle

1-9 license plates pursuant to this section to persons who apply for the

1-10 registration or renewal of the registration of a motor vehicle on or after

1-11 January 1, 2001.

1-12 3. The department shall not issue redesigned motor vehicle license

1-13 plates pursuant to this section to a person who was issued motor vehicle

1-14 license plates before January 1, 1982, or pursuant to NRS 482.3747,

2-1 482.3763, 482.3775, 482.378 or 482.379, without the approval of the

2-2 person.

2-3 4. The director may determine and vary the size, shape and form and

2-4 the material of which license plates are made, but each license plate must

2-5 be of sufficient size to be plainly readable from a distance of 100 feet

2-6 during daylight. All license plates must be treated to reflect light and to be

2-7 at least 100 times brighter than conventional painted number plates. When

2-8 properly mounted on an unlighted vehicle, the license plates, when viewed

2-9 from a vehicle equipped with standard headlights, must be visible for a

2-10 distance of not less than 1,500 feet and readable for a distance of not less

2-11 than 110 feet.

2-12 5. Every license plate must have displayed upon it:

2-13 (a) The registration number, or combination of letters and numbers,

2-14 assigned to the vehicle and to the owner thereof;

2-15 (b) The name of this state, which may be abbreviated;

2-16 (c) If issued for a calendar year, the year; and

2-17 (d) If issued for a registration period other than a calendar year, the

2-18 month and year the registration expires.

2-19 6. The letters I and Q must not be used in the designation.

2-20 7. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 482.379, all letters and

2-21 numbers must be of the same size.

2-22 Sec. 2. NRS 482.3667 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-23 482.3667 1. The department shall establish, design and otherwise

2-24 prepare for issue personalized prestige license plates and shall establish all

2-25 necessary procedures not inconsistent with this section for the application

2-26 and issuance of [such] those license plates.

2-27 2. The department shall issue personalized prestige license plates, upon

2-28 the payment of the prescribed fee, to any person who otherwise complies

2-29 with the laws relating to the registration and licensing of motor vehicles or

2-30 trailers for use on private passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks or trailers.

2-31 3. Personalized prestige license plates are valid for 12 months and are

2-32 renewable upon expiration. [These] The plates may be transferred from one

2-33 vehicle or trailer to another if the transfer and registration fees are paid as

2-34 set [out] forth in this chapter. Any person transferring plates must be

2-35 allowed a 1/12 reduction in fees for each calendar month remaining unused

2-36 from the previous registration, applicable to the fees which are for the

2-37 registration year for which the plates are being transferred.

2-38 4. In case of any conflict, the person who first [made application]

2-39 applied for personalized prestige license plates and has continuously

2-40 renewed [them by payment of] those plates by paying the required fee has

2-41 priority.

3-1 5. The department may limit by regulation the number of letters , [and]

3-2 numbers and symbols used and prohibit the use of inappropriate letters or

3-3 symbols or combinations of letters [and numbers.] , numbers and symbols.

3-4 6. The department shall not assign to any person [not holding] who

3-5 does not hold the relevant office any letters , [and] numbers or symbols

3-6 denoting that the holder holds a public office.

3-7 Sec. 3. NRS 482.400 is hereby amended to read as follows:

3-8 482.400 1. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and

3-9 subsections 2, 5 and 6, upon a transfer of the title to, or the interest of an

3-10 owner in, a vehicle registered or issued a certificate of ownership under the

3-11 provisions of this chapter, the person or persons whose title or interest is to

3-12 be transferred and the transferee shall write their signatures with pen and

3-13 ink upon the certificate of ownership issued for the vehicle, together with

3-14 the residence address of the transferee, in the appropriate spaces provided

3-15 upon the reverse side of the certificate. The department may, by

3-16 regulation, prescribe alternative methods by which a signature may be

3-17 affixed upon a manufacturer’s certificate of origin or a manufacturer’s

3-18 statement of origin issued for a vehicle. The alternative methods must

3-19 ensure the authenticity of the signatures.

3-20 2. The department shall provide a form for use by a dealer for the

3-21 transfer of ownership of a vehicle when the spaces provided upon the

3-22 reverse side of the certificate of ownership issued for the vehicle have been

3-23 filled. The form must be produced in a manner which ensures that the form

3-24 may not be easily counterfeited. Upon the attachment of the form to a

3-25 certificate of ownership issued for a vehicle, the form becomes a part of

3-26 that certificate of ownership. The department may charge a fee not to

3-27 exceed $5 for each form it provides.

3-28 3. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 4, 5 and 6, the

3-29 transferee shall immediately apply for registration as provided in NRS

3-30 482.215, and shall pay the privilege taxes due.

3-31 4. If the transferee is a dealer who intends to resell the vehicle, he shall

3-32 deliver immediately to the department or its agent the certificate of

3-33 registration and the license plate or plates for the vehicle. When the vehicle

3-34 is resold, the purchaser shall apply for registration as provided in NRS

3-35 482.215, and shall pay the privilege taxes due. The dealer is not required to

3-36 register, pay a transfer or registration fee for, or pay a privilege tax on [any

3-37 such] the vehicle.

3-38 5. If the transferee consigns the vehicle to a wholesale vehicle

3-39 auctioneer:

3-40 (a) The transferee shall, within 30 days after that consignment, provide

3-41 the wholesale vehicle auctioneer with the certificate of ownership for the

3-42 vehicle, executed as required by subsection 1, and any other documents

3-43 necessary to obtain another certificate of ownership for the vehicle.

4-1 (b) The wholesale vehicle auctioneer shall be deemed a transferee of the

4-2 vehicle for the purposes of subsection 4. The wholesale vehicle auctioneer

4-3 is not required to comply with subsection 1 if he:

4-4 (1) Does not take an ownership interest in the vehicle;

4-5 (2) Auctions the vehicle to a vehicle dealer or automobile wrecker

4-6 who is licensed as such in this or any other state; and

4-7 (3) Stamps his name, his identification number as a vehicle dealer and

4-8 the date of the auction on the certificate of ownership and the bill of sale

4-9 and any other documents of transfer for the vehicle.

4-10 6. A charitable organization which intends to sell a vehicle which has

4-11 been donated to the organization must deliver immediately to the

4-12 department or its agent the certificate of registration and the license plate or

4-13 plates for the vehicle. The charitable organization must not be required to

4-14 register, pay a transfer or registration fee for, or pay a privilege tax on the

4-15 vehicle. When the vehicle is sold by the charitable organization, the

4-16 purchaser shall apply for registration as provided in NRS 482.215 and pay

4-17 the privilege taxes due.

4-18 7. [For the purposes of] As used in this section, "wholesale vehicle

4-19 auctioneer" means a dealer who:

4-20 (a) Is engaged in the business of auctioning consigned motor vehicles to

4-21 vehicle dealers or automobile wreckers, or both, who are licensed as such

4-22 in this or any other state; and

4-23 (b) Does not in the ordinary course of his business buy, sell or own the

4-24 vehicles he auctions.

4-25 Sec. 4. This act becomes effective on July 1, 1999.

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