Senate Study Bill 1091 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON ZUMBACH) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the issuance and display of one registration 1 plate on motor vehicles. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns
S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.18, subsection 7, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 7. Any school bus in this state used exclusively for 3 the transportation of pupils to and from school or a school 4 function or for the purposes provided in section 285.1, 5 subsection 1 , and section 285.10, subsection 9 , or used 6 exclusively for the transportation of children enrolled in a 7 federal head start program. Upon application the department 8 shall, without charge, issue a registration certificate and a 9 registration plates plate . The plates plate shall be attached 10 to the front and rear of each bus exempt from registration 11 under this subsection . 12 Sec. 2. Section 321.22, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 1. An urban transit company or system having a franchise 15 to operate in any city and any regional transit system may 16 make application to the department, upon forms furnished by 17 the department, for a certificate containing a distinguishing 18 number and for one or more pairs of registration plates to be 19 attached to the front and rear of buses owned or operated by 20 the transit company or system. 21 Sec. 3. Section 321.26, subsection 2, Code 2025, is amended 22 to read as follows: 23 2. The county treasurer may adjust the registration renewal 24 or expiration date of vehicles for which the county treasurer 25 is responsible for renewal under section 321.40 when deemed 26 necessary to equalize the number of vehicles registered in 27 each twelve-month period or for the administrative efficiency 28 of the county treasurers office. The adjustment shall 29 be accomplished by delivery of a written notice to the 30 vehicle owner of the adjustment and allowance of a credit 31 for the remaining months of the unused portion of the annual 32 registration fee, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, 33 which amount shall be deducted from the annual registration 34 fee due at the time of registration. Upon receipt of the 35 -1- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 1/ 7
S.F. _____ notification the owner shall, within thirty days, surrender 1 the registration card and registration plates plate to any 2 county treasurer, except that the registration plates plate 3 shall not be surrendered if a validation stickers sticker or 4 other emblems are emblem is used to designate the month and 5 year of expiration of registration. Upon payment of the annual 6 registration fee, less the credit allowed for the remaining 7 months of the unused portion of the annual registration fee, 8 the county treasurer that adjusted the registration renewal or 9 expiration date of the vehicle shall issue a new registration 10 card and registration plates plate , validation stickers 11 sticker , or emblems emblem which indicate indicates the month 12 and year of expiration of registration. 13 Sec. 4. Section 321.34, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2025, are 14 amended to read as follows: 15 1. Plates Plate issued. The county treasurer upon receiving 16 application, accompanied by proper fee, for registration of a 17 vehicle shall issue to the owner one registration plate for 18 a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, autocycle, truck tractor, 19 trailer, or semitrailer and two registration plates for every 20 other motor vehicle . The registration plates plate , including 21 any special registration plates plate , shall be assigned to the 22 owner of a vehicle. When the owner of a registered vehicle 23 transfers or assigns ownership of the vehicle to another 24 person, the owner shall remove the registration plates plate 25 from the vehicle. The owner shall forward the plates plate to 26 any county treasurer or the owner may have the plates plate 27 assigned to another vehicle within thirty days after transfer, 28 upon payment of the fees required by law. The owner shall 29 immediately affix the registration plates plate retained 30 by the owner to another vehicle owned or acquired by the 31 owner, providing the owner complies with section 321.46 . The 32 department shall adopt rules providing for the assignment of a 33 registration plates plate to the transferee of a vehicle for 34 which a credit is allowed under section 321.46, subsection 6 . 35 -2- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 2/ 7
S.F. _____ 2. Validation stickers. 1 a. In lieu of issuing a new registration plates plate 2 each registration year for a vehicle renewing registration, 3 the department may reassign the registration plates plate 4 previously issued to the vehicle and may adopt and prescribe 5 an annual validation sticker indicating payment of annual 6 registration fees. The department shall issue one validation 7 sticker for each set of registration plates plate . The 8 sticker shall specify the month and year of expiration of the 9 registration plates plate . The sticker shall be displayed 10 only on the rear registration plate , except that the sticker 11 shall be displayed on the front registration plate of a truck 12 tractor . 13 b. The state department of transportation shall adopt rules 14 to provide for the placement of the motor vehicle registration 15 validation sticker. 16 Sec. 5. Section 321.37, Code 2025, is amended to read as 17 follows: 18 321.37 Display of plates plate . 19 1. Registration plates The registration plate issued for a 20 motor vehicle other than an autocycle, motorcycle, motorized 21 bicycle, or a truck tractor shall be attached to the rear of 22 the motor vehicle , one in the front and the other in the rear. 23 The registration plate issued for an autocycle, motorcycle, 24 or other vehicle required to be registered hereunder shall be 25 attached to the rear of the vehicle . The registration plate 26 issued for a truck tractor shall be attached to the front of 27 the truck tractor. The special plate issued to a dealer shall 28 be attached on the rear of the vehicle when operated on the 29 highways of this state. 30 2. Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle which 31 is model year 1948 or older, and reconstructed or specially 32 constructed vehicles built to resemble a model year 1948 33 vehicle or older, other than a truck registered for more than 34 five tons, autocycle, motorcycle, or truck tractor, may display 35 -3- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 3/ 7
S.F. _____ one registration plate on the rear of the vehicle if the other 1 registration plate issued to the vehicle is carried in the 2 vehicle at all times when the vehicle is operated on a public 3 highway. 4 3. 2. It is unlawful for the owner of a vehicle to place 5 any frame around or over the registration plate which does not 6 permit full view of all numerals and letters printed on the 7 registration plate. 8 Sec. 6. Section 321.115, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 9 2025, is amended to read as follows: 10 c. The owner of a motor vehicle registered under this 11 subsection may display an authentic Iowa registration plate 12 or set of plates from the model year of the motor vehicle, 13 furnished by the person and approved by the department, in 14 lieu of the current and valid Iowa registration plates plate 15 issued for the vehicle, provided that the current and valid 16 Iowa registration plates plate and the registration card issued 17 for the vehicle are simultaneously carried within the vehicle 18 and are available for inspection to any peace officer upon the 19 officers request. 20 Sec. 7. Section 321.115A, subsection 1, Code 2025, is 21 amended to read as follows: 22 1. A motor vehicle may be registered as a replica vehicle or 23 street rod. The annual registration fee is the fee provided 24 for in section 321.109 , 321.113 , 321.122 , or 321.124 . The 25 owner of a vehicle registered under this section may display 26 a registration plate or set of plates from or representing 27 the model year of the motor vehicle or the model year of the 28 motor vehicle the registered vehicle is designed to resemble, 29 furnished by the person and approved by the department, in 30 lieu of the current and valid Iowa registration plates plate 31 issued for the vehicle, provided that the current and valid 32 Iowa registration plates plate and the registration card issued 33 for the vehicle are simultaneously carried within the vehicle 34 and are available for inspection to any peace officer upon the 35 -4- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 4/ 7
S.F. _____ officers request. 1 Sec. 8. Section 321.385A, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code 2 2025, is amended to read as follows: 3 b. A citation issued for failure to have rear lamps as 4 required under section 321.387 or a rear registration plate 5 light as required under section 321.388 shall first provide for 6 a seventy-two hour period within which the person charged with 7 the violation shall replace or repair the lamps or light. 8 Sec. 9. Section 321.385A, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 9 amended to read as follows: 10 2. If the person complies with the directive to replace or 11 repair the headlamp, rear lamps, or rear registration plate 12 light within the allotted time period, the citation shall be 13 expunged. If the person fails to comply within the allotted 14 time period, the citation shall be processed in the same manner 15 as other citations. 16 Sec. 10. Section 321.388, Code 2025, is amended to read as 17 follows: 18 321.388 Illuminating plates Registration plate illuminated . 19 Either the rear lamp or a separate lamp shall be so 20 constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the 21 rear registration plate attached to the rear of the vehicle and 22 render it clearly legible from a distance of fifty feet to the 23 rear. When the rear registration plate is illuminated by an 24 electric lamp other than the required rear lamp, the two lamps 25 shall be turned on or off only by the same control switch at 26 all times when headlamps are lighted. This section does not 27 apply to commercial vehicles engaged exclusively in intrastate 28 commerce that are dump trucks or that are used exclusively for 29 the movement of construction materials and equipment to and 30 from construction projects. 31 Sec. 11. Section 321J.4B, subsection 5, paragraph f, 32 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 33 (1) If the vehicle subject to the court order is not in 34 the custody of a law enforcement agency, the person or agency 35 -5- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 5/ 7
S.F. _____ designated in the order as the person or agency responsible for 1 executing the order shall, upon receipt of the order, promptly 2 locate the vehicle specified in the order, seize the motor 3 vehicle and the license plates registration plate , and send or 4 deliver the vehicles license plates registration plate to the 5 department. 6 Sec. 12. Section 321J.4B, subsection 7, Code 2025, is 7 amended to read as follows: 8 7. a. Upon receipt of a notice of conviction of the 9 defendant for a violation of subsection 2 , the impounding 10 authority shall seize the motor vehicles license plates 11 registration plate and registration, and shall send or deliver 12 them to the department. 13 b. The department shall destroy license plates a 14 registration plate received under this section and shall not 15 authorize the release of the vehicle or the issuance of a new 16 license plates registration plate for the vehicle until the 17 period of impoundment or immobilization has expired, and the 18 fee and costs assessed under subsection 10 have been paid. The 19 fee for issuance of a new license plates registration plate and 20 certificates certificate of registration shall be the same as 21 for the replacement of a lost, mutilated, or destroyed license 22 plates registration plate and certificates certificate of 23 registration. 24 Sec. 13. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE. The Code editor may make 25 any change the Code editor deems necessary to correct any Code 26 section or any enacted legislation that refers, in any context, 27 to a set of, a pair of, or two motor vehicle registration 28 plates for one vehicle, rather than one registration plate, 29 when there appears to be no doubt as to the proper method of 30 making the correction. 31 Sec. 14. TRANSITION PROVISIONS. The transition from the 32 use of motor vehicle registration plates on both the front 33 and rear of certain vehicles to the use of such plates on 34 only the rear of certain vehicles, as directed by this Act, 35 -6- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 6/ 7
S.F. _____ shall be accomplished in stages. A person applying for a new 1 or replacement registration plate on or after the effective 2 date of this Act shall receive only one registration plate. 3 Otherwise, the transition shall not be accomplished until a new 4 series of registration plates is issued to replace a current 5 series. A person who was issued a pair of registration plates, 6 including special registration plates, may attach only one 7 plate in accordance with this Act on and after the effective 8 date of this Act. A person who is required to transfer a 9 registration plate, or to return a registration plate to the 10 department of transportation or to a county treasurer, shall 11 transfer or return both plates, as applicable, if the person 12 was issued a pair of plates. The department of transportation 13 may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement the 14 transition. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 Under current law, two registration plates are issued for a 19 motor vehicle other than an autocycle, motorcycle, motorized 20 bicycle, or truck tractor, and are required to be attached to 21 the front and rear of the vehicle. This bill provides that 22 only one registration plate must be issued for a motor vehicle. 23 The registration plate must be attached to the rear of the 24 motor vehicle, except that the registration plate for a truck 25 tractor must be attached to the front of the truck tractor, in 26 accord with current law. 27 The bill also makes corresponding changes, directs the 28 Code editor to make necessary changes, and provides for the 29 transition from the use of two registration plates to the 30 use of one registration plate. A person who was issued two 31 registration plates is authorized to attach only one plate, in 32 accordance with the bill, on and after the effective date of 33 the bill, and must transfer or return both plates if a transfer 34 or return is required. 35 -7- LSB 2480XC (2) 91 th/ns 7/ 7