EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 452
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR TRENT.
0488S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal sections 301.064, 301.120, and 301.130, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof three new
sections relating to registration of motor vehicles.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 301.064, 301.120, and 301.130, RSMo, 1
are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to 2
be known as sections 301.06 4, 301.120, and 301.130, to read as 3
follows:4
301.064. 1. The annual registration fee for a land 1
improvement contractors' commercial motor vehicle is three 2
hundred fifty dollars. The maximum gross weight for which 3
such a vehicle may be registere d is eighty thousand pounds. 4
Transporting for hire by such a motor vehicle is prohibited. 5
2. Upon application to the director of revenue 6
accompanied by an affidavit signed by the owner or owners 7
stating that the motor vehicle to be licensed as a land 8
improvement contractors' commercial motor vehicle shall not 9
be operated in any manner other than as prescribed in 10
section 301.010, and by the amount of the registration fee 11
prescribed above, and otherwise complying with the laws 12
relating to the registration and licensing of motor 13
vehicles, the owner or owners shall be issued a [set of] 14
land improvement contractors' license [plates] plate. The 15
director of revenue shall by regulation determine the 16
characteristic features of land improvement con tractors' 17 SB 452 2
license [plates] plate so that they may be readily 18
identified as such. 19
301.120. 1. When the owner of a motor vehicle moves 1
the vehicle to another state, [he] the owner shall return 2
the license plates to the director of re venue within ninety 3
days or upon the expiration of the period of reciprocity 4
granted by the new state of residence; or if the owner of a 5
motor vehicle ceases to operate the vehicle in Missouri, he 6
shall return the license plates to the director of reve nue 7
within ninety days. 8
2. For motor vehicles that require the issuance of 9
only one license plate under section 301.130 on or after 10
August 28, 2025, an owner whose motor vehicle has a front 11
license plate on August 28, 2025, shall surrender the fr ont 12
license plate to the department of revenue. 13
301.130. 1. The director of revenue, upon receipt of 1
a proper application for registration, required fees and any 2
other information which may be required by law, shall issue 3
to the applicant a certificate of registration in such 4
manner and form as the director of revenue may prescribe and 5
[a set of] only one license [plates] plate, or other 6
evidence of registration, as provided by this section. The 7
provisions of this subsection re garding issuance of only one 8
license plate shall also apply to personalized license 9
plates issued under section 301.144 and special license 10
plates issued under this chapter, except as otherwise 11
specified in subsection 3 of this section. Each license 12
plate or set of license plates shall bear the name or 13
abbreviated name of this state, the words "SHOW -ME STATE", 14
the month and year in which the registration shall expire, 15
and an arrangement of numbers or letters, or both, as shall 16
be assigned from yea r to year by the director of revenue. 17 SB 452 3
The plate or plates shall also contain fully reflective 18
material with a common color scheme and design for each type 19
of license plate issued pursuant to this chapter. The plate 20
or plates shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be 21
aesthetically attractive. Special plates for qualified 22
disabled veterans will have the "DISABLED VETERAN" wording 23
on the license plates in preference to the words "SHOW -ME 24
STATE" and special plates for members of the National Gu ard 25
will have the "NATIONAL GUARD" wording in preference to the 26
words "SHOW-ME STATE". 27
2. The arrangement of letters and numbers of license 28
plates shall be uniform throughout each classification of 29
registration. The director may provide for the arrangement 30
of the numbers in groups or otherwise, and for other 31
distinguishing marks on the plates. 32
3. All property-carrying commercial motor vehicles to 33
be registered at a gross weight in excess of twelve thousand 34
pounds, all passenger -carrying commercial motor vehicles, 35
local transit buses, school buses, trailers, semitrailers, 36
motorcycles, motortricycles, autocycles, motorscooters, and 37
driveaway vehicles shall be registered with the director of 38
revenue as provided for in subsection 3 of se ction 301.030, 39
or with the state highways and transportation commission as 40
otherwise provided in this chapter, [but] and only one 41
license plate shall be issued for each such vehicle, except 42
as provided in this subsection. The applicant for 43
registration of any property-carrying commercial vehicle 44
registered at a gross weight in excess of twelve thousand 45
pounds may request and be issued two license plates for such 46
vehicle, and if such plates are issued, the director of 47
revenue shall provide for dist inguishing marks on the plates 48
indicating one plate is for the front and the other is for 49 SB 452 4
the rear of such vehicle. The director may assess and 50
collect an additional charge from the applicant in an amount 51
not to exceed the fee prescribed for personali zed license 52
plates in subsection 1 of section 301.144. 53
4. The plates issued to manufacturers and dealers 54
shall bear the letters and numbers as prescribed by section 55
301.560, and the director may place upon the plates other 56
letters or marks to dis tinguish commercial motor vehicles 57
and trailers and other types of motor vehicles. 58
5. No motor vehicle or trailer shall be operated on 59
any highway of this state unless it shall have displayed 60
thereon the license plate or set of license plates issu ed by 61
the director of revenue or the state highways and 62
transportation commission [and authorized by section 63
301.140]. Each such plate shall be securely fastened to the 64
motor vehicle or trailer in a manner so that all parts 65
thereof shall be plainly v isible and reasonably clean so 66
that the reflective qualities thereof are not impaired. 67
Each such plate may be encased in a transparent cover so 68
long as the plate is plainly visible and its reflective 69
qualities are not impaired. The license [plates] plate 70
shall be fastened to all motor vehicles except trucks, 71
tractors, truck tractors or truck -tractors licensed in 72
excess of twelve thousand pounds on the [front and] rear of 73
such vehicles not less than eight nor more than forty -eight 74
inches above the ground, with the letters and numbers 75
thereon right side up. The license plates on trailers, 76
motorcycles, motortricycles, autocycles, and motorscooters 77
shall be displayed on the rear of such vehicles either 78
horizontally or vertically, with the letters and numbers 79
plainly visible. The license plate on buses, other than 80
school buses, and on trucks, tractors, truck tractors or 81 SB 452 5
truck-tractors licensed in excess of twelve thousand pounds 82
shall be displayed on the front of such vehicles not less 83
than eight nor more than forty -eight inches above the 84
ground, with the letters and numbers thereon right side up 85
or if two plates are issued for the vehicle pursuant to 86
subsection 3 of this section, displayed in the same manner 87
on the front and rear of such vehicles. The license plate 88
or plates [authorized by section 301.140 ] issued by the 89
director of revenue or the state highways and transportation 90
commission, when properly attached, shall be prima facie 91
evidence that the required fees have been paid. 92
6. (1) The director of revenue shall issue annually 93
or biennially a tab or set of tabs as provided by law as 94
evidence of the annual payment of registration fees and the 95
current registration of a vehicle in lieu of the plate or 96
set of plates. Beginning January 1, 2010, the director may 97
prescribe any additional information recorded on the tab or 98
tabs to ensure that the tab or tabs positively correlate 99
with the license plate or plates issued by the department of 100
revenue for such vehicle. Such tabs shall be produced in 101
each license bureau office. 102
(2) The vehicle owner to whom a tab or set of tabs is 103
issued shall affix and display such tab or tabs in the 104
designated area of the license plate, no more than one per 105
plate. 106
(3) A tab or set of tabs issued by the director of 107
revenue when attached to a vehicle in the prescribed manner 108
shall be prima facie evidence that the registration fee for 109
such vehicle has been paid. 110
(4) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the 111
director of revenue shall issue plates for a period of at 112
least six years. 113 SB 452 6
(5) For those commercial motor vehicles and trailers 114
registered pursuant to section 301.041, the plate issued by 115
the highways and transportation commission shall be a 116
permanent nonexpiring license plate for which no tabs shall 117
be issued. Nothing in this section shall relieve the owner 118
of any vehicle permanently registered pursuant to this 119
section from the obligation to pay the annual registration 120
fee due for the vehicle. The permanent nonexpiring license 121
plate shall be returned to the highways and transportation 122
commission upon the sale or disposal of the vehicle by the 123
owner to whom the permanent nonexpiring license plate is 124
issued, or the plate may be transferred to a replacement 125
commercial motor vehicle when the owner files a supplemental 126
application with the Missouri highways and transportation 127
commission for the registration of such replacement 128
commercial motor vehicle. Upon payment of the annual 129
registration fee, the highways and transportation commission 130
shall issue a certificate of registration or other suitable 131
evidence of payment of the annual fee, and such evidence of 132
payment shall be carried at all times in the vehicle for 133
which it is issued. 134
(6) Upon the sale or disposal of any vehicle 135
permanently registered under this section, or upon the 136
termination of a lease of any such vehicle, the permanent 137
nonexpiring plate issued for such vehicle shall be returned 138
to the highways and transportation commission and shall not 139
be valid for operation of such vehicle, or the plate may be 140
transferred to a replacement vehicle when the owner files a 141
supplemental application with the Missouri highways and 142
transportation commission for the registration of s uch 143
replacement vehicle. If a vehicle which is permanently 144
registered under this section is sold, wrecked or otherwise 145 SB 452 7
disposed of, or the lease terminated, the registrant shall 146
be given credit for any unused portion of the annual 147
registration fee when the vehicle is replaced by the 148
purchase or lease of another vehicle during the registration 149
year. 150
7. The director of revenue and the highways and 151
transportation commission may prescribe rules and 152
regulations for the effective administration of this 153
section. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated under the 154
authority of this section shall become effective unless it 155
has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of section 156
536.024. 157
8. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law t o 158
the contrary, owners of motor vehicles other than 159
apportioned motor vehicles or commercial motor vehicles 160
licensed in excess of twenty -four thousand pounds gross 161
weight may apply for special personalized license plates. 162
Vehicles licensed for twenty -four thousand pounds that 163
display special personalized license plates shall be subject 164
to the provisions of subsections 1 and 2 of section 165
301.030. On and after August 28, 2016, owners of motor 166
vehicles, other than apportioned motor vehicles or 167
commercial motor vehicles licensed in excess of twenty -four 168
thousand pounds gross weight, may apply for any preexisting 169
or hereafter statutorily created special personalized 170
license plates. 171
9. No later than January 1, 2019, the director of 172
revenue shall commence the reissuance of new license plates 173
of such design as approved by the advisory committee under 174
section 301.125 consistent with the terms, conditions, and 175
provisions of section 301.125 and this chapter. Except as 176
otherwise provided in thi s section, in addition to all other 177 SB 452 8
fees required by law, applicants for registration of 178
vehicles with license plates that expire during the period 179
of reissuance, applicants for registration of trailers or 180
semitrailers with license plates that expire d uring the 181
period of reissuance and applicants for registration of 182
vehicles that are to be issued new license plates during the 183
period of reissuance shall pay the cost of the plates 184
required by this subsection. The additional cost prescribed 185
in this subsection shall not be charged to persons receiving 186
special license plates issued under section 301.073 or 187
301.443. Historic motor vehicle license plates registered 188
pursuant to section 301.131 and specialized license plates 189
are exempt from the provisi ons of this subsection. Except 190
for new, replacement, and transfer applications, permanent 191
nonexpiring license plates issued to commercial motor 192
vehicles and trailers registered under section 301.041 are 193
exempt from the provisions of this subsection. 194