Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0750 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- S 0750
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7	7	LC002283
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
16	16	Introduced By: Senators Lombardo, Gallo, Pearson, DiMario, Ciccone, and Tikoian
17	17	Date Introduced: March 22, 2023
18	18	Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
19	19	(Dept. of Revenue)
20	20
21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Sections 31-3-31.1 and 31-3-31.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 1
23	23	entitled "Registration of Vehicles" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
24	24	31-3-31.1. Registration of street rods and custom vehicles. 3
25	25	(a) Definition of terms: 4
26	26	(1) A “street rod” means a motor vehicle that: 5
27	27	(i) Is a 1948 or older vehicle; or the vehicle was manufactured after 1948 to resemble a 6
28	28	vehicle manufactured before 1949; and 7
29	29	(ii) Has been altered from the manufacturer’s original design; or has a body constructed 8
30	30	from nonoriginal materials. 9
31	31	(2) The model year and the year of manufacture that are listed on the registration certificate 10
32	32	of title of a street rod vehicle shall be the model year and year of manufacture that the body of such 11
33	33	vehicle resembles. 12
34	34	(b) Registration fee and application for street rods shall be as follows: 13
35	35	(1) For each such street rod, there shall be a one-time pre-registration surcharge of fifty 14
36	36	dollars ($50.00) which said sum(s) shall be accumulated by the division of motor vehicles until 15
37	37	such time as said sum reaches an aggregate of twenty-three thousand dollars ($23,000) whereupon 16
38	38	said division is authorized to proceed with the ordering/manufacturing of plates as required by 17
39	39	subsection (3) herein. In addition thereto, and from hence forth, there shall be paid regular 18
40	40	registration fees required for standard passenger vehicles as determined by the division of motor 19
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44	44	vehicles. 1
45	45	(2)(i) In applying for registration of a street rod under this section, the owner of the street 2
46	46	rod shall submit with the application a certification that the vehicle for which the application is 3
47	47	made: 4
48	48	(A) Will be maintained for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, 5
49	49	tours, and similar uses; and 6
50	50	(B) Will not be used for general daily transportation. 7
51	51	(ii) In addition to the certification required under paragraph (i) of this subsection, when 8
52	52	applying for registration of a street rod, the new owner of the street rod shall provide proof 9
53	53	acceptable to the administration that the street rod passed a safety inspection that has been approved 10
54	54	by the administration in consultation with the street rod community in this state. 11
55	55	(3) On registration of a vehicle under this section, the administration shall issue a special 12
56	56	street rod vehicle registration plate of the size and design that the administration determines in 13
57	57	consultation with the street rod community in this state. 14
58	58	(4) Unless the presence of the equipment was specifically required by a statute of this state 15
59	59	as a condition of sale in the year listed as the year of manufacture on the certificate of title, the 16
60	60	presence of any specific equipment is not required for the operation of a vehicle registered under 17
61	61	this section. 18
62	62	(5) A vehicle registered under this section is exempt from any statute that requires periodic 19
63	63	vehicle inspections and from any statute that requires the use and inspection of emission controls. 20
64	64	31-3-31.2. Custom vehicles — Definition — Registration and fees. 21
65	65	(a) A custom vehicle means any motor vehicle that: 22
66	66	(1) Is at least twenty-five (25) or more years old and of a model year after 1948; or was 23
67	67	manufactured to resemble a vehicle twenty-five (25) years old and of a model year after 1948; and 24
68	68	(2) Has been altered from the manufacturer’s original design; or has a body constructed 25
69	69	from nonoriginal materials. 26
70	70	(3) The model year and the year of manufacture that are listed on the certificate of title or 27
71	71	registration certificate of a custom vehicle shall be the model year and year of manufacture that the 28
72	72	body of such vehicle resembles. 29
73	73	(b) For each such custom vehicle, there shall be a one-time pre-registration surcharge of 30
74	74	fifty dollars ($50.00) which said sum(s) shall be accumulated by the division of motor vehicles 31
75	75	until such time as said sum reaches an aggregate of twenty-three thousand dollars ($23,000) 32
76	76	whereupon said division is authorized to proceed with the ordering/manufacturing of plates as 33
77	77	required by subsection (d) herein. In addition thereto, and from hence forth, there shall be paid 34
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81	81	regular registration fees required for standard passenger vehicles as determined by the division of 1
82	82	motor vehicles. 2
83	83	(c)(1) In applying for registration of a custom vehicle under this section, the owner of the 3
84	84	custom vehicle shall submit with the application a certification that the vehicle for which the 4
85	85	application is made: 5
86	86	(i) Will be maintained for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, 6
87	87	tours, and similar uses; and 7
88	88	(ii) Will not be used for general daily transportation. 8
89	89	(2) In addition to the certification required under paragraph (1) of this subsection, when 9
90	90	applying for registration of a custom vehicle, the new owner of the custom vehicle shall provide 10
91	91	proof acceptable to the administration that the custom vehicle passed a safety inspection that has 11
92	92	been approved by the administration in consultation with the custom vehicle community in this 12
93	93	state. 13
94	94	(d) On registration of a vehicle under this section, the administration shall issue a special 14
95	95	custom vehicle registration plate of the size and design that the administration determines in 15
96	96	consultation with the custom vehicle community of this state. 16
97	97	(e) Unless the presence of the equipment was specifically required by a statute of this state 17
98	98	as a condition of sale in the year listed as the year of manufacture on the certificate of title, the 18
99	99	presence of any specific equipment is not required for the operation of a vehicle registered under 19
100	100	this section. 20
101	101	(f) A vehicle registered under this section is exempt from any statute that requires periodic 21
102	102	vehicle inspections and from any statute that requires the use and inspections of emission controls. 22
103	103	(g) Signal lamps and devices — Street rod vehicles and custom vehicles: 23
104	104	(1) “Blue dot tail light” means a red lamp installed in the rear of a motor vehicle containing 24
105	105	a blue or purple insert that is not more than one inch in diameter. 25
106	106	(2) A street rod or custom vehicle may use blue dot tail lights for stop lamps, rear turning 26
107	107	indicator lamps, rear hazard lamps, and rear reflectors. 27
108	108	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 28
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115	115	EXPLANATION
116	116	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
117	117	OF
118	118	A N A C T
119	119	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
120	120	***
121	121	This act would amend the registration requirements for street rods and custom vehicles. 1
122	122	This act would take effect upon passage. 2
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