1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; authorizing issuance of 
  1.3             original license plates 20 or more years old to a 
  1.4             registered passenger automobile; authorizing registrar 
  1.5             to charge a fee; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.6             sections 168.12, by adding a subdivision; and 169.79. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 168.12, is 
  1.9   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 2f.  [ORIGINAL LICENSE PLATES.] (a) On application of 
  1.11  the owner and in lieu of issuing license plates under 
  1.12  subdivision 1 to a vehicle registered and taxed as a passenger 
  1.13  automobile, the registrar may assign to the vehicle original 
  1.14  Minnesota number plates issued in the same year as the model 
  1.15  year of the vehicle, if (1) the original license plates are at 
  1.16  least 20 years old, (2) the owner of the vehicle has the 
  1.17  original license plates in possession at the time of the 
  1.18  application, and (3) the owner provides the license plate number 
  1.19  to the registrar.  
  1.20     (b) License plates displayed under this subdivision, 
  1.21  including tabs and stickers applied to the plates, must be 
  1.22  clearly legible and must be displayed at the front and rear of 
  1.23  the vehicle.  
  1.24     (c) The registrar shall not assign the number on the 
  1.25  original license plates to the vehicle if the registrar 
  1.26  determines that the number on the original plate is identical to 
  2.1   the number on any current license plate in the numbering system 
  2.2   used by the registrar.  A person currently using license plates 
  2.3   issued by the registrar on the vehicle shall return those 
  2.4   license plates to the registrar before displaying original 
  2.5   license plates under this subdivision.  
  2.6      (d) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, an original license 
  2.7   plate whose number has been assigned under this subdivision may 
  2.8   be displayed for as long as the license plates, including tabs 
  2.9   and stickers on the plates, are clearly legible.  
  2.10     (e) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, original license plates 
  2.11  assigned under this subdivision need not bear a tab or sticker 
  2.12  to indicate the month or year of registration if the vehicle 
  2.13  carries the registration certificate issued under section 168.11 
  2.14  at all times when the vehicle is operated on the public highways.
  2.15     (f) The registrar may charge a fee for receiving an 
  2.16  application and assigning original license plate numbers. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.79, is 
  2.18  amended to read: 
  2.19     169.79 [VEHICLE REGISTRATION.] 
  2.20     No person shall operate, drive or park a motor vehicle on 
  2.21  any highway unless the vehicle is registered in accordance with 
  2.22  the laws of this state and has the number plates for the current 
  2.23  year only, except as provided in section 168.12, subdivision 2f, 
  2.24  as assigned to it by the commissioner of public safety, 
  2.25  conspicuously displayed thereon in a manner that the view of any 
  2.26  plate is not obstructed.  If the vehicle is a semitrailer, the 
  2.27  number plate displayed must be assigned to the registered owner 
  2.28  and correlate to the certificate of title documentation on file 
  2.29  with the department and shall not display a year indicator.  If 
  2.30  the vehicle is a motorcycle, motor scooter, motorized bicycle, 
  2.31  motorcycle sidecar, trailer, semitrailer, or vehicle displaying 
  2.32  a dealer plate, one plate shall be displayed on the rear 
  2.33  thereof; if the vehicle is a truck-tractor, road-tractor or farm 
  2.34  truck, as defined in section 168.011, subdivision 17, but 
  2.35  excluding from that definition semitrailers and trailers, one 
  2.36  plate shall be displayed on the front thereof; if it is any 
  3.1   other kind of motor vehicle, one plate shall be displayed on the 
  3.2   front and one on the rear thereof.  All plates shall be securely 
  3.3   fastened so as to prevent them from swinging.  The person 
  3.4   driving the motor vehicle shall keep the plate legible and 
  3.5   unobstructed and free from grease, dust, or other blurring 
  3.6   material so that the lettering shall be plainly visible at all 
  3.7   times.  License plates issued to vehicles registered under 
  3.8   section 168.017 must display the month of expiration in the 
  3.9   lower left corner as viewed facing the plate and the year of 
  3.10  expiration in the lower right corner as viewed facing the plate.