1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to motor vehicles; clarifying provision exempting certain vehicles from 
1.3 	displaying plates; amending Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 
1.4 	168.012, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 168.012, subdivision 1, 
1.7 	is amended to read:
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Vehicles exempt from tax, fees, or plate display. (a) The following 
1.9 	vehicles are exempt from the provisions of this chapter requiring payment of tax and 
1.10 	registration fees, except as provided in subdivision 1c:
1.11 	(1) vehicles owned and used solely in the transaction of official business by the 
1.12 	federal government, the state, or any political subdivision;
1.13 	(2) vehicles owned and used exclusively by educational institutions and used solely 
1.14 	in the transportation of pupils to and from those institutions;
1.15 	(3) vehicles used solely in driver education programs at nonpublic high schools;
1.16 	(4) vehicles owned by nonprofit charities and used exclusively to transport disabled 
1.17 	persons for charitable, religious, or educational purposes;
1.18 	(5) vehicles owned by nonprofit charities and used exclusively for disaster response 
1.19 	and related activities;
1.20 	(6) vehicles owned by ambulance services licensed under section 144E.10 that 
1.21 	are equipped and specifically intended for emergency response or providing ambulance 
1.22 	services; and
2.1 	(7) vehicles owned by a commercial driving school licensed under section 171.34, 
2.2 	or an employee of a commercial driving school licensed under section 171.34, and the 
2.3 	vehicle is used exclusively for driver education and training.
2.4 	(b) Provided the general appearance of the vehicle is unmistakable, the following 
2.5 	vehicles are not required to register or display number plates:
2.6 	(1) vehicles owned by the federal government, municipal;
2.7 	(2) fire apparatuses, including fire-suppression support vehicles, owned or leased by 
2.8 	the state or a political subdivision;
2.9 	(3) police patrols, owned or leased by the state or a political subdivision; and 
2.10 	(4) ambulances, the general appearance of which is unmistakable, are not required to 
2.11 	register or display number plates owned or leased by the state or a political subdivision.
2.12 	(c) Unmarked vehicles used in general police work, liquor investigations, or arson 
2.13 	investigations, and passenger automobiles, pickup trucks, and buses owned or operated by 
2.14 	the Department of Corrections, must be registered and must display appropriate license 
2.15 	number plates, furnished by the registrar at cost. Original and renewal applications for 
2.16 	these license plates authorized for use in general police work and for use by the Department 
2.17 	of Corrections must be accompanied by a certification signed by the appropriate chief of 
2.18 	police if issued to a police vehicle, the appropriate sheriff if issued to a sheriff's vehicle, 
2.19 	the commissioner of corrections if issued to a Department of Corrections vehicle, or the 
2.20 	appropriate officer in charge if issued to a vehicle of any other law enforcement agency. 
2.21 	The certification must be on a form prescribed by the commissioner and state that the 
2.22 	vehicle will be used exclusively for a purpose authorized by this section.
2.23 	(d) Unmarked vehicles used by the Departments of Revenue and Labor and Industry, 
2.24 	fraud unit, in conducting seizures or criminal investigations must be registered and must 
2.25 	display passenger vehicle classification license number plates, furnished at cost by the 
2.26 	registrar. Original and renewal applications for these passenger vehicle license plates 
2.27 	must be accompanied by a certification signed by the commissioner of revenue or the 
2.28 	commissioner of labor and industry. The certification must be on a form prescribed by 
2.29 	the commissioner and state that the vehicles will be used exclusively for the purposes 
2.30 	authorized by this section.
2.31 	(e) Unmarked vehicles used by the Division of Disease Prevention and Control of the 
2.32 	Department of Health must be registered and must display passenger vehicle classification 
2.33 	license number plates. These plates must be furnished at cost by the registrar. Original 
2.34 	and renewal applications for these passenger vehicle license plates must be accompanied 
2.35 	by a certification signed by the commissioner of health. The certification must be on a 
3.1 	form prescribed by the commissioner and state that the vehicles will be used exclusively 
3.2 	for the official duties of the Division of Disease Prevention and Control.
3.3 	(f) Unmarked vehicles used by staff of the Gambling Control Board in gambling 
3.4 	investigations and reviews must be registered and must display passenger vehicle 
3.5 	classification license number plates. These plates must be furnished at cost by the 
3.6 	registrar. Original and renewal applications for these passenger vehicle license plates must 
3.7 	be accompanied by a certification signed by the board chair. The certification must be on a 
3.8 	form prescribed by the commissioner and state that the vehicles will be used exclusively 
3.9 	for the official duties of the Gambling Control Board.
3.10 	(g) Unmarked vehicles used in general investigation, surveillance, supervision, 
3.11 	and monitoring by the staff of the Department of Human Services Office of Special 
3.12 	Investigations and the executive director of the Minnesota sex offender program must 
3.13 	be registered and must display passenger vehicle classification license number plates, 
3.14 	furnished by the registrar at cost. Original and renewal applications for passenger vehicle 
3.15 	license plates must be accompanied by a certification signed by the commissioner of 
3.16 	human services. The certification must be on a form prescribed by the commissioner and 
3.17 	state that the vehicles must be used exclusively for the official duties of the Office of 
3.18 	Special Investigations and the executive director of the Minnesota sex offender program. 
3.19 	(h) Each state hospital and institution for persons who are mentally ill and 
3.20 	developmentally disabled may have one vehicle without the required identification on 
3.21 	the sides of the vehicle. The vehicle must be registered and must display passenger 
3.22 	vehicle classification license number plates. These plates must be furnished at cost by the 
3.23 	registrar. Original and renewal applications for these passenger vehicle license plates must 
3.24 	be accompanied by a certification signed by the hospital administrator. The certification 
3.25 	must be on a form prescribed by the commissioner and state that the vehicles will be used 
3.26 	exclusively for the official duties of the state hospital or institution.
3.27 	(i) Each county social service agency may have vehicles used for child and 
3.28 	vulnerable adult protective services without the required identification on the sides of the 
3.29 	vehicle. The vehicles must be registered and must display passenger vehicle classification 
3.30 	license number plates. These plates must be furnished at cost by the registrar. Original 
3.31 	and renewal applications for these passenger vehicle license plates must be accompanied 
3.32 	by a certification signed by the agency administrator. The certification must be on a form 
3.33 	prescribed by the commissioner and state that the vehicles will be used exclusively for the 
3.34 	official duties of the social service agency.
3.35 	(j) All other motor vehicles must be registered and display tax-exempt number 
3.36 	plates, furnished by the registrar at cost, except as provided in subdivision 1c. All 
4.1 	vehicles required to display tax-exempt number plates must have the name of the state 
4.2 	department or political subdivision, nonpublic high school operating a driver education 
4.3 	program, licensed commercial driving school, or other qualifying organization or entity, 
4.4 	plainly displayed on both sides of the vehicle. This identification must be in a color 
4.5 	giving contrast with that of the part of the vehicle on which it is placed and must endure 
4.6 	throughout the term of the registration. The identification must not be on a removable 
4.7 	plate or placard and must be kept clean and visible at all times; except that a removable 
4.8 	plate or placard may be utilized on vehicles leased or loaned to a political subdivision or 
4.9 	to a nonpublic high school driver education program.