Minnesota Session Laws - 1995, Regular Session

                            CHAPTER 145-H.F.No. 1402 
                  An act relating to motor vehicles; authorizing 
                  issuance of original license plates 20 or more years 
                  old to a registered passenger automobile; authorizing 
                  registrar to charge a fee; amending Minnesota Statutes 
                  1994, sections 168.12, by adding a subdivision; and 
                  169.79. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 168.12, is 
        amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
           Subd. 2f.  [ORIGINAL LICENSE PLATES.] (a) On application of 
        the owner and in lieu of issuing license plates under 
        subdivision 1 to a vehicle registered and taxed as a passenger 
        automobile, the registrar may assign to the vehicle original 
        Minnesota number plates issued in the same year as the model 
        year of the vehicle, if (1) the original license plates are at 
        least 20 years old, (2) the owner of the vehicle has the 
        original license plates in possession at the time of the 
        application, and (3) the owner provides the license plate number 
        to the registrar.  
           (b) License plates displayed under this subdivision, 
        including tabs and stickers applied to the plates, must be 
        clearly legible and must be displayed at the front and rear of 
        the vehicle.  
           (c) The registrar shall not assign the number on the 
        original license plates to the vehicle if the registrar 
        determines that the number on the original plate is identical to 
        the number on any current license plate in the numbering system 
        used by the registrar.  A person currently using license plates 
        issued by the registrar on the vehicle shall return those 
        license plates to the registrar before displaying original 
        license plates under this subdivision.  
           (d) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, an original license 
        plate whose number has been assigned under this subdivision may 
        be displayed for as long as the license plates, including tabs 
        and stickers on the plates, are clearly legible.  
           (e) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, original license plates 
        assigned under this subdivision need not bear a tab or sticker 
        to indicate the month or year of registration if the vehicle 
        carries the registration certificate issued under section 168.11 
        at all times when the vehicle is operated on the public highways.
           (f) The registrar may charge a fee for receiving an 
        application and assigning original license plate numbers. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 169.79, is 
        amended to read: 
           169.79 [VEHICLE REGISTRATION.] 
           No person shall operate, drive or park a motor vehicle on 
        any highway unless the vehicle is registered in accordance with 
        the laws of this state and has the number plates for the current 
        year only, except as provided in section 168.12, subdivision 2f, 
        as assigned to it by the commissioner of public safety, 
        conspicuously displayed thereon in a manner that the view of any 
        plate is not obstructed.  If the vehicle is a semitrailer, the 
        number plate displayed must be assigned to the registered owner 
        and correlate to the certificate of title documentation on file 
        with the department and shall not display a year indicator.  If 
        the vehicle is a motorcycle, motor scooter, motorized bicycle, 
        motorcycle sidecar, trailer, semitrailer, or vehicle displaying 
        a dealer plate, one plate shall be displayed on the rear 
        thereof; if the vehicle is a truck-tractor, road-tractor or farm 
        truck, as defined in section 168.011, subdivision 17, but 
        excluding from that definition semitrailers and trailers, one 
        plate shall be displayed on the front thereof; if it is any 
        other kind of motor vehicle, one plate shall be displayed on the 
        front and one on the rear thereof.  All plates shall be securely 
        fastened so as to prevent them from swinging.  The person 
        driving the motor vehicle shall keep the plate legible and 
        unobstructed and free from grease, dust, or other blurring 
        material so that the lettering shall be plainly visible at all 
        times.  License plates issued to vehicles registered under 
        section 168.017 must display the month of expiration in the 
        lower left corner as viewed facing the plate and the year of 
        expiration in the lower right corner as viewed facing the plate. 
           Presented to the governor May 8, 1995 
           Signed by the governor May 10, 1995, 10:45 a.m.