1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; providing for one or two 
  1.3             license plates on collector and similar vehicles at 
  1.4             the owner's discretion; amending Minnesota Statutes 
  1.5             1998, section 169.79. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 169.79, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      169.79 [VEHICLE REGISTRATION.] 
  1.10     (a) No person shall operate, drive or park a motor vehicle 
  1.11  on any highway unless the vehicle is registered in accordance 
  1.12  with the laws of this state and has the number plates for the 
  1.13  current year only, except as provided in sections 168.10 and 
  1.14  168.12, subdivision 2f, as assigned to it by the commissioner of 
  1.15  public safety, conspicuously displayed thereon in a manner that 
  1.16  the view of any plate is not obstructed.  
  1.17     (b) If the vehicle is a semitrailer, the number plate 
  1.18  displayed must be assigned to the registered owner and correlate 
  1.19  to the certificate of title documentation on file with the 
  1.20  department and shall not display a year indicator.  
  1.21     (c) If the vehicle is a motorcycle~~;~~, motor scooter~~;~~, 
  1.22  motorized bicycle~~;~~, motorcycle sidecar~~;~~, trailer~~;~~, 
  1.23  semitrailer~~; collector's vehicle with a pioneer, classic car,~~ 
  1.24  ~~collector, or street rod license; vehicle that meets the~~ 
  1.25  ~~requirements of a pioneer, classic, or street rod vehicle except~~ 
  2.1   ~~that the vehicle is used for general transportation purposes;~~ 
  2.2   ~~vehicle that is of model year 1968 or earlier, is not registered~~ 
  2.3   ~~under section 168.10, subdivision 1c, and is used for general~~ 
  2.4   ~~transportation purposes;~~, or vehicle displaying a dealer plate, 
  2.5   one plate shall be displayed on the rear thereof~~;~~.  
  2.6      (d) If the vehicle is (1) a collector's vehicle with a 
  2.7   pioneer, classic car, collector, or street rod license; (2) a 
  2.8   vehicle that meets the requirements of a pioneer, classic, or 
  2.9   street rod vehicle except that the vehicle is used for general 
  2.10  transportation purposes; or (3) a vehicle that is of model year 
  2.11  1968 or earlier, not registered under section 168.10, 
  2.12  subdivision 1c, and is used for general transportation purposes, 
  2.13  one plate shall be displayed on the rear of the vehicle, or one 
  2.14  plate on the front and one on the rear, at the discretion of the 
  2.15  owner. 
  2.16     (e) If the vehicle is a truck-tractor, road-tractor or farm 
  2.17  truck, as defined in section 168.011, subdivision 17, but 
  2.18  excluding from that definition semitrailers and trailers, one 
  2.19  plate shall be displayed on the front thereof~~;~~. 
  2.20     (f) If ~~it~~ the motor vehicle is any ~~other~~ kind of motor 
  2.21  vehicle other than those provided for in paragraphs (b) to (d), 
  2.22  one plate shall be displayed on the front and one on the rear 
  2.23  thereof.  
  2.24     (g) All plates shall be securely fastened so as to prevent 
  2.25  them from swinging.  The person driving the motor vehicle shall 
  2.26  keep the plate legible and unobstructed and free from grease, 
  2.27  dust, or other blurring material so that the lettering shall be 
  2.28  plainly visible at all times.  It is unlawful to cover any 
  2.29  assigned letters and numbers or the name of the state of origin 
  2.30  of a license plate with any material whatever, including any 
  2.31  clear or colorless material that affects the plate's visibility 
  2.32  or reflectivity.  
  2.33     (h) License plates issued to vehicles registered under 
  2.34  section 168.017 must display the month of expiration in the 
  2.35  lower left corner as viewed facing the plate and the year of 
  2.36  expiration in the lower right corner as viewed facing the plate. 
  3.1   License plates issued to vehicles registered under section 
  3.2   168.127 must display either fleet registration validation 
  3.3   stickers in the lower right corner as viewed facing the plates 
  3.4   or distinctive license plates, issued by the registrar, with 
  3.5   "FLEET REG" embossed on the bottom center portion of the plate.