1997 Minnesota Statutes

     168.381 Manufacture of motor vehicle license number 
  plates.  

    License number plates required by law may be manufactured 
 by the Minnesota correctional facility-St. Cloud, the Minnesota 
 correctional facility-Stillwater or other facility established 
 by law for the confinement of persons convicted of felony upon 
 order from the registrar of motor vehicles, such order to state 
 the quality of material desired in such plates, the 
 specifications thereof, and the amount or number desired.  

    Should the commissioner of corrections decide not to supply 
 the required quantity of license plates, or discontinue the 
 manufacture of plates, the commissioner of public safety is 
 authorized to seek other suppliers on a competitive basis.  
 Materials purchased to be used in the manufacture of such motor 
 vehicle number plates shall be tested as to conformance with 
 specifications established by the commissioner of public safety 
 in a privately operated laboratory service to be designated by 
 the commissioner.  The cost of such laboratory shall be included 
 in the cost of materials purchased.  The cost of delivery of 
 such number plates to the commissioner of public safety at 
 places which the commissioner may designate shall be included in 
 the expenses incurred in their manufacture.  The commissioner of 
 public safety shall establish new or revised specifications for 
 the material and equipment used in the manufacture of number 
 plates ordered for manufacture after August 1, 1975, and may 
 from time to time revise such specifications, provided that such 
 specifications conform to the requirements of section 168.12.  
 In establishing new or revised specifications the commissioner 
 shall consult with and give consideration to the advice and 
 recommendations of representatives of the Minnesota state 
 patrol, local police officers' associations and the county 
 sheriffs' association.  

    Money appropriated to the department of public safety to 
 procure the plates for any fiscal year or years shall be 
 available for allotment, encumbrance, and expenditure from and 
 after the date of the enactment of such appropriation.  
 Materials and equipment used in the manufacture of such number 
 plates are subject only to the approval of the commissioner of 
 public safety.  

    This section contemplates that money to be appropriated to 
 the department of public safety in order to carry out the terms 
 and provisions of this section will be appropriated by the 
 legislature from the highway user tax distribution fund.  

    HIST: 1957 c 412 s 1,2; 1965 c 158 s 1; 1969 c 1129 art 1 s 
 15; 1973 c 140 s 1; 1975 c 10 s 1; 1979 c 102 s 13; 1981 c 37 s 
 2; 1986 c 444