THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY J. EVANS, GEIST, BARRAR, BEAR, BOBACK, BOYD, BROOKS, CALTAGIRONE, DAY, DeWEESE, EVERETT, GIBBONS, GINGRICH, HARKINS, HENNESSEY, HESS, HUTCHINSON, M.K. KELLER, KILLION, MANN, MILLARD, MILLER, PAYNE, PEIFER, PYLE, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, SONNEY, VULAKOVICH, WATSON, WHITE, KULA, MARSHALL, MAJOR AND MURT, JANUARY 19, 2011

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 18, 2011   

AN ACT

Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes, further providing for special registration plates

generally and for personal registration plates; and making

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editorial changes.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 1341 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania

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Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

Section 1.  Sections 1333(b.1), 1341, 1786(h)(2) and 1931 of

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Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended

to read:

§ 1333.  Lost, stolen, damaged or illegible registration plate.

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(b.1)  Illegible registration plate.--The department may

reissue a registration plate upon request by a registrant when

it is determined by an authorized representative of the

department or law enforcement that the registration plate is

illegible from a reasonable distance. The department may select

the style of the reissued registration plate and, except in the

case of personal registration plates issued under section 1341

(relating to special registration plates [generally]), the

registration plate number.

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§ 1341.  Special registration plates [generally].

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(a)  General rule.--Upon request by the applicant, the

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department may issue registration plates consisting of any

combination of numbers, letters or numbers and letters. [These

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special plates may be issued for special groups or for special

purposes and bear an appropriate designation. Special groups may

charge a fee for authorization to request a registration plate

bearing the name of the group.] They shall have the same force

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and effect as regular registration plates. The department may

refuse any combination of letters and numbers for cause and

shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations for the issuance of

the plates and for carrying out the provisions of this section.

The applicant shall comply with all laws and regulations

pertaining to registration including the payment of any

additional fees.

(b)  Personal registration plates.--Upon request by the

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applicant, the department is authorized to issue personal

registration plates. The department is authorized to reissue a

combination of numbers or letters for a personal plate if the

department records reveal that no activity, such as renewal or

transfer of the personal registration plate, has occurred for a

period of five or more consecutive years and provided that the

personal registration plate was never reported as lost or

stolen. Whenever the department reissues an inactive personal

plate, the department may purge its records of all references to

the previous owners of that personal plate. The department

shall, however, note upon its records the reissuance of the

personal plate and to whom the plate was issued. [The special] A

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personal registration plate may be used only on a passenger car,

motorcycle, motor home or truck with a registered gross weight

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of not more than [10,000] 14,000 pounds or a motor home.

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(c)  Organization registration plates.--Upon request by the

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applicant, the department is authorized to issue organization

registration plates. Organization registration plates may be

issued for special groups or for special purposes and bear an

appropriate designation. Special groups may charge a fee for

authorization to request a registration plate bearing the name

of the group. If the vehicle is licensed to a business that is

not a member of the special group, the department shall issue

the plate as long as the business owner or officer making

application is a member of that group. An organization

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registration plate may be used only on a passenger car or truck

with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds or

a motor home.

§ 1786.  Required financial responsibility.

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(h)  Reinstatement of voluntarily surrendered registration

plate and card.--

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(2)  Any registration plate issued under sections 1340

(relating to antique and classic plates) and 1341 (relating

to [personal plate] special registration plates) shall be

returned by the department to the owner of the motor vehicle

upon receipt of proof of financial responsibility.

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§ 1931.  [Personal] Special registration plates.

The fee for issuance of a [personal] special registration

plate shall be $20 which shall be in addition to the annual

registration fee. Only one payment of the issuance fee shall be

charged for each [personal] special registration issued or

replaced.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 120 days.

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