GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 1999
SESSION LAW 1999-220
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. The caption of Part 6 of Article 3 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:
"Part 6. Vehicles of Nonresidents of State,
etc. State;
Permanent Plates; Highway Patrol."
Section 2. G.S. 20-85 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(c) The Division shall not collect a fee for a certificate of title for a motor vehicle entitled to a permanent registration plate under G.S. 20-84."
Section 3. G.S. 20-84 reads as rewritten:
"§ 20-84. Vehicles
owned by State, municipalities or orphanages, etc.; certain vehicles operated
by the local chapters of American National Red Cross. Permanent
registration plates; State Highway Patrol.
(a) General. - The Division may issue a permanent registration plate for a motor vehicle owned by one of the persons authorized to have a permanent registration plate in this section. To obtain a permanent registration plate, a person must provide proof of ownership, provide proof of financial responsibility as required by G.S. 20-309, and pay a fee of six dollars ($6.00). A permanent plate issued under this section may be transferred as provided in G.S. 20-78 to a replacement vehicle of the same classification. A permanent registration plate issued under this section must be a distinctive color and bear the word "permanent". In addition, a permanent registration plate issued under subdivision (b)(1) of this section must have distinctive color and design that is readily distinguishable from all other permanent registration plates issued under this section.
(b) Permanent Registration Plates. - The Division may issue permanent plates for the following motor vehicles:
(1) The Division
upon proper proof being filed with it that any motor vehicle for which
registration is herein required is owned by the A motor vehicle owned by
the State or any department thereof, or by any one of its
agencies.
(2) A motor
vehicle owned by a county, township, city or town, or by
any town.
(3) A motor
vehicle owned by a board of education, or by any education.
(4) A motor
vehicle owned by an orphanage or civil orphanage.
(5) A motor
vehicle owned by the civil air patrol, or incorporated patrol.
(6) A motor
vehicle owned by an incorporated emergency rescue squad, or incorporated
squad.
(7) A motor
vehicle owned by an incorporated REACT ("Radio Emergency Association
of Citizen Teams") Team, or for any Team.
(8) A motor
vehicle owned by a person and involved used exclusively in
the support of a disaster relief effort, effort.
(9) A bus owned by a church and used exclusively for transporting individuals to Sunday school and church services.
(10) A motor vehicle owned by a rural fire department, agency, or association.
(11) A motor vehicle in the form of a mobile X-ray unit operated exclusively in this State for the purpose of diagnosis, treatment, and discovery of tuberculosis, and owned by the North Carolina Tuberculosis Association, Incorporated, or by a local chapter or association of the North Carolina Tuberculosis Association, Incorporated.
(12) A motor vehicle owned by a local chapter of the American National Red Cross and used for emergency or disaster work.
(13) A motor vehicle owned by a sheltered workshop recognized or approved by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
(14) A motor vehicle owned by a nonprofit agency or organization that provides transportation for or operates programs subject to and approved in accordance with standards adopted by the Commission for Mental Health and Human Services.
(15) A bus or trackless trolley owned by a city and operated under a franchise authorizing the use of city streets. This subdivision does not apply to a bus or trackless trolley operated under a franchise authorizing an intercity operation.
(16) A trailer owned by a nationally chartered charitable organization and used exclusively for parade floats and for transporting vehicles and structures used only in parades.
shall collect six dollars ($6.00)
for the registration of such motor vehicles, but shall not collect any fee for
application for certificate of title in the name of the State or any department
thereof, or by any county, township, city or town, or by any board of education
or orphanage: Provided, that the term "owned" shall be construed to
mean that such motor vehicle is the actual property of the State or some
department thereof or of the county, township, city or town, or of the board of
education, and no motor vehicle which is the property of any officer or
employee of any department named herein shall be construed as being
"owned" by such department. Provided, that the above exemptions from
registration fees shall also apply to any church-owned bus used exclusively for
transporting children and parents to Sunday school and church services and for
no other purpose.
In lieu of the annual six dollars ($6.00) registration
provided for in this section, the Division may for the license year 1950 and
thereafter provide for a permanent registration of the vehicles described in
this section and issue permanent registration plates for such vehicles.
The permanent registration plates issued pursuant to this
paragraph shall be of a distinctive color and shall bear thereon the word
"permanent." Such plates may be transferred as provided in G.S. 20-78
to a replacement vehicle of the same classification. For the permanent
registration and issuance of permanent registration plates provided for in this
paragraph, the Division shall collect a fee of six dollars ($6.00) for each
vehicle so registered and licensed.
The provisions of this section are hereby made applicable
to vehicles owned by a rural fire department, agency or association.
The Division of Motor Vehicles shall issue to the North
Carolina Tuberculosis Association, Incorporated, or any local chapter or
association of said corporation, for a fee of six dollars ($6.00) for each
plate a permanent registration plate which need not be thereafter renewed for
each motor vehicle in the form of a mobile X-ray unit which is owned by said
North Carolina Tuberculosis Association, Incorporated, or any local chapter or
local association thereof and operated exclusively in this State for the
purpose of diagnosis, treatment and discovery of tuberculosis. The initial six
dollars ($6.00) fee required by this section and for this purpose shall be in
full payment of the permanent registration plates issued for such vehicle
operated as a mobile X-ray unit, and such plates need not thereafter be
renewed, and such plates may be transferred as provided in G.S. 20-78 to
replacement vehicles to be used for the purposes above described and for which
the plates were originally issued.
The Division of Motor Vehicles shall issue to the American
National Red Cross, upon application of any local chapter thereof and payment
of a fee of six dollars ($6.00) for each plate, a permanent registration plate,
which need not be thereafter renewed, for all disaster vans, bloodmobiles, handivans,
and such sedans and station wagons as are used for emergency or disaster work,
and operated by a local chapter in this State in the business of the American
National Red Cross. Such plates may be transferred as provided in G.S. 20-78 to
a replacement vehicle to be used for the purposes above described and for which
the plates were originally issued. In the event of transfer of ownership to any
other person, firm or corporation, or transfer or reassignment of any vehicle
bearing such registration plate to any chapter or association of the American
National Red Cross in any other state, territory or country, the registration
plate assigned to such vehicle shall be surrendered to the Division of Motor
Vehicles.
(c) State
Highway Patrol. - In lieu of all other registration requirements, the
Commissioner shall each year assign to the State Highway Patrol, upon payment
of six dollars ($6.00) per registration plate, a sufficient number of regular
registration plates of the same letter prefix and in numerical sequence
beginning with number 100 to meet the requirements of the State Highway Patrol
for use on Division vehicles assigned to the State Highway Patrol. The
commander of the Patrol shall, when such plates are assigned, issue to each
member of the State Highway Patrol a registration plate for use upon the
Division vehicle assigned to him the member pursuant to G.S.
20-190 and assign a registration plate to each Division service vehicle
operated by the Patrol. An index of such assignments of registration plates
shall be kept at each State Highway Patrol radio station and a copy thereof of
it shall be furnished to the registration division of the Division.
Information as to the individual assignments of such the registration
plates shall be made available to the public upon request to the same extent
and in the same manner as regular registration information. The commander, when
necessary, may reassign registration plates provided that such the reassignment
shall be made to appear upon the index required herein under
this subsection within 20 days after such the reassignment.
The Division of Motor Vehicles shall, upon appropriate
certification of financial responsibility, issue to sheltered workshops
recognized or approved by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services
and to public and nonprofit agencies or organizations which provide
transportation for or operate programs subject to and approved in accordance
with standards adopted by the Commission for Mental Health, Developmental
Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services of the Department of Health and
Human Services upon application and payment of a fee of six dollars ($6.00) for
each plate, a permanent registration plate for vehicles registered to and
operated by such agencies. The initial six dollars ($6.00) fee required by this
section and for this purpose shall be in full payment of the permanent
registration plate issued for such vehicle operated by a sheltered workshop and
such plates need not thereafter be renewed, and such plates may be transferred
as provided in G.S. 20-78 to a replacement vehicle to be used by the sheltered
workshop designated on the registration card.
On and after January 1, 1972, permanent registration
plates used on all vehicles owned by the State of North Carolina or a
department thereof shall be of a distinctive color and design which shall be
readily distinguishable from all other permanent registration plates issued
pursuant to this section or G.S. 20-84.1. For the purpose of carrying out the
intent of this paragraph, all vehicles owned by the State of North Carolina or
a department thereof in operation as of October 1, 1971, and bearing a
permanent registration shall be reregistered during the months of October,
November and December, 1971, and upon reregistration, registration plates
issued for such vehicles shall be of a distinctive color and design as provided
for hereinabove."
Section 3.1. G.S. 20-79.4(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b) Types. - The Division shall issue the following types of special registration plates:
…
(36a) Retired Highway Patrol. - Issuable to an individual who has retired from the North Carolina Highway Patrol. The plate shall bear the phrase 'SHP, Retired.' The Division may not issue the plate authorized by this subdivision unless it receives at least 300 applications for the plate."
Section 4. G.S. 20-84.1 is repealed.
Section 5. This act becomes effective July 1, 1999.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 16th day of June, 1999.
s/ Dennis A. Wicker
President of the Senate
s/ James B. Black
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ James B. Hunt, Jr.
Governor
Approved 11:29 a.m. this 25th day of June, 1999