Motor Vehicle Law Changes (2008)

NOTE: The information presented below is for historical purposes only, and may be out of date.

Law Change Archive

Effective August 28, 2008

Senate Bills 930 & 947

Commercial Motor Vehicles

  • Eliminates the option of two plates being issued for commercial vehicles with a licensed gross weight over 12,000 pounds.

Utility Vehicles

  • Defines “utility vehicle” as “any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use which is sixty-three inches or less in width, with an unladen dry weight of 1,850 pounds or less, traveling on four or six wheels, to be used primarily for landscaping, lawn care, or maintenance purposes.”
  • Provides that utility vehicles cannot be operated upon the highways of this state unless they are:
    • Owned and operated by governmental entity for official use,
    • Operated for agricultural or industrial on-premise purposes, or
    • Operated by handicapped person for short distances on secondary roads.
  • The operator must have a valid driver license, but does not have to be motorcycle qualified.
  • Allows cities/counties to issues special permits for utility vehicles to be used on county roads within the county to licensed drivers for a fee of $15. The fee is to be kept by such city/county.
  • States that the seller is responsible for collecting and remitting all applicable state and local tax on new utility vehicles.
    • Utility vehicle owners may qualify for a “farm use” tax exemption.

Senate Bill 936

Emissions Inspections/30-Day Driving Privilege

  • Allows a vehicle to be operated for 30 days beyond the vehicle’s registration date if it is being driven to reset the vehicle’s readiness monitors in order to pass the on-board diagnostic (OBD) emission inspection. Vehicle operators shall be able to present law enforcement with a copy of their failing OBD test results, while operating the vehicle to reset the readiness monitors.
    • The late registration penalty fee shall still apply if the vehicle is registered after its current registration expires.

House Bill 1354

Special Mobile Equipment

  • Defines “implements of husbandry” as “all self-propelled machinery manufactured for operation at low speeds primarily for off-road usage, but capable of incidental (secondary) over-the-road use, exclusively for the application of commercial plant food materials or agricultural chemicals.”
  • Exempts self-propelled sprayers or floaters from titling, registration, and license requirements.

House Bill 1628

Alternative Fuel Decal/Tax Exemption

  • Exempts motor vehicles registered as historic vehicles and powered by liquid petroleum and natural gas from alternative fuel decal and alternative fuel tax requirements.

House Bill 1715

Vessels

  • Requires a properly assigned certificate of ownership to be properly assigned in order to transfer ownership of a vessel or outboard motor.
  • Provides that if an applicant’s homemade vessel meets the following criteria, the applicant shall pay a $55 registration fee: The vessel is at least:
    • 16 feet in length, but less than 28 feet in length,
    • made out of wood, and
    • has a beam of five feet or less.

Note: Applicants must submit a letter from the Department or a “BOAT/VESSEL SELF-CERTIFICATION STATEMENT” self-certifying their boat/vessel meets the above criteria, if applicable.