BIL:3678

RTN:298

ACN:251

TYP:General Bill GB

INB:House

IND:20010307

PSP:Rice

SPO:Rice, Whipper

DDN:l:\council\bills\ggs\22887cm01.doc

DPB:20020424

LAD:20020418

GOV:S

DGA:20020514

SUB:Motor vehicle registration, grace period allowed for; temporary license plates provided; displaying of dealer sold cards

HST:

BodyDateAction DescriptionComLeg Involved

______

------20020603Act No. A251

------20020514Signed by Governor

------20020508Ratified R298

Senate20020424Concurred in House amendment,

enrolled for ratification

House20020418Senate amendments amended,

returned to Senate with amendment

------20020412Scrivener's error corrected

Senate20020411Read third time, returned to House

with amendment

Senate20020410Amended, read second time,

notice of general amendments

Senate20020409Committee report: Favorable with15 ST

amendment

Senate20020226Introduced, read first time,15 ST

referred to Committee

House20020222Read third time, sent to Senate

House20020221Amended, read second time,

unanimous consent for third reading

on Friday, 20020222

House20020212Request for debate withdrawn

by RepresentativeJ.E. Smith

House20020205Request for debate by RepresentativeJ.E. Smith

Bales

Ott

Howard

J.H. Neal

Rice

McLeod

Hayes

Stuart

Cooper

White

Knotts

Gourdine

Cotty

Merrill

Davenport

Phillips

House20020131Debate adjourned until

Tuesday, 20020205

House20020116Debate adjourned until

Thursday, 20020131

House20020115Debate adjourned until

Wednesday, 20020116

House20020108Debate adjourned until

Tuesday, 20020115

House20010606Debate adjourned until

Tuesday, 20020108

House20010605Debate adjourned until

Wednesday, 20010606

House20010531Debate adjourned until

Tuesday, 20010605

House20010530Debate adjourned until

Thursday, 20010531

House20010530Request for debate withdrawn

by RepresentativeEasterday

Walker

Rodgers

Hosey

Gilham

Stille

Hamilton

Stuart

House20010530Request for debate withdrawn

by RepresentativeW.D. Smith

House20010530Request for debate by RepresentativeWalker

Rodgers

Gilham

W.D. Smith

Stuart

Stille

Hosey

Easterday

Hamilton

House20010530Co-Sponsor added (Rule 5.2) by Rep.Whipper

House20010529Debate adjourned until

Wednesday, 20010530

House20010523Committee report: Favorable with21 HEPW

amendment

House20010307Introduced, read first time,21 HEPW

referred to Committee

Versions of This Bill

Revised on 20010523

Revised on 20020221

Revised on 20020409-B

Revised on 20020410

Revised on 20020412

Revised on 20020418

TXT:

(A251, R298, H3678)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 563210, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE GRACE PERIOD FOR REGISTERING A MOTOR VEHICLE, SO AS TO REQUIRE A PERSON WHO IS REQUIRED TO REGISTER A MOTOR VEHICLE DURING THE GRACE PERIOD TO EITHER TRANSFER A LICENSE PLATE FROM ANOTHER MOTOR VEHICLE TO THE MOTOR VEHICLE WHICH MUST BE REGISTERED, PURCHASE A NEW LICENSE PLATE AND REGISTRATION, OR OBTAIN A TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATE FROM THE MOTOR VEHICLES DIVISION, THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE, A DEALER OF NEW OR USED MOTOR VEHICLES, OR THE CASUAL SELLER OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE CONTENT, DESIGN, FEE FOR, AND ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATES, TO PROVIDE THAT CERTAIN DOCUMENTS MUST BE MAINTAINED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE THAT DISPLAYS A TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATE OR A TRANSFERRED LICENSE PLATE, TO PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR A VIOLATION OF A PROVISION CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION, TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATE FEES, TO PROVIDE THAT A TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATE MUST BE REPLACED WITH A PERMANENT LICENSE PLATE AND REGISTRATION CARD, TO PROVIDE THAT THIS SECTION DOES NOT AFFECT A PERSON’S RESPONSIBILITY TO OBTAIN INSURANCE BEFORE OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT ONLY ONE TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATE SHALL BE ISSUED TO A PURCHASER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE FOR THE MOTOR VEHICLE HE HAS PURCHASED BEFORE IT IS REGISTERED PERMANENTLY; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 56-3-220, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE DEALERS ATTACHING AND DISPLAYING DEALER SOLD CARDS ON MOTOR VEHICLES WHICH THEY SELL TO INDICATE THAT THE MOTOR VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED WITHIN THE GRACE PERIOD ALLOWED FOR REGISTERING A NEWLY ACQUIRED MOTOR VEHICLE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Temporary license plates

SECTION1.Section 563210 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 497 of 1994, is further amended to read:

“Section 563210.(A) A person who newly acquires a vehicle or an owner of a foreign vehicle being moved into this State and required to be registered under this chapter, before operating the vehicle on the state’s highways during the fortyfive day period contained in this section must:

(1)transfer a license plate from another vehicle pursuant to subsection (D) of this section and Section 5631290;

(2)purchase a new license plate and registration;

(3)purchase a temporary license plate from the Motor Vehicles Division pursuant to subsection (B) of this section;

(4)purchase a temporary license plate from the county auditor’s office in the county in which the person resides pursuant to subsection (B) of this section;

(5)obtain a temporary license plate from a dealer of new or used vehicles pursuant to subsection (C) of this section; or

(6)obtain a temporary license plate from the casual seller of the vehicle pursuant to subsection (B) of this section.

(B)The Motor Vehicles Division or the county auditor’s office must, upon proper application, issue a temporary license plate designed by the Motor Vehicles Division to a casual seller or buyer of a vehicle pursuant to subsection (A) of this section. The county auditor’s office may obtain temporary license plates from the Motor Vehicles Division. If the applicant is a casual buyer of a vehicle, the Motor Vehicles Division or the county auditor’s office must insert clearly and indelibly on the face of the temporary license plate the date of expiration and other information the Motor Vehicles Division may require. If the applicant is the casual seller of a vehicle, at the time of the sale, he must insert clearly and indelibly on the face of the temporary license plate the date of expiration and other information the Motor Vehicles Division may require. The expiration date may not extend beyond fortyfive days from the vehicle’s date of purchase. Neither the casual seller nor the casual buyer may place the temporary license plate on the vehicle until the sale has been completed. The bill of sale, title, rental contract, or a copy of either document must be maintained in the vehicle at all times to verify the vehicle’s date of purchase to a law enforcement officer. The bill of sale, title, rental contract, or a copy of either document must provide a description of the vehicle, the name and address of both the seller and purchaser of the vehicle, and its date of sale. A casual seller who issues a temporary license plate or allows a temporary license plate to be issued in violation of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined one hundred dollars for each occurrence. The Motor Vehicles Division may charge a five dollar fee for the temporary license plate which the Comptroller General must place into a special restricted account to be used by the division to defray the expenses of the division associated with the production and issuance of the temporary license plates. The county auditor’s office also may charge a five dollar fee for the temporary license plate to defray the expenses of the county auditor’s office associated with the production and issuance of the temporary license plates.

(C)A dealer of new or used vehicles may issue to the purchaser of a vehicle at the time of its sale a temporary license plate that may contain the dealer’s name and location and must contain, in characters not less than onequarter inch wide and one and onehalf inches high, the expiration date of the period within which the purchaser must register the vehicle pursuant to subsection (E) of this section. The expiration date may not extend beyond fortyfive days from the date of purchase. The temporary license plate must be made of heavy stock paper or plastic, inscribed with contrasting indelible ink, and designed to resist deterioration or fading from exposure to the elements during the period for which display is required. The bill of sale, title, rental contract, or a copy of either document must be maintained in the vehicle at all times to verify the vehicle’s date of purchase to a law enforcement officer. The bill of sale, title, rental contract, or a copy of either document must contain a description of the vehicle, the name and address of both the seller and purchaser of the vehicle, and its date of sale. A dealer who issues a temporary license plate or allows a temporary license plate to be issued in violation of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined one hundred dollars for each occurrence.

(D)If a person intends to transfer a license plate from one vehicle to another vehicle, he may place the license plate to be transferred on the newly acquired vehicle on the date of its purchase. The bill of sale and a copy of the registration which corresponds to the license plate must be maintained in the newly acquired vehicle at all times to verify its date of purchase to a law enforcement officer. The purchaser must register the vehicle with the Motor Vehicles Division within fortyfive days from its purchase date. A person who transfers a license plate or allows a license plate to be transferred in violation of this subsection is subject to the vehicle registration and licensing provisions of law.

(E)A person must replace a temporary license plate issued pursuant to this section with a permanent license plate and registration card as required by Section 563110 within fortyfive days of acquiring the vehicle or moving a foreign vehicle into this State. A person who operates a vehicle in violation of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars.

(F)Nothing in this section may be construed to displace or affect the responsibility of a person to obtain insurance before operating a vehicle.

(G)Only one temporary license plate shall be issued to a purchaser of a vehicle for the vehicle he has purchased before it is registered permanently.”

Repeal

SECTION2.Section 563220 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

Time effective

SECTION3.The portion of Section 1 of this act which provides that “only one temporary license plate shall be issued to a purchaser of a vehicle for the vehicle he has purchased before it is registered permanently” takes effect on July 1, 2003. Section 563210(D) as contained in Section 1 takes effect upon approval by the Governor. The remaining portions of Section 1 and the remaining sections of this act take effect on January 1, 2003.

Ratified the 8th day of May, 2002.

Approved the 14th day of May, 2002.

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