| New vehicle laws create license plates, other changes |
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Dec. 13, 2007
07-218
Radio stations: Download either a short or long MP3 version covering all three press releases on new DMV-related state laws at http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/radionews.shtml
Also see: New laws will affect learning to drive, driving, and when to stop driving
And: New laws affect professional drivers, vehicle businesses
See Thumbnail samples of new Oregon license plates
Some new Oregon laws for passenger vehicles and license plates that take effect Jan. 1 will impact all Oregonians, while others will affect specific residents or vehicles. And one new law will affect only one Oregonian, at least for now.
House Bill 2390, passed by the 2007 Oregon Legislature, authorizes DMV to issue a custom Medal of Honor license plate to World War II veteran Robert Maxwell, the state’s only living recipient of the highest Congressional military award. Future Oregon Medal of Honor recipients also will be eligible for this new plate.
Other military veterans and their families in Oregon also will get new plate options under House Bill 3161.
Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs worked with DMV to create a unique plate background to be used on all veteran group plates. Qualifying veterans may choose a basic veteran plate, a service branch insignia or a service-related medal on their plate. Plate choices will be available for viewing on the DMV Web site Dec. 24. Issuance of the new plates will begin the first week of January 2008.
HB 3161 also creates an Oregon Gold Star Family plate, which will be issued only to surviving family members of individuals who have died while on active duty in the armed forces. The plates will be on the new veteran plate background and include a gold star decal, a tri-fold flag and the words “Gold Star Family.”
Meanwhile, another new plate will combine the safety interests of both drivers and bicyclists under the “Share the Road” plate authorized by Senate Bill 789. Share the Road group plates will be on a unique silver and dark blue background with a yellow graphic of a bicyclist on the left-hand side.
All special plates require a surcharge that goes to the sponsoring group, in addition to plate manufacturing and regular registration fees. Some plates have a one-time surcharge, and others require the surcharge at each registration renewal. All group plates are issued by mail from DMV Headquarters and are not available at a DMV field office.
For information on special and group plates, surcharges and what sponsoring group receives the money, visit the license plate section of OregonDMV.com.
In addition to creating new plates, the 2007 Oregon Legislature enacted several other changes to vehicle laws that will take effect Jan. 1:
- HB 2272 tightens clean-air standards for future vehicles. The bill authorizes DMV to deny registration to a vehicle that does not comply with emission standards of the Environmental Quality Commission for model years 2009 or later model year vehicles that have fewer than 7,500 miles at the time of registration.
- HB 2034 sets a 30-day deadline after establishing residency in Oregon for new residents to title and register their vehicles here and to obtain an Oregon driver license. Current law does not set a clear deadline for new state residents.
- HB 2119 clarifies that it is a traffic violation to display a registration plate on a vehicle other than the one for which the plates or registration tags were issued.
- HB 2271 adds the term “loaded weight” to the definition of “registration weight” that is used to determine registration fees. This law is intended to ensure that vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds when loaded pay appropriate registration fees.
- HB 2936 lowers registration fees for some motor homes, creates a traffic violation for failure to remove a vehicle from a highway after a non-injury crash, and creates a violation for failure to use a pilot car with some heavy-vehicle permits.
- HB 3527 defines a “racing activity vehicle” for purposes of titling and registration, and exempts such vehicles from federal and state equipment standards and Department of Environmental Quality emissions testing.
These new laws are only a handful of Oregon legislation taking effect Jan. 1 that involve DMV and the rest of the Oregon Department of Transportation. For more information, visit OregonDMV.com or www.Oregon.gov/ODOT. DMV intends to update its Web pages to reflect the law changes by the first week of 2008.
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| For more information |
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For more information, contact:
DMV Public Affairs
(503) 945-5270
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