AB 735

Under current law, an owner of a motor vehicle that is of model year 1945 or

earlier may register the vehicle as an antique vehicle. Antique vehicles may be

driven only for special occasions such as display and parade purposes or for

necessary testing, maintenance, and storage purposes. Antique vehicles may

display a historical registration plate from or representing the model year of the

vehicle but must carry current registration plates in the vehicle.

Also under current law, an owner of a special interest vehicle that is 20 or more

years old may, under specified circumstances, register the vehicle as a special

interest vehicle for a one-time fee of twice the regular annual registration fee ($75

for most automobiles), plus a one-time processing fee of $50. A special interest

vehicle is a motor vehicle that has not been changed from its original manufacturer's

specifications and which is being preserved for its historic interest. Vehicles

registered as special interest vehicles are issued distinctive registration plates, and

may be reregistered for no additional fee if, with an exception, the vehicle is not

operated on the highways during the month of January.

This bill allows a motor vehicle registered as a special interest vehicle to display

historical Wisconsin registration plates from or representing the model year of the

vehicle if the historical plates do not bear the same registration number as that

assigned by the Department of Transportation (DOT) to any other currently

registered vehicle. The owner of the vehicle must carry the current distinctive

registration plates in the vehicle. The bill also requires the owner to notify DOT of

the historical plates' registration number and requires DOT to record that number

in the vehicle registration records maintained by DOT.

The bill allows the display of historical registration plates on special interest

vehicles only if DOT receives, prior to June 30, 2011, contributions totaling at least

$40,900 from interested persons to cover DOT's estimated costs of implementation,

and, if sufficient contributions are received, only after DOT has completed the

development work necessary for implementation. If DOT does not receive sufficient

contributions by June 30, 2011, DOT must return all contributions, less a transaction

fee not exceeding $2.50 per contributor.