SB 404

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. Also under current law, the

Department of Transportation (DOT) must refuse registration of any vehicle that is

originally designed and manufactured for off-highway operation unless the vehicle

meets certain federal motor vehicle safety standards.

This bill allows former military vehicles to be registered in a manner similar

to antique vehicles, with similar operating restrictions. The bill defines a former

military vehicle as a vehicle, including a trailer but excluding a tracked vehicle, that

was manufactured for use in any country's military forces and is maintained to

accurately represent its military design and markings, regardless of the vehicle's

size or weight. A former military vehicle may be registered as a "historic military

vehicle" if it is at least 25 years old and has been imported into the United States from

another country or if it has not been imported and is of any age. It is the applicant's

burden to show that a vehicle is eligible for registration as a historic military vehicle.

DOT must issue for the vehicle special plates of a distinctive design that show that

the vehicle is registered as a historic military vehicle. The applicant must pay a

one-time $5 registration fee and there is no fee for registration renewal. In addition,

the applicant must pay a $25 processing fee, to cover the initial costs of production

of special plates, until DOT has recovered $11,800 for its costs of plate development.

However, if the vehicle is currently registered by DOT under another registration

category, the vehicle may be registered as a historic military vehicle without

payment of any fee.

The bill also prohibits DOT from registering any vehicle that was

manufactured for use in any country's military forces and that does not meet federal

motor vehicle safety standards. However, the bill allows DOT to register a former

military vehicle as a historic military vehicle, or as a municipal or county vehicle

operated in the public service, even if the vehicle was originally designed and

manufactured for off-highway operation, does not meet federal motor vehicle safety

standards, and was manufactured for use in a country's military forces.