title 75 (ch 13) Flashcards
Registration and certificate of title required.
§ 1301
(a) Driving unregistered vehicle prohibited.–No person shall drive or move and no owner or motor carrier shall knowingly permit to be driven or moved upon any highway any vehicle which is not registered in this Commonwealth unless the vehicle is exempt from registration.
(d) Penalty.–Any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $75 or double the registration fee, whichever is greater, except when the vehicle was previously registered in this Commonwealth within 60 days of the commission of the offense whereupon the fine shall be $25. In the case of a motor carrier vehicle other than a trailer, the fine shall be $50 if the motor carrier vehicle was previously registered in this Commonwealth within 60 days of the commission of the offense or, if the registration occurs outside the 60-day period, the fine shall be double the registration fee for the maximum weight at which the vehicle could have been registered in this Commonwealth.
Vehicles of nonresidents exempt from registration
§ 1303
(a) General rule.–A nonresident owner of any foreign vehicle may operate or permit the operation of the vehicle within this Commonwealth without registering the vehicle in this Commonwealth or paying any fees to the Commonwealth, provided the vehicle at all times when operated in this Commonwealth is duly registered and in full compliance with the registration requirements of the place of residence of the owner and further provided the vehicle is not:
(1) used for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation or profit;
(2) regularly operated in carrying on business within this Commonwealth;
(3) designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property for hire, compensation or profit and not subject to reciprocity under section 6144 (relating to vehicle registration and licensing) or 6149 (relating to automatic reciprocity); or
(4) special mobile equipment if not also required to be and actually registered under the laws of the place of residence of the owner.
Registration card to be signed and exhibited on demand.
§ 1311
(a) Signing card.–Upon receiving the registration card or any duplicate, the registrant shall sign his name in the space provided.
(b) Carrying and exhibiting card.–Every registration card shall, at all times while the vehicle is being operated upon a highway, be in the possession of the person driving or in control of the vehicle or carried in the vehicle and shall be exhibited upon demand of any police officer.
(c) Production to avoid penalty.–No person shall be convicted of violating this section or section 1301 (relating to driving unregistered vehicle prohibited) if the person produces at the office of the issuing authority or at the office of the arresting police officer within five days of the violation, a registration card valid in this Commonwealth at the time of the arrest.
(July 20, 1979, P.L.168, No.55, eff. imd.)
Notice of change of name or address
§ 1312
Any person whose address is changed from the address named in the application for registration or on the registration card or whose name is changed shall, within 15 days, notify the department in writing of the old and new address, or of such former and new names, and of the title or registration number of every vehicle registered in the person’s name.
Display of registration plate.
§ 1332
a) General rule.–Every registration plate shall, at all times, be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned or on which its use is authorized in accordance with regulations promulgated by the department.
(a.1) Motorcycle registration plate.–
(1) A registration plate issued for a motorcycle may be mounted on the motorcycle in a vertical manner if:
(i) the identifying characters on the plate are displayed in a vertical alignment; and
(ii) the mounting complies with all other provisions of this section.
(2) A registration plate that has its identifying characters displayed horizontally shall not be displayed and mounted vertically.
(3) The department shall produce a registration plate for motorcycles which displays the identifying characters on the plate in a vertical alignment. The department shall issue such a plate upon request and upon payment of a fee of $20, which shall be in addition to the annual registration fee.
(4) No later than January 1, 2016, the department shall report to the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Senate and the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives on the number of motorcycle registration plates issued in a vertical alignment, the cost of issuance and any required revision to the fee so as to maintain necessary financial support for the highway system in this Commonwealth.
(b) Obscuring plate.–It is unlawful to display on any vehicle a registration plate which:
(1) is so dirty as to prevent the reading of the number or letters thereon at a reasonable distance;
(2) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits the proper operation of an automated red light enforcement system in place pursuant to section 3116 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in first class cities) or 3117 (relating to automated red light enforcement systems in certain municipalities) or any other automated enforcement system authorized by this title or an electronic toll collection system as authorized under 74 Pa.C.S. § 8117 (relating to electronic toll collection);
(3) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner at a reasonable distance;
(4) is illegible, obscured, covered or otherwise obstructed in any manner which inhibits the visibility of the issuing jurisdiction at a reasonable distance; or
(5) has a tinted plate cover.
c) Penalty for obscured plate.–Any person who violates subsection (b)(2) or (4) commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $100.
Seizure of registration plate.
§ 1334.1.
A police officer or an employee of the department authorized to enforce the provisions of Chapter 49 (relating to size, weight and load) may seize a registration plate that appears in departmental records as suspended, revoked, canceled, stolen, inactive or issued to a vehicle other than the vehicle on which it is displayed. This provision shall not apply to a registration plate that has been legally transferred as provided for in section 1314 (relating to transfer of registration).
Antique, classic and collectible plates.
§ 1340.
(a) General rule.–Upon submission by a vehicle owner of information satisfactory to the department that a motorcycle or motor vehicle is an antique motorcycle or motor vehicle or classic motorcycle or motor vehicle or collectible motorcycle or motor vehicle, accompanied by the appropriate fee, the department may issue special plates for the motorcycle or vehicle. The special plate for antique motor vehicles, except antique motorcycles, shall bear the designation “antique vehicle.” The applicant shall provide photographic proof in a manner specified by the department to demonstrate the condition of the motor vehicle. No annual registration fee may be charged for antique, collectible or classic motorcycles or motor vehicles. A holder of the special plates may obtain replacement plates bearing the designation “antique vehicle” upon payment of the appropriate fee.
Vintage registration plates.–In lieu of a special plate issued under subsection (a), the owner of an antique or classic motor vehicle may request permission from the department to display a vintage registration plate from the model year of the motor vehicle. The vintage registration plate shall be:
(1) Provided by the motor vehicle owner.
(2) A Pennsylvania registration plate issued between the years 1906 and 1976.
(3) Legible from a reasonable distance.
The applicant shall provide information as the department may require for processing the request and a $75 application fee. The department may deny a request to use a vintage registration plate for cause.
Operation following suspension of registration.
§ 1371.
(a) General rule.–No person shall operate and no owner shall permit to be operated upon any highway a vehicle the registration of which has been suspended.
(b) Penalty.–Any person violating this section is guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500. In the case of a motor carrier vehicle other than a trailer, the fine shall be double the registration fee for the maximum weight at which the vehicle could have been registered in this Commonwealth.
Unauthorized transfer or use of registration
§ 1372
No person shall:
(1) allow a registration card or plate or permit to be used by any person not authorized to use it or on any vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued;
(2) use any registration card or plate or permit unless authorized to do so; or
(3) display a registration card or plate in, on or in connection with any vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued.
