South Carolina General Assembly
114th Session, 2001-2002

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Bill 3678


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      3678
Ratification Number:              298
Act Number:                       251
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  20010307
Primary Sponsor:                  Rice
All Sponsors:                     Rice, Whipper
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\ggs\22887cm01.doc
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:     20020424
Date of Last Amendment:           20020418
Governor's Action:                S
Date of Governor's Action:        20020514
Subject:                          Motor vehicle registration, grace period 
                                  allowed for; temporary license plates 
                                  provided; displaying of dealer sold cards


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
------  20020603  Act No. A251
------  20020514  Signed by Governor
------  20020508  Ratified R298
Senate  20020424  Concurred in House amendment, 
                  enrolled for ratification
House   20020418  Senate amendments amended,
                  returned to Senate with amendment
------  20020412  Scrivener's error corrected
Senate  20020411  Read third time, returned to House
                  with amendment
Senate  20020410  Amended, read second time, 
                  notice of general amendments
Senate  20020409  Committee report: Favorable with       15 ST
                  amendment
Senate  20020226  Introduced, read first time,           15 ST
                  referred to Committee
House   20020222  Read third time, sent to Senate
House   20020221  Amended, read second time, 
                  unanimous consent for third reading 
                  on Friday, 20020222
House   20020212  Request for debate withdrawn
                  by Representative                              J.E. Smith
House   20020205  Request for debate by Representative           J.E. Smith
                                                                 Bales
                                                                 Ott
                                                                 Howard
                                                                 J.H. Neal
                                                                 Rice
                                                                 McLeod
                                                                 Hayes
                                                                 Stuart
                                                                 Cooper
                                                                 White
                                                                 Knotts
                                                                 Gourdine
                                                                 Cotty
                                                                 Merrill
                                                                 Davenport
                                                                 Phillips
House   20020131  Debate adjourned until
                  Tuesday, 20020205
House   20020116  Debate adjourned until
                  Thursday, 20020131
House   20020115  Debate adjourned until
                  Wednesday, 20020116
House   20020108  Debate adjourned until
                  Tuesday, 20020115
House   20010606  Debate adjourned until
                  Tuesday, 20020108
House   20010605  Debate adjourned until
                  Wednesday, 20010606
House   20010531  Debate adjourned until
                  Tuesday, 20010605
House   20010530  Debate adjourned until
                  Thursday, 20010531
House   20010530  Request for debate withdrawn
                  by Representative                              Easterday
                                                                 Walker
                                                                 Rodgers
                                                                 Hosey
                                                                 Gilham
                                                                 Stille
                                                                 Hamilton
                                                                 Stuart
House   20010530  Request for debate withdrawn
                  by Representative                              W.D. Smith
House   20010530  Request for debate by Representative           Walker
                                                                 Rodgers
                                                                 Gilham
                                                                 W.D. Smith
                                                                 Stuart
                                                                 Stille
                                                                 Hosey
                                                                 Easterday
                                                                 Hamilton
House   20010530  Co-Sponsor added (Rule 5.2) by Rep.            Whipper
House   20010529  Debate adjourned until
                  Wednesday, 20010530
House   20010523  Committee report: Favorable with       21 HEPW
                  amendment
House   20010307  Introduced, read first time,           21 HEPW
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill
Revised on May 23, 2001 - Word format
Revised on February 21, 2002 - Word format
Revised on April 9, 2002-B - Word format
Revised on April 10, 2002 - Word format
Revised on April 12, 2002 - Word format
Revised on April 18, 2002 - Word format

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A251, R298, H3678)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-210, 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

SECTION 1. Section 56-3-210 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 497 of 1994, is further amended to read:

"Section 56-3-210. (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 forty-five day period contained in this section must:

(1) transfer a license plate from another vehicle pursuant to subsection (D) of this section and Section 56-3-1290;

(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 forty-five 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 one-quarter inch wide and one and one-half 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 forty-five 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 forty-five 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 56-3-110 within forty-five 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

SECTION 2. Section 56-3-220 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

Time effective

SECTION 3. 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 56-3-210(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.

__________


This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 11:29 A.M.