BILL NUMBER: AB 1515 CHAPTERED 09/29/00 CHAPTER 859 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 29, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 28, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 31, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 31, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 25, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 29, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 29, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 16, 2000 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Margett (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ackerman, Alquist, Baugh, Campbell, Cox, Cunneen, Dutra, Granlund, House, Knox, Leach, Oller, Robert Pacheco, Pescetti, and Zettel) (Coauthors: Senators Costa, Knight, Monteith, Morrow, Mountjoy, and Rainey) FEBRUARY 26, 1999 An act to amend Sections 4852, 5101, and 5103 of, and to add Section 5061 to, the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1515, Margett. Vehicles: license plates: motorcycles. (1) Existing law specifies the dimensions for license plates issued for motor vehicles, other than motorcycles. This bill would additionally specify the size of the number and letter characters and the minimum spacing between characters on motor vehicle license plates. The bill would specify the dimensions of a motorcycle license plate, and the character size and minimum spacing between characters on those plates. This bill would provide that any special interest license plate issued for display on a motorcycle is subject to the same fees that are collected for the issuance and retention of special interest license plates on other vehicles. (2) Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue special interest license plates containing a distinctive design or decal of a participating organization, to any person, to be displayed in lieu of regular license plates. This bill would prohibit the department, if it permits the issuance of special interest license plates for display on motorcycles, from approving any design that incorporates either or both a full or partial graphic design appearing behind the license plate number configuration or symbols with the license plate number configuration. (3) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code proposed by SB 2084, to be operative only if this bill and SB 2084 are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2001, each bill amends Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code, and this bill is enacted last. (4) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code proposed by SB 2084, to be operative only if this bill and SB 2084 are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2001, each bill amends Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code, and this bill is enacted last. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 4852 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 4852. (a) License plates issued for motor vehicles, other than motorcycles, shall be rectangular in shape, 12 inches in length and six inches in width. The number and letter characters on the plates shall have a minimum height of two and three-quarter inches, a minimum width of one and one-quarter inches, and a minimum spacing between characters of five-sixteenths of an inch. (b) Motorcycle license plates shall measure seven inches in length and four inches in width, and the characters on the plates shall have a minimum height of one and one-half inches and a minimum width of nine-sixteenths inches, and shall have a minimum spacing between characters of three-sixteenths of an inch. SEC. 2. Section 5061 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read: 5061. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the department permits the issuance of a special interest license plate for display on a motorcycle, the department shall not approve any design for that plate that incorporates either or both of the following: (1) Full or partial graphic designs appearing behind the license plate number configuration. (2) Symbols within the license plate number configuration. (b) Any special interest license plate issued for display on a motorcycle is subject to the same fees that are collected for the issuance and retention of special interest license plates on other vehicles. SEC. 3.5. Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 5101. Any person who is the registered owner or lessee of a passenger vehicle, commercial motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailer registered or certificated with the department, or who makes application for an original registration or renewal registration of that vehicle, may, upon payment of the fee prescribed in Section 5106, apply to the department for environmental license plates, in the manner prescribed in Section 5105, which plates shall be affixed to the passenger vehicle, commercial motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailer for which registration is sought in lieu of the regular license plates. SEC. 3. Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 5101. Any person who is the registered owner or lessee of a passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer registered with the department, or who makes application for an original registration or renewal registration of any vehicle, may, upon payment of the fee prescribed in Section 5106, apply to the department for environmental license plates, in the manner prescribed in Section 5105, which plates shall be affixed to the passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer for which registration is sought in lieu of the regular license plates. SEC. 4. Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 5103. "Environmental license plates," as used in this article, means license plates that have displayed upon them the registration number assigned to the passenger vehicle, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer for which a registration number was issued in a combination of letters or numbers, or both, requested by the owner or lessee of the vehicle. SEC. 4.5. Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 5103. "Environmental license plates," as used in this article, means license plates or permanent trailer identification plates that have displayed upon them the registration number assigned to the passenger vehicle, commercial motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailer for which a registration number was issued in a combination of letters or numbers, or both, requested by the owner or lessee of the vehicle. SEC. 5. Section 3.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code proposed by both this bill and SB 2084. It shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2001, (2) each bill amends Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after SB 2084, in which case Section 5101 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by SB 2084, shall remain operative only until the operative date of this bill, at which time Section 3.5 of this bill shall become operative, and Section 3 of this bill shall not become operative. SEC. 6. Section 4.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code proposed by both this bill and SB 2084. It shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2001, (2) each bill amends Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after SB 2084, in which case Section 5103 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by SB 2084, shall remain operative only until the operative date of this bill, at which time Section 4.5 of this bill shall become operative, and Section 4 of this bill shall not become operative.