NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A1050
SPONSOR: Santabarbara
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to preventing
fees from being charged for the issuance of certain license plates
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To allow drivers whose license plates are in good condition to keep
using them.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends subdivision 3 of section 401 of vehicle and traffic law
by adding a new section e. The new section (e) has three parts, i, ii,
and iii which regulate that no fee shall be collected when a vehicle has
plates that are still legible and are used by the same registered owner.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation would ban the state from forcing drivers to replace
license plates if they are still in good condition no matter the age.The
new license plate replacement program set to take affect on on April
1st, 2020 states that if previously issue license plates 10 years old
drivers will be charged an additional $25 for new plates, regardless of
their condition and an additional $20 to keep the current plate number.
This is unjust and unfair, drivers in New York State should only have to
pay for license plates once, not multiple times if their plates are in
good condition.When registering a motor vehicle in New York State, this
legislation will allow drivers the option of keep the license plates
previously issued for a vehicle unless the plates are damaged or lost.
This legislation further clarifies that should the state decide to
update or replace license plates that have previously issued and are
deemed to be in good condition, drivers will not be charged any addi-
tional fees for such replacements or to keep their current plate number.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-20: A8553 - referred to transportation / S6667 - referred to trans-
portation; 2021-22: referred to transportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1050
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 13, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to preventing
fees from being charged for the issuance of certain license plates
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 401 of the vehicle and traffic law
2 is amended by adding a new paragraph e to read as follows:
3 e. No fee shall be paid whenever a set of reflectorized number plates
4 is issued for any vehicle for which a registration fee is normally
5 charged where: (i) the vehicle was previously issued a set of reflector-
6 ized number plates; (ii) the plates previously issued are still legible;
7 and (iii) the plates being issued are to the same registered owner and
8 vehicle as the previously issued plates. This paragraph shall not apply
9 to where a vehicle owner requests new number plates.
10 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02454-01-3