SENATE BILL 482

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2011

INTRODUCED BY

Kent L. Cravens

AN ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; PROVIDING FOR TRIBES, COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO ISSUE IDENTIFICATION PLATES FOR THEIR VEHICLES IN COORDINATION WITH THE MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION OF THE TAXATION AND REVENUE DEPARTMENT.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 66-6-15 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 350, as amended) is amended to read:

     "66-6-15. VEHICLES OF THE STATE OR OF A TRIBE, COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY.--

          A. Vehicles or trailers owned by and used in the service of [an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo located wholly or partly in this state] a tribe or of any county or municipality [of this state] need not be registered but must continually display plates furnished by the division or by the tribe, county or municipality pursuant to Subsection D of this section.

          B. Vehicles on loan from dealers and used in an approved driver-training program by the public schools need not be registered but must continually display plates furnished by the division.

          C. [Each Indian nation, tribe or pueblo, each county and each municipality] Unless furnishing its own plates pursuant to Subsection D of this section, a tribe, county or municipality shall apply to the division for a plate for each vehicle or trailer in its service and shall provide identifying information concerning each vehicle or trailer for which a plate is applied. The division shall keep a record of plates issued and plates returned.

          D. A tribe, county or municipality may furnish for a vehicle that it owns, at its own expense, a plate that it has designed in coordination with and that is approved by the division. If a tribe, county or municipality desires to furnish its own plate for a vehicle, it shall provide to the division identifying information for the vehicle as determined by the division and the division shall keep a record of that information. The plate design shall:

                (1) display an identification number assigned by the division to the tribe, county or municipality for a particular vehicle;

                (2) have a background of reflective material so that the identification number assigned to the vehicle is plainly legible from a distance of one hundred feet at night; and

                (3) display the name of this state, the name of the tribe, county or municipality and an indicator that the vehicle is owned by a governmental entity.

          [D. The division shall issue plates for vehicles and trailers in the service of an Indian nation, tribe or pueblo located wholly or partly in this state or of any county or municipality of this state and keep a record of plates issued and plates returned. The plates]

          E. A plate issued by the division or furnished by a tribe, county or municipality shall be permanent and need not be renewed from year to year. The plates shall be numbered to identify the [Indian nation] tribe, [or pueblo, the] county or [the] municipality to which the plates are issued and shall be consistent with the division's government plate numbering system. The plates shall be the same size as registration plates issued to private vehicles but shall be different in color from the registration plates issued to private vehicles.

          [E.] F. A vehicle or trailer owned by and used in the service of the state need not be registered with the division but must continually display a plate furnished by the transportation services division of the general services department. A state agency shall apply to the transportation services division of the general services department for a plate for each vehicle or trailer in its service, including identifying information for each vehicle or trailer. The transportation services division of the general services department shall issue plates for state agency vehicles and trailers and shall keep a record of plates issued and plates returned. These plates shall be:

                (1) permanent and shall not be renewed from year to year;

                (2) numbered to identify the state agency to which they are issued; and

                (3) the same size as but a different color from registration plates issued to private vehicles or trailers or from plates issued pursuant to Subsection [D] E of this section.

          [F.] G. As used in Subsection [E] F of this section, "state agency" means a state department, agency, board or commission including the legislative and judicial branches of government, but not including public schools and institutions of higher education."

- 4 -