Bill Text: NJ A1059 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Raises vehicle registration fees for heavy vehicles and dedicates portion to Transportation Trust Fund Account.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-12 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee [A1059 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A1059-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2010 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman REED GUSCIORA
District 15 (Mercer)
Assemblyman JOHN S. WISNIEWSKI
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Evans
SYNOPSIS
Raises vehicle registration fees for heavy vehicles and dedicates portion to Transportation Trust Fund Account.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act raising certain vehicle registration fees and amending R.S.39:3-8.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.39:3-8 is amended to read as follows:
39:3-8. The applicant for registration for any passenger automobile manufactured in any model year prior to the 1971 model year shall pay to the [director] chief administrator for each registration a fee of $14 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight of less than 2,700 pounds, a fee of $23 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight of 2,700 pounds or more, but not greater than 3,800 pounds, and a fee of $44 for each vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight in excess of 3,800 pounds; provided, however, an applicant who has been issued a handicapped person identification card pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1949, c.280 (C.39:4-205) and is registering a private passenger van manufactured in any model year prior to the 1971 model year which has been equipped with a wheelchair lift for the handicapped, or any other specially designed mechanical device for the handicapped as designated by the [director] chief administrator that specifically requires installation only in a private passenger van because of the device's dimensions, operating characteristics or manufacturer's installation requirements, shall pay a fee of $14 for that vehicle. The applicant for registration for any passenger automobile manufactured in model year 1971 and thereafter, except as determined hereinafter, shall pay to the [director] chief administrator for each registration a fee of $17 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight of less than 2,700 pounds, a fee of $28 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight of 2,700 pounds or more, but not greater than 3,800 pounds, and a fee of $51 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight in excess of 3,800 pounds; provided, however, an applicant who has been issued a handicapped person identification card pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1949, c.280 (C.39:4-205) and is registering a private passenger van manufactured in model year 1971 or thereafter, except as determined hereinafter, which has been equipped with a wheelchair lift for the handicapped, or any other specially designed mechanical device for the handicapped as designated by the [director] chief administrator that specifically requires installation only in a private passenger van because of the device's dimensions, operating characteristics or manufacturer's installation requirements, shall pay a fee of $17 for that vehicle. [The] Except as otherwise provided in this section, the applicant for registration for any 1980 or thereafter model year passenger automobile registered on or after March 1, 1979 shall pay to the [director] chief administrator for each registration a fee of $25 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight not greater than 3,500 pounds and a fee of $50 for each vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight in excess of 3,500 pounds; provided, however, an applicant who has been issued a handicapped person identification card pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1949, c.280 (C.39:4-205) and is registering any 1980 or thereafter model year private passenger van which has been equipped with a wheelchair lift for the handicapped, or any other specially designed mechanical device for the handicapped as designated by the [director] chief administrator that specifically requires installation only in a private passenger van because of the device's dimensions, operating characteristics or manufacturer's installation requirements, shall pay a fee of $25 for that vehicle. The applicant for registration for any 2006 or thereafter model year passenger automobile registered on or after March 1, 2005 shall pay to the chief administrator for each registration a fee of $25 for each such vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight not greater than 3,500 pounds, a fee of $50 for each vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight in excess of 3,500 pounds but not greater than 5,000 pounds, and a fee of $100, $50 of which shall be credited to the "Transportation Trust Fund Account" created by section 20 of P.L.1984, c.73 (C.27:1B-20), for each vehicle having a manufacturer's shipping weight in excess of 5,000 pounds; provided, however, an applicant who has been issued a handicapped person identification card pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1949, c.280 (C.39:4-205) and is registering any 2006 or thereafter model year private passenger van which has been equipped with a wheelchair lift for the handicapped, or any other specially designed mechanical device for the handicapped as designated by the chief administrator that specifically requires installation only in a private passenger van because of the device's dimensions, operating characteristics or manufacturer's installation requirements, shall pay a fee of $25 for that vehicle. The [director] chief administrator shall determine manufacturer's shipping weight and model year for each passenger automobile on the basis of the information contained in the certificate of origin, the application for registration or for renewal of registration, or the records of the [division] commission, or any or all of these; and any case in which the manufacturer's shipping weight of any particular passenger automobile is unavailable, or in doubt or dispute, the [director] chief administrator may require that such automobile be weighed on a scale designated by him, and such actual weight shall be considered the manufacturer's shipping weight for the purposes of this section; but in all cases the [director's] chief administrator's determination of the manufacturer's shipping weight of any such automobile shall be final. The applicant for registration for passenger automobile shall also pay to the [director] chief administrator the inspection fee fixed in R.S.39:8-2 in addition to the fees described hereinabove.
The [director] chief administrator may also license private utility and house type semitrailers and trailers with a gross load not in excess of 2,000 pounds at a fee of $4.00 per annum and all other such utility and house-type semitrailers and trailers at $9.00 per annum. Application for such registration shall be made on a blank to be furnished by the [division] commission and the application shall contain a statement to the effect that the vehicle so registered will not be used for the commercial transportation of goods, wares and merchandise, or for hire.
Except as provided in R.S.39:3-84 for recreation vehicles, no private utility or house type semitrailer or trailer with an outside width of more than 96 inches, a maximum height of 13 feet 6 inches, a maximum length for a single vehicle of more than 35 feet, a maximum length for a semitrailer and its towing vehicle of more than 45 feet, and a maximum length for a trailer and its towing vehicle of more than 50 feet, shall be operated on any highway in this State, except that a vehicle exceeding the above limitations may be operated when a special permit so to operate is secured in advance from the [director] chief administrator. A house type semitrailer or trailer with an outside width of no more than 16 feet shall be entitled to operate with such a special permit if the vehicle is a manufactured home on a transportation system that is designed in accordance with the "Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards," 24 CFR part 3280.901 et seq., promulgated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, as amended and supplemented, provided that the operator complies with the provisions of this Title and the rules and regulations issued thereunder. If such a vehicle has an outside width of more than 16 feet, it shall be entitled to operate with such a special permit if it is transported on a commercial type low-bed trailer, semitrailer or properly registered dolly wheels pursuant to rules and regulations established by the [director] chief administrator. The application for such permit shall be accompanied by a fee fixed by the [director] chief administrator. A special permit issued by the [director] chief administrator shall be in the possession of the operator of the vehicle for which such permit was issued. In computing any dimensions of a vehicle, for the purposes of this section, there shall not be included in the dimensional limitations safety equipment such as mirrors or lights, provided such appliances do not exceed the overall limitations established by the [director] chief administrator by rule or regulation.
(cf: P.L.1999, c.392, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill raises the vehicle registration fee for heavy passenger vehicles. The fee to register vehicles with a manufacturer's shipping weight of less than 5,000 pounds will remain unchanged, at either $25 or $50. However, vehicles over 5,000 pounds, with a model year 2006 or later, would cost $100 to register, of which $50 would be dedicated to the Transportation Trust Fund Account. This would effectively raise the cost of registering heavy sports utility vehicles.
