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Clarification on license plate issue
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Posted on Jul 20 2004
This is just to tell Mr. Scott A. West that he wasn’t wrong when he was issued two license plates in Sept. 2003 because the statute was overlooked. 9CMC Subsection 2106, entitled “Registration: Display of Plates” states only that “every owner whose vehicle or bicycle is registered shall display a number plate issued by the bureau showing the registration number and year.”
Public Law 14-18, which became effective on July 12, 2004, amended the above statute and subsection, to state that “every owner whose vehicle or bicycle is registered shall display the plates issued by the bureau showing the registration number and year. Each of these plates shall be attached properly to the front and rear of the vehicle or bicycle, at the factory designated position. The plates shall be kept clean and the numbers must be clearly visible from a distance of 50 feet. No vehicle or bicycle owner may display an unofficial plate at the front or rear of his vehicle or bicycle.”
I hope this will clear your confusion, but I don’t blame you for raising your concerns.
As for telling the person in-charge of the Bureau of Motor Vehicle to be ashamed for not doing his/her job to advise the Commissioner of the shortages of license plates and registration forms, that is not fair because I know Mrs. Guerrero to be a responsible person and dedicated public servant. I encourage her to continue trying her best to improve her division despite the budgetary constraints that they are facing in that division. The purchase requisitions have to go from one office to another for signatures before they get the final purchase order. Commissioner Camacho may not recall being advised of it but the purchase requisition will bring this issue to the surface because he needs to sign the bureau’s request. Perhaps, the letter of Mr. West can be taken in a constructive manner by DPS to ensure that everyone will remind themselves of their departmental needs to ensure that public services are not jeopardized.
Jose M. Castro
Spanaway, Washington
