HOUSE BILL NO. 520 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 9, 2006 A BILL to amend and reenact § 46.2-646 of the Code of Virginia, relating to operating unregistered vehicles or vehicles whose registration has expired. ---------- Patron-- Armstrong ---------- Referred to Committee on Transportation ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 46.2-646 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 46.2-646. Expiration and renewal of registration.

A. Every registration under this title, unless otherwise provided, shall expire on the last day of the twelfth month next succeeding the date of registration. Every registration, unless otherwise provided, shall be renewed annually on application by the owner and by payment of the fees required by law, the renewal to take effect on the first day of the month succeeding the date of expiration. No person shall operate any vehicle on the public highways if that vehicle is unregistered or if its registration has expired.

B. All motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers registered in the Commonwealth shall, at the discretion of the Commissioner, be placed in a system of registration on a monthly basis to distribute the work of registering motor vehicles as uniformly as practicable throughout the twelve months of the year. All such motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers, unless otherwise provided, shall be registered for a period of twelve months. The registration shall be extended, at the discretion of the Commissioner, on receipt of appropriate prorated fees, as required by law, for a period of not less than one month nor more than eleven months as is necessary to distribute the registrations as equally as practicable on a monthly basis. The Commissioner shall, on request, assign to any owner or owners of two or more motor vehicles, trailers, or semitrailers the same registration period. The expiration date shall be the last day of the twelfth month or the last day of the designated month. Except for motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers registered for more than one year under subsection C of this section, every registration shall be renewed annually on application by the owner and by payment of fees required by law, the renewal to take effect on the first day of the succeeding month.

C. The Commissioner may offer, at his discretion, an optional multi-year registration for all motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers except for (i) those registered under the International Registration Plan and (ii) those registered as uninsured motor vehicles. When this option is offered and chosen by the registrant, all annual and twelve-month fees due at the time of registration shall be multiplied by the number of years or fraction thereof that the vehicle will be registered.