Establishing an annual vehicle registration surcharge and appropriating the resulting revenue for certain expenses of the state patrol

This bill imposes an annual registration surcharge in the amount of $2 for each vehicle subject to registration, including both motor vehicles and trailers. The surcharge is payable to the county treasurer or the department of transportation the first time application is made for registration and certificate of title for a vehicle and each time registration is renewed. Revenues collected from the annual registration surcharge accrue to the road use tax fund and are appropriated to the department of public safety to be used for vehicles, equipment, and training expenses of the division of state patrol related to the supervision of the highways of this state. The bill amends the definition of “registration fees” for purposes of Code chapter 321 to provide for administration of the annual registration surcharge in conjunction with administration of annual vehicle registration fees, and the bill amends the definition of “registration fee” in Code chapter 326 to provide for administration of the annual registration surcharge in conjunction with administration of apportioned fees for commercial motor vehicles. In addition, the bill makes conforming amendments to various Code sections relating to vehicle registration fees and the distribution of revenue from the road use tax fund. It is a simple misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled fine of $50 for a person to drive, move, or permit to be driven or moved upon the highway a vehicle required to be registered that is not registered or for which the appropriate fees have not been paid, notwithstanding certain exceptions.