VIEW FROM HERE
By Bob McDowell (Born Neil Carson) Number 19-27
NEW LAW EFFECTIVE JULY1 Week of 2019/07/08
It seems that the Oklahoma Legislature, during the 2018 session, enacted a new
law regarding the license plates required on all motor vehicles, and possibly some trailers.
The story announced that the effective date is July 1. That seems strange to me since
most laws take effect on November 1 of the year passed. There has not, until June 17
in the daily paper, been much, if any, publicity about this so it seems desirable that more
information be forthcoming.
For those unfamiliar with the licensing law in Oklahoma, the plates were issued to
the vehicle and would go with it when sold. If the vehicle were scrapped then the plate
expired and was to be taken out of service. Now, as in many other states, the plate is
issued to the owner and can be transferred to a different unit. As in many law changes,
there are some requirements that could put those uninformed in difficulty with the law.
At the end of the World story, on the carry forward to Page A4, a sub-headline states:
"Registration must be kept in car. The implication would be 'or truck, trailer,
motorcycle, or other licensed unit'. In the past warning had been given to me to NOT
keep the registration in the car, for reasoning not at all clear to me. That being the case
it will be my practice to photocopy the registration and keep the copy in a file at home,
in case the unit, or registration, should be stolen. It has been my practice to keep a
duplicate of the registration in the car 'just in case'. Having it there is good proof that
the car is really mine along with driver license, in case of being stopped for any reason.
Not too long ago there was a radio show caller stating that he was stopped, late at night,
in a new Mercedes simply because the officer thought it might be stolen because the
driver was black. He stated that he was a university professor and had just purchased
the car, and since he had proof of identity, was not detained. One never knows what
might happen.
The story says that "officials say the switch will force owners to register ownership
changes more timely and simplify the tracking of vehicles". Actually, my opinion is that it
will make things somewhat simpler for the owners, since upon trading for a different unit,
the plate is to be removed and placed on the new one as soon as the title is transferred
and the registration change is accomplished. It further states that "former owners often
find themselves dunned for cars they sold months or even years previously because the
new owners never updated the registration". That would indicate that the new owners
wished to avoid the cost and the possible future liability for their own actions. And
perhaps the new owners in some cases were in the USA illegally or a felon on the run.
It is reported also that the new law allows for, as now, a new car purchase from a
dealer will have the paper tag good for 30 days and the registration and title change must
be done in that time. The paper tag can be replaced with the old one when accomplished,
or if desired a new tag can be purchased. There is a cost savings there in using the old tag.
If bought not from a dealer the car can be driven without a tag for five days with a copy of
the bill of sale or title carried in the vehicle.
Personally it seems about time for this change. It was my experience, living in
Colorado for 34 years, to have a license plate stolen off a car. There each car has two
plates, front and back and only the back one was taken, probably since it had the year
sticker on it. The theft was reported to Denver Police within three days. A week or so
later a call was received from the car pound that 'my car was there'. Well the license was
on another car which had been towed for illegal parking. By checking the VIN number
the pound official said I could pick up the license. A few weeks later a nasty letter was
received from DPD about my not paying the charges due on the car. It was explained to
them, in no uncertain terms, that the plate was reported stolen and returned to me by the
pound and they would do well to better communicate within the offices. Nothing more
was heard.
END
Composed June 22, 2019
Robert W. McDowell, Jr. 841
Lynwood Lane
918-451-1051 Broken Arrow OK 74011-8608
Email: abdmcfpi@localnet.com
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