Historic Vehicle Registration: Legislation (A.B. 2658) has been reintroduced in the New York Assembly to provide that historical vehicle owners only pay a one-time registration fee of $100 upon initial registration. The bill has been referred to the New York Assembly Transportation Committee for consideration. The $100 one-time fee would replace the current annual fee of $23. For more information, click here.
Street Rods and Custom Vehicles: SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle titling and registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles has been reintroduced in the New York Assembly. The bill (A.B. 2429) defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. Under the bill, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. For more information, click here.
Taxing “Gas Guzzlers”: In a misguided attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, legislation (A.B. 3474) has been reintroduced in New York to establish a progressive purchase or lease surcharge for some new motor vehicles based on state calculations of carbon emissions. Depending on the vehicle purchased, this surcharge could require owners to pay up to $2,500 more for the vehicle. Separate legislation (A.B. 2800) proposes to create a task force that would recommend higher toll and registration fees for heavier vehicles, based on vehicle weight, emissions and fuel-efficiency ratings. If this effort is successful, the effects on a consumers’ ability to purchase the vehicle of choice, not to mention vehicle safety, will be dramatic. For more information, click here.
For details on any of these bills, please contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.