§ 32-6-61 — Licensing, Registration, Etc., Staggered - Registration Month; Expiration and Renewal; Proration; Reregistration of Vehicles

The staggered system for the licensing, registration, and taxation of motor vehicles shall be implemented thusly: The first letter of an individual’s last name shall determine the month in which a vehicle owner shall register his or her vehicle(s), as indicated below:
January ....
A, D
February ....
B
March ....
C, E
April ....
F, G, N
May ....
H, O
June ....
M, I
July ....
P, L
August ....
J, K, R
September ....
Q, S, T
October ....
U, V, W, X, Y, Z, trucks, commercial and fleet vehicles
November ....
Trucks, commercial and fleet vehicles
After the conversion period all owners of private passenger vehicles and pickup trucks of 12,000 pounds and under shall continue to register their vehicles during the month assigned to the first initial of their last name. All license plates issued on a staggered registration basis shall expire on the last day of the month assigned for the purchase or renewal of license registration.
All license plates issued to commercial and fleet vehicles for which licensing, registration, and taxation are due in October and November shall expire on November 30.
During the implementation period and thereafter all licensing, registration, and ad valorem taxation of motor vehicles shall be prorated on a monthly basis, except that the special or additional license plate fees provided in Division 6, commencing with Section 32-6-150, of this chapter shall not be prorated.
In implementing this change of expiration dates, registration fees and ad valorem taxes shall be collected for periods not exceeding 12 months. Anyone acquiring a motor vehicle during his or her designated renewal month shall be subject to the payment of registration fees and ad valorem taxes for the current renewal period, and the renewal period beginning on the first day of the succeeding month.
All persons who acquire a motor vehicle which is located in this state and required to be registered in this state, within 20 calendar days from date of purchase, shall reregister the vehicle with the judge of probate or other county official authorized and required by law to issue license plates, of the county in which the owner resides, if the owner is an individual, or of the county in which the motor vehicle is used or operated if the owner is a firm, corporation, or association. The owner shall be issued a new registration receipt and purchase a license plate or validation decal(s) to the appropriate month assigned for renewal.

Legislative History

(Acts 1979, No. 79-797, p. 1455, §2; Acts 1980, No. 80-631, p. 1091; Acts 1988, 1st Sp. Sess., No. 88-808, p. 248, §1; Act 2004-529, p. 1106, §1; Act 2004-554, p. 1192, §1.)