§ 47:508 — Registration; commercial vehicles; exemption

§508. Registration; commercial vehicles; exemption
A.(1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, every vehicle
registration under this Chapter other than those licensed under R.S. 47:463(A), R.S.
47:511(B), and those included, by regulation of the secretary, in the staggered registration
system, shall expire on June thirtieth of each year. The registrations shall be renewed
annually between May first and June thirtieth of each year.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, every registration of
an automobile or truck to be used as a commercial rental or leased vehicle shall expire one
year from the date of issuance and shall be renewed annually thereafter.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, every registration of
a truck in excess of sixteen thousand pounds or trailer licensed pursuant to R.S. 47:462,
except those trailers provided in R.S. 47:462(B)(1)(b), shall expire one year from the date
of issuance and thereafter shall be renewed annually.
(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, every registration of
a truck between ten thousand pounds and sixteen thousand pounds shall expire annually from
the date of issuance.
B. In odd numbered years every registration of a private passenger carrying
automobile, registered or to be registered under R.S. 47:463(A), shall expire on December
thirty-first and shall be renewed on or before February sixth of the year immediately
following that in which the registration expires, except that the expiration date for vehicles
registered under R.S. 47:463(A) which are included in a staggered registration system by
rules and regulations of the secretary shall be those established in such rules and regulations.
C. Failure to make application and payment of registration fees, as provided herein,
on or before the renewal dates provided in this Section, or on or before renewal dates
established by rule of the secretary, shall cause the license due to become delinquent and
subject to penalties and interest charges as provided in Chapter 18 of this Title.
D.(1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, any person acquiring
any vehicle subject to registration and license subsequent to July first of any year in which
renewal of registration is required shall, before operating the same, make the required
application for registration and shall pay the license. Failure to make application and
payment as herein directed shall cause the license on any such vehicle to become delinquent
and subject to the penalties fixed in Chapter 18 of this Subtitle. New vehicles purchased
subsequent to July first of any year in which renewal of registration is required shall be
entitled to a monthly pro rata reduction of license as hereinafter provided. Any person
owning a vehicle other than those licensed by R.S. 47:463(A) during any part of the current
registration period and not having used it on the highways during the period commencing
July first of the year in which renewal of registration is required shall be entitled to a monthly
pro rata reduction of the license after July thirty-first, upon furnishing sworn proof
satisfactory to the secretary that the vehicle had not been used as hereinabove stated or that
any sale, transfer, or assignment thereof was bona fide and not for the purpose of evading the
provisions of the Chapter. In no event, however, shall the amount of the license tax payable
hereunder be less than the minimums as fixed in R.S. 47:475.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, every person
acquiring an automobile or truck to be used as a commercial rental or leased vehicle shall,
before operating the same as a commercial rental or leased vehicle, make the required
application for registration and shall pay the license fee which shall expire one year from the
date of issuance. Failure to make application and payment as herein directed shall cause the
commercial license on such automobile or truck to become delinquent and subject to the
penalties fixed in Chapter 18 of this Subtitle.
E. Any owner who has made proper application and paid the proper license tax for
the renewal of registration of a vehicle but who has not received the number plates or
registration certificate for the current registration period, shall be entitled to operate or permit
the operation of such vehicle upon the public highways by displaying upon said vehicle the
number plate or plates issued for the preceding registration period, upon furnishing sworn
proof satisfactory to the secretary or the division of state police of his timely application and
failure to receive the number plate or plates or registration certificate for the current
registration period. This privilege shall be limited to and extended no further than September
first of the year in which the registration period begins.
F. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, every registration
of a motor truck or tandem truck having a gross weight per load carrying axle up to and
including ten thousand pounds or less and motorcycles for which the registration or license
tax is paid for four years as provided for in R.S. 47:462(B)(6) shall expire four years from
the date the registration or license tax is paid and shall be renewed every fourth year on or
before the last day of the month.
G. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, every registration
of a boat trailer having a gross weight per load carrying axle of one thousand five hundred
pounds or less, a farm use trailer having a gross weight per load carrying axle of six thousand
pounds or less, or a privately owned trailer having a gross weight per load carrying axle of
five hundred pounds or less for which the registration or license tax is paid for two years as
provided for in R.S. 47:462B(7) shall expire two years from the date the registration or
license tax is paid and shall be renewed every second year on or before the last day of the
month immediately following the month in which the previous registration expired.
H. The secretary of the Department of Public Safety is hereby authorized to issue
permanent license plates at the time of first issuance for a commercial vehicle. Said
registration thereafter shall be renewed annually by the affixing of a registration sticker on
the license plate. The secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out
the provisions of this Section. Such vehicles registered under the Interstate Registration Plan
are exempt from the provision of this Section.

Legislative History

Amended by Acts 1952, No. 216, §1; Acts 1962, No. 318, §1; Acts 1966, No. 513, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1967, Acts 1977, No. 727, §1; Acts 1978, No. 250, §1; Acts 1978, No. 257, §1; Acts 1983, No. 81, §1; Acts 1987, No. 823, §1; Acts 1995, No. 256, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1996, Acts 1997, No. 1386, §1; Acts 2011, No. 85, §1; Acts 2014, No. 94, §1; Acts 2024, No. 573, §1.