Chap. 24.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 35-a of the Motor Vehicle Cock
of Virginia as amended and re-enacted by Chapter 377, Acts 1942. approvec
April 2, 1942, relating to registration of certain types ot motor vehicles, anc
the fees therefor. [S 2]

Approved February 15, 1944

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section thirty-five-a of the Motor Vehicle Code, as amended
be amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 35-a. Registration of other vehicles; fees therefor —(a)
Except as hereinafter otherwise provided, the fees for certificates of regis
tration and license plates, to be paid by owners of all motor vehicles, trail.
ersand semi-trailers not designed and used for the transportation of pas.
sengers, shall be determined by the gross weight of the vehicle, or com.
bination of vehicles of which it is a part, when loaded to the maximun
capacity for which it is registered and licensed, according to the schedule
of fees herein set forth. For each hundred pounds of gross weight, o1
major fraction thereof, for which any such vehicle is registered anc
licensed, there shall be paid to the Commissioner the fee indicated in the
following schedule immediately opposite the weight group into which sucl
vehicle, or any combination of vehicles of which it is a part, falls wher
loaded to the maximum capacity for which it is registered and licensed
provided, that in no case shall the fee be less than twelve dollars ($12.00)
Gross Weight Groups Fee Per Hundred Pounds

(Pounds) of Gross Weight
10,000 and 1eSS..00.. cece eeceeceeceeceeecenceeee 12 cents
10,001-11,000 woe eee deceeececeeeecetece 13 cents
11,001-12,000 wooo eee eeeceeeceeceeeeteeeeeeee 14 cents
12,001-13,000 wooo ceececteseeeesescoeee 15 cents
13,001-14,000 ooo eeeeeeee 16 cents
14,001-15,000 ounce cee cece ececeeecccteeeeene 17 cents
15,001-16,000 ooo eeeeeececeeeceecceeees 18 cents
16,001-17,000 ooo eee eects 20 cents
17,001-18,000 ooo. e ee eeeeeeee 22 cents
18,001-19,000 ooo. cece eeeeeeeceecccecteteteeeeeeeeees 24 cents
19,001-20,000 0.2... cece cece ee ceceeeeeeees 26 cents
20,001-21,000 ooo ceeceee cee cneeeeenene 28 cents
21,001-22,000 ooo eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 30 cents
22,001-23, 00 one 32 cents
23,001-24, 000 veveeseeseceseesseeeessesessesscseeceseveceseees 34 cents
24.001 -25,000 vevsecesseacceseececeeseeeceeceesseseesssecceaes 36 cents
25,001-26,000 ooo... coe cee ee eeeecceeeeceeceee eee eee eeeeeee 38 cents
26,001-27 OOO oon eceeeeeccceeeeeeeeeeseteeeceeeee 40 cents
27 001-28, 000 ooo... oee eee eeeeeeeeeceeceecceeeeeeeeeeseeee 42 cents
28, ‘001 VASO 0 44 cents
29, 001 and Ot 45 cents

(b) In the case of a combination of a tractor-truck and a trailer or
semi-trailer, each vehicle constituting a part of such combination shall be
registered as a separate vehicle, and separate license plates shall be issued
therefor, but, for the purpose of determining the gross weight group into
which any such vehicle falls pursuant to the foregoing subsection, the
combination of vehicles of which such vehicle constitutes a part shall be
considered a unit and the aggregate gross weight of the entire combina-
tion shall determine such gross weight group. For the purpose of deter-
mining the fee for the registration certificate and license plates to be paid
on account of any tractor-truck which constitutes a part of any such com-
bination of vehicles, however, the empty weight of the tractor-truck shall
be multiplied by the rate prescribed in the foregoing schedule for the
gross weight group into which such tractor-truck falls, as provided in
the preceding sentence. For the purpose of determining the fee for the
registration certificate and license plates to be paid on account of any
trailer or semi-trailer which constitutes a part of any such combination of
vehicles, the empty weight of such trailer or semi-trailer, plus the differ-
ence between the empty weight of the entire combination and the gross
weight on the basis of which it is registered and licensed, shall be mul-
tiplied by the rate prescribed in the foregoing schedule for the gross
weight group into which such trailer or semi-trailer falls, as hereinabove
provided.

(c) The owner of every vehicle registered pursuant to this section,
except those falling within the gross weight group of ten thousand pounds
and less as shown in paragraph (a) hereof, shall cause to be painted on
each side of such vehicle, in letters and figures of such color and in such
position as shall be prescribed by the Commissioner, not less than three
inches in height, the empty weight of the vehicle and the gross weight on
the basis of which it is registered and licensed.

(d) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate, or to permit the
operation of, any motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer for which the fee
for registration and license plates is prescribed by subsection (a) of this
section, on any highway of this State, under any of the following cir-
cumstances :

(1) Without first having paid the registration and license plate fee
hereinabove prescribed, or

(2) Without having painted on each side thereof if such marking is
required by this section, the empty weight of such vehicle and the gross
weight on the basis of which it is registered and licensed, or

(3) If, at the time of any such operation, the gross weight of the
vehicle, or of the combination of vehicles of which it is a part, is in ex-
cess of the gross weight on the basis of which it is registered and licensed.

Any officer authorized to enforce the motor vehicle laws, having
reason to believe that the gross weight of any motor vehicle, trailer, or
semi-trailer being operated on any highway of this State exceeds that on
the basis of which such vehicle is registered and licensed, is authorized
to weigh the same by such means as the Commissioner may prescribe,
and the operator, or other person in possession of such vehicle, shall per-
mit such weighing whenever requested by such officer.

Any person who violates any provision of this sub-section is guilty of
a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine
of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than five hundred dollars
($500.00), or by confinement in jail for not more than six months, or by
both such fine and imprisonment.

(e) The fee for the certificate of registration and license plates to
be paid to the Commissioner by the owner of a one or two wheel trailer
with a body length of not more than nine feet and a width not greater
than the width of the motor vehicle to which it is attached at any time
of operation, to be attached to the owner’s own motor vehicle and used
only for carrying property belonging to the owner of such trailer, not to
exceed one thousand pounds at any one time, shall be three dollars and
hity cents ($3.50). It shall be unlawful to operate any trailer so reg-
istered and licensed, however, contrary to any restriction prescribed in
the preceding sentence.

({) The fee for the certificate of registration and license plates to be
paid by the owner of any motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer, upon which
well-drilling machinery is attached and which is permanently used solely
for transporting such machinery shall be ten dollars.

(g) The Commissioner shall issue appropriately designated tags for
property carrying vehicles to applicants holding themselves out for pri-
vate employment as property carriers for rent or for hire, and to appli-
cants who operate as contract-carriers or common carriers or restricted
common carriers by motor vehicle of property under certificates or per-
muts issued by the State Corporation Commission or by the Interstate
Commerce Commission.

(h) As used in this section the term “gross weight” means the ag-
gregate weight of a vehicle, or combination of vehicles, and its load.