Chap. 303.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 35-a of Chapter 342, Acts of
Assembly of 1932, as amended, approved March 26, 1932, and known, designated
and cited as the “Motor Vehicle Code of Virginia’, relating to the registration
of property carrying motor vehicles, and by adding thereto a new subsection
(i) relating to the licensing of certain persons engaged in the business of
delivering unladen motor vehicles from points of assembly and/or OAT aot

Approved March 26, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section thirty-five-a of chapter three hundred forty-two,
Acts of Assembly of nineteen hundred thirty-two, as amended, approved
March twenty-sixth, nineteen hundred thirty-two, and known, designated
and cited as the “Motor Vehicle Code of Virginia”, 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
registration and license plates, to be paid by owners of all motor vehicles,
trailers and semi-trailers not designed and used for the transportation of
passengers, shall be determined by the gross weight of the vehicle, or
combination of vehicles of which it is a part, when loaded to the maxi-
mum capacity for which it is registered and licensed, according to the
schedule of fees herein set forth. For each hundred pounds of gross
weight, or major fraction thereof, for which any such vehicle is registered
and licensed, there shall be paid to the Commissioner the fee indicated
in the following schedule immediately opposite the weight group into
which such vehicle, or any combination of vehicles of which it is a part,
falls when 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 less 12 cents
10,001-11,000 13 cents
11,001-12,000 14 cents
12,001-13,000 15 cents
13,001-14,000 16 cents
14,001-15,000 17 cents
15,001-16,000 18 cents
16,001-17,000 20 cents
17,001-18,000 22 cents
18,001-19,000 24 cents
19,001-20,000 26 cents
20,001-21,000 28 cents
21,001-22,000 30 cents
22,001-23,000 32 cents
23,001-24,000 34 cents
24,001-25,000 36 cents
25,001-26,000 38 cents
26,001-27 ,000 40 cents
27 ,001-28,000 42 cents
28,001-29,000 44 cents
29,001-40,000 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
combination 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 1s registered and licensed, shall be multi-
plied by the rate prescribed in the foregoing schedule for the gross
weight group into which such trailer or senn-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 he
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
circumstances :

(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 1s
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 ve-
hicle, or of the combination of vehicles of which it is a part, is in excess 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
seni-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
perniut such weighing whenever requested by such officer.

Any person who violates any provision of this subsection is guilty of
1 misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine
4 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
ry both such fine and imprisonment.

(e) The fee for the certificate of registration and license plates to
e paid to the Commissioner by the owner of a one or two wheel trailer
‘ith a body length of not more than nine feet and a width not greater
ian the width of the motor vehicle to w hich it 1s attached at any time
f operation, to be attached to the owner's own motor vehicle and used
nly for carrying property belonging to the owner of such trailer, not
» exceed one thousand pounds at any one time, shall be three dollars and
ity cents ($3.50). It shall be unlawful to operate any trailer so reg-
tered and licensed, however, contrary to any restriction prescribed in the
eceding sentence.

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

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

(h) As used in this section the term “gross weight’? means the
aggregate weight of a vehicle, or combination of vehicles, and its load.

(1) The Commissioner may issue appropriately designated license
plates to persons engaged in the business of delivering unladen motor
vehicles under their own power from points of assembly and/or distri-

ution.

Every applicant for license plates to be issued under this subsection
shall, on or before the first day of April in each year, or before he be-
gins delivery of said vehicles, make application to the Commissioner for
certificate of registration and license upon such forms as may be pre-
scribed by the Commissioner. On the payment of a fee of seventy dol-
lars a certificate of registration and license shall be issued to the applicant
in such form as may be prescribed by the Commissioner. The Commis-
sioner shall issue to such applicant two sets of license plates. For each
additional set of license plates a fee of fifteen dollars per set shall be paid
by such applicant.

It shall be unlawful for any person to use such license plates other
than on unladen motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers which are
delivered from points of assembly and/or distribution in the usual and
ordinary course of such delivery business; and the operators of such
vehicles being delivered, bearing license plates issued under this sub-
section, shall at all times during such operation have in their actual
possession proper bill of lading showing the point of origin and destina-
tion of the vehicle being delivered, and describing same.