Chap. 298.—An ACT to amend and reenact Section 35, as amended, of “The
Motor Vehicle Code of Virginia,” relating to registration of passenger rae
vehicles; fees therefor. {S 71]

Approved March 17, 1948

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That section thirty-five, as amended, of “The Motor Vehicle
Code of Virginia” be amended and reenacted so as to read as
follows:

Section 35. Registration of passenger carrying vehicles; fees
therefor—(a) All motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers
designed and used for the transportation of passengers shall be
licensed according to weight, and the manufacturer’s shipping
weight shall be used in determining the license fees herein pre-
scribed. Except as provided in section thirty-five-aa after March
fifteenth, nineteen hundred forty-seven, and except as hereinafter
provided, the fee for the certificate of registration and license
plates, to be paid to the Commissioner by the owner of the motor
vehicle, shall be seventy cents per hundred pounds of weight or
major fraction thereof; provided that no fee for an automobile
shall be less than six dollars ($6.00) per year, and no fee for a
motorcycle shall be less than three dollars ($3.00) per year and two
dollars ($2.00) additional for each side car; provided further, that
the fees for the certificate of registration and license plates to be
paid by the owner of any private motor vehicle, other than a motor-
cycle, designed and used for the transportation of passengers not
for compensation shall be thirty cents per hundred pounds of
weight, or major fraction thereof.
(b) For the operation of each motor vehicle, trailer or semi-
trailer kept or used for rent or hire for transportation of passengers,
or operated, or which should operate, under a permit issued by the
State Corporation Commission as provided by law, or operated,
or which should operate, under a permit issued by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission as provided by law, there shall
be paid to the Commissioner in addition to the fees provided in
subsection (a) of this section, the sum of five dollars ($5.00) for
each passenger seat, exclusive of the driver’s seat; provided, how-
ever, that on passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of more
than six adult passengers used only to transport persons to and
from their place of employment a fee of thirty dollars ($30.00)
shall be charged. The provisions of this section shall not apply to
any carrier operating under a certificate of public convenience and
necessity issued by the State Corporation Commission, which car-
rier has procured from the Commissioner for the number of busses
operated in special or chartered party service appropriately desig-
nated tags for each set of which the Commissioner shall charge and
such carrier shall pay the sum of five dollars.

(d) Every person engaged in hiring or renting motor vehicles
for the transportation of passengers or property and every con-
tract carrier by motor vehicle of property who operates, or who
should operate, under a permit issued by the State Corporation
Commission or by the Interstate Commerce Commission, as pro-
vided by law, shall furnish to the Commissioner, whenever required
so to do, a list of motor vehicles used or employed in such business,
with a description thereof, when and as may be required by the
Commissioner.

(e) The fees required by subsection (b) of this section to be
paid for certificates of registration and license plates for the opera-
tion of motor vehicles used for rent or hire shall not be required
for operation of any motor vehicle with a normal seating capacity
of not more than six adult persons while used not for profit in
transporting persons who, as a common undertaking, bear or
agreed to bear all or a part of the actual cost of such operation ; and
for the purpose of subsection (a) of this section every such motor
vehicle shall be treated as a private motor vehicle for which the
fee for the annual certificate of registration and license plates shall
be thirty cents per hundred pounds of weight, or major fraction
thereof. Provided that the fee for the annual certificate of registra-
tion and license plate on each contract school bus shall be thirty
cents per hundred pounds of weight, or major fraction thereof.

(f) The Commissioner may issue appropriately designated tags
for passenger carrying vehicles to applicants who keep or use
such vehicles for rent or hire for the transportation of passengers for
private trips. The Commissioner may issue appropriately desig-
nated tags for taxicabs or other motor vehicles used in performing
a taxicab service, and the Commissioner shall issue appropriately
designated tags to applicants who operate as common carriers or
restricted common carriers by motor vehicle of passengers under
permits or certificates issued by the State Corporation Commission
or by the Interstate Commerce Commission, as provided by law.
(g) Any persons who operates, or who permits the operation
of, any motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer over any highway
of this State for the transportation of passengers operating, or
which should operate, under a permit or certificate issued by the
State Corporation Commission or by the Interstate Commerce
Commission as provided by law, without first having paid to the
Commissioner the fee prescribed by this section, shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished
by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five
hundred dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment in jail for a period
not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.