(a) Any person who in the opinion of the commissioner is qualified may apply for a transporter's registration and number plate. The applicant shall furnish such information as the commissioner requires on forms to be furnished by the commissioner. All transporter registrations issued pursuant to this section shall expire annually on the last day of March. Not later than January 1, 1989, the commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 specifically identifying (1) the types of vehicles which may be registered under a transporter's number plate and (2) limitations on the use of such plate, including the purposes for which such plate may be used.

(b) The applicant shall, instead of registering each motor vehicle owned by such applicant or temporarily in the applicant's custody, have issued to such applicant by the commissioner a general distinguishing number. Thereupon, each motor vehicle owned by the applicant or temporarily in the applicant's custody shall be regarded as registered under and having assigned to it the distinguishing number. The commissioner shall charge a fee at the rate of two hundred fifty dollars per annum for each general distinguishing number.

(c) A registrant shall furnish proof of financial responsibility to the commissioner as provided by section 14-112.

(d) Except as provided in this subsection, no registrant shall rent or allow or cause to be rented, operate or allow or cause to be operated for hire, use or cause to be used for the purpose of conveying passengers, merchandise or freight for hire, or operate as a commercial vehicle with a load, any motor vehicle registered under a transporter number plate. The number plate shall not be loaned to any person and shall not be used by its holder for personal purposes. The registrant who holds a transporter number plate may operate, or cause to be operated by a bona fide employee, motor vehicles for the purpose of transportation or repossession of motor vehicles owned by him or temporarily in his custody. Such number plate may be used for the movement on a contract or other basis of a storage or office trailer, house trailer, modular building or similar, nonpower trailing unit having unitized construction and to which a removable axle assembly is attached. Any dealer in boats may use, or allow or cause to be used, any trailer so registered for the purpose of transporting a boat or boats, together with any necessary equipment, between a demonstration site and his established place of business.

(e) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (d) of this section shall be fined not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars.

(1955, S. 1294d; 1961, P.A. 581, S. 5; 1967, P.A. 97; 1969, P.A. 759, S. 3; P.A. 74-26, S. 2; P.A. 75-213, S. 8, 53; 75-577, S. 19, 126; P.A. 84-254, S. 28, 63; 84-429, S. 14; P.A. 86-383, S. 4, 6; P.A. 87-43, S. 2, 4; 87-329, S. 4; P.A. 88-50, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-263, S. 60, 74; P.A. 02-70, S. 20, 67; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 29.)

History: 1961 act increased fees in Subsec. (b) from $10 and $20, respectively; 1967 act amended Subsec. (c) to allow use of dealers' trailers to transport boats between demonstration site and dealership; 1969 act increased fees for plates on passenger vehicles and house trailers from $13 to $25 and for plates on commercial motor vehicles from $25 to $50 in Subsec. (b); P.A. 74-26 replaced “plates” with “plate”; P.A. 75-213 increased plate fee for passenger vehicles and house trailer to $33 and for commercial vehicles to $65 in Subsec. (b); P.A. 75-577 added Subsec. (d); P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (b) to increase the fees for registration and plates, scheduling the increases to take effect as of July 1 of 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1992, and to insert Subdiv. indicators; P.A. 84-429 relettered Subsecs., rephrased provisions and made other technical changes; P.A. 86-383 amended Subsec. (a) to restrict applicants for a transporter's registration to persons owning a motor vehicle that may not otherwise be registered; P.A. 87-43 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize persons who in the opinion of the commissioner are qualified to apply for a transporter's registration and to require all such registrations to expire on March 31, 1988; P.A. 87-329 amended Subsec. (b), maintaining the fees at the levels existing on and after July 1, 1986, and decreasing the fees effective July 1, 1992, to the levels formerly existing on and after July 1, 1988; P.A. 88-50 amended Subsec. (a) to require the expiration of registrations annually on the last day of March in lieu of March 31, 1988, and the adoption of regulations, and amended Subsec. (e) to require a fine of a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $500 for violation of Subsec. (d) in lieu of infraction penalty; P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (b)(3) to substitute “trucks or other motor vehicles with a commercial registration” for “commercial motor vehicles”; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (b) to make technical changes, to eliminate the issuance of two classes of transporter registrations with accompanying fees and to require commissioner to charge a fee of $114 per annum for each general distinguishing number, effective July 1, 2002, and amended Subsec. (d) to insert an exception with respect to provisions of subsection, to substitute “transporter” for “transportation” number plate, to make a technical change and to permit the use of transporter number plates to move a storage or office trailer, house trailer, modular building or similar, nonpower trailing unit with unitized construction and to which a removable axle assembly is attached, effective June 3, 2002; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 amended Subsec. (b) to increase fee for transporter's general distinguishing number from $114 to $250, effective January 1, 2004.