Virginia folks. 2024 legislative session SB198

[rocketraider]

https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+SB198

 

Do any of our Virginia members know anything about this bill? Introduced by a brand new first term state senator to create a new class of "collector car" license plate.

 

Not sure I see the need or purpose in it since the language is almost verbatim with the 2008 legislation that not only increased the cost of licensing an antique vehicle, but didn't do a damn thing toward getting dubious antique/YOM plates off the roads.

 

It does appear to require multiple collector car ownership to qualify for  these plates. It does not define what a collector car is.

 

I often wonder what we send these people to Richmond for. I have never seen as much mean-spirited or nonsensical legislation proffered in the General Assembly as I have this year.

[joe_padavano]

Glenn, the way I read this, the Collector Vehicle plates are for vehicles that do not qualify for Antique Vehicle plates.

 

In the full text of the law, it says this:

 

F. No collector motor vehicle shall be registered as an antique vehicle pursuant to з 46.2-730 or as a military surplus motor vehicle pursuant to з 46.2-730.1.

[rocketraider]

Still doesn't define what a collector car is, what qualifies as a collector car, no year cutoffs, nothing. Not well thought out at all.

 

Looks like something ripe for abuse to me. 

[jdome]

As I read it, this bill creats an "other" category of collector vehicle that doesn't meet the antique/historic criteria.  This could be modified, hotrod, kitcar, or even a brand new corvette.  Apparently anything can qualify as long as the owner declares it as a collector and has at least 3 or more "collected cars" and at least one other daily transportation vehicle with regular plates. Has similar limited use restrictions as antique plates.

[joe_padavano]

2 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Still doesn't define what a collector car is, what qualifies as a collector car, no year cutoffs, nothing. Not well thought out at all.

 

Looks like something ripe for abuse to me. 

As we've seen time and time again, ANYTHING will be ripe for abuse. In any case, here are the definitions in the text of the law:

 

"Antique motor vehicle" means every motor vehicle, as defined in this section, which was actually manufactured or designated by the manufacturer as a model manufactured in a calendar year not less than 25 years prior to January 1 of each calendar year and is owned solely as a collector's item.

 

"Collector" means a person who owns three or more vehicles and who collects, purchases, acquires, trades, or disposes of such vehicles, or parts thereof, for his own use in order to preserve, restore, and maintain such vehicles for hobby or historical purposes.

 

"Collector motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle owned by a collector that is used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, and preservation and is not used primarily for transportation.

 

I have to agree with jdome. Since the collector car registration specifically prohibits using it for cars that qualify for an antique registration, I see this as creating another category. The antique category specifically states "manufactured or designated by the manufacturer as a model manufactured in a calendar year not less than 25 years prior". The new collector car designation would apply to recreations, kit cars, etc.

[rocketraider]

This got continued to the 2025 session. 

 

If you look into the amendments it becomes obvious that this bill, like the 2007 antique plates meddling, turned into a money grab- a serious and blatant money grab. The amendments increased the number of "collector" cars one would have to own to qualify for these plates from 3 to 6, and increased the fee from $50/car to $200.

 

That scares me because eventually some Virginia legislator is going to look hard at the antique plates statute and get ideas from this bill, same as one did this year with an historical group's tax exemptions. Of course there were machinations on that one, because another entity wants the historical group's real estate and figures they can tax it out of existence and get the property.

 

Also tells me that people who might have explored a "collector" plate for a 25 year old car will now try to put antique plates on it, and the misuse of those plates will keep ramping up.

 

These nincompoops don't get that just because someone has an old car doesn't mean that individual is overtly wealthy. Yes, I said nincompoops, because the Virginia General Assembly has become overrun with those type people, all pushing personal self-serving agendas.

[joe_padavano]

22 hours ago, rocketraider said:

If you look into the amendments it becomes obvious that this bill, like the 2007 antique plates meddling, turned into a money grab-

I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell you...

[rocketraider]

I guess they're trying to make up the loss they'll incur from repealing the Robert E Lee and Sons of Confederate Veterans license plates.🙂

 

A lot of those are also personalized, so there goes the personalized plate fee on all of them too.

 

That's ok. That's 40 bucks a year I can save on license plates, that the Commonwealth won't recover. There'll be no more special interest or personalized plates on my regular cars, i.e. no more easy profit for the Commonwealth.

 

Just hope they don't muck with antique plates again, because I can about promise you existing ones won't be grandfathered and we'll have to re-register them at increased cost same as we did in 2008. 

 

Daresay there'd be an effort to end our personal property tax exemption too. Hey- the GA stripped a non-profit historical group of their real and personal property tax exemptions, so it CAN happen. Especially if someone wants the real estate and is trying to skirt a deed in perpetuity to get it. If that means bankrupting a group to get it, 's business.

 

That's why I keep saying you have to keep a close eye on what these self-serving nincompoops are doing.