SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[TRULY AGREED TO AND FINALLY PASSED]
SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
AND
HOUSE BILL NO. 1142
AND
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1201
AND
HOUSE BILL NO. 1489
92ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
AN ACT
To repeal sections 301.010, 304.013, 304.156, 307.172, 307.366, 307.375, and 643.315, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof eight new sections relating to motor vehicles, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 301.010, 304.013, 304.156, 307.172, 307.366, 307.375, and 643.315, RSMo, are repealed and eight new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 301.010, 304.013, 304.029, 304.156, 307.172, 307.366, 307.375, and 643.315, to read as follows:
301.010. As used in this chapter and sections 304.010 to 304.040, 304.120 to 304.260, RSMo, and sections 307.010 to 307.175, RSMo, the following terms mean:
(1) "All-terrain vehicle", any motorized vehicle manufactured and used exclusively for off-highway use which is fifty inches or less in width, with an unladen dry weight of [six hundred] one thousand pounds or less, traveling on three, four or more low pressure tires, with a seat designed to be straddled by the operator, or with a seat designed to carry more than one person, and handlebars for steering control;
(2) "Automobile transporter", any vehicle combination designed and used specifically for the transport of assembled motor vehicles;
(3) "Axle load", the total load transmitted to the road by all wheels whose centers are included between two parallel transverse vertical planes forty inches apart, extending across the full width of the vehicle;
(4) "Boat transporter", any vehicle combination designed and used specifically to transport assembled boats and boat hulls;
(5) "Body shop", a business that repairs physical damage on motor vehicles that are not owned by the shop or its officers or employees by mending, straightening, replacing body parts, or painting;
(6) "Bus", a motor vehicle primarily for the transportation of a driver and eight or more passengers but not including shuttle buses;
(7) "Commercial motor vehicle", a motor vehicle designed or regularly used for carrying freight and merchandise, or more than eight passengers but not including vanpools or shuttle buses;
(8) "Cotton trailer", a trailer designed and used exclusively for transporting cotton at speeds less than forty miles per hour from field to field or from field to market and return;
(9) "Dealer", any person, firm, corporation, association, agent or subagent engaged in the sale or exchange of new, used or reconstructed motor vehicles or trailers;
(10) "Director" or "director of revenue", the director of the department of revenue;
(11) "Driveaway operation", the movement of a motor vehicle or trailer by any person or motor carrier other than a dealer over any public highway, under its own power singly, or in a fixed combination of two or more vehicles, for the purpose of delivery for sale or for delivery either before or after sale;
(12) "Dromedary", a box, deck, or plate mounted behind the cab and forward of the fifth wheel on the frame of the power unit of a truck tractor-semitrailer combination. A truck tractor equipped with a dromedary may carry part of a load when operating independently or in a combination with a semitrailer;
(13) "Farm tractor", a tractor used exclusively for agricultural purposes;
(14) "Fleet", any group of ten or more motor vehicles owned by the same owner;
(15) "Fleet vehicle", a motor vehicle which is included as part of a fleet;
(16) "Fullmount", a vehicle mounted completely on the frame of either the first or last vehicle in a saddlemount combination;
(17) "Gross weight", the weight of vehicle and/or vehicle combination without load, plus the weight of any load thereon;
(18) "Hail-damaged vehicle", any vehicle, the body of which has become dented as the result of the impact of hail;
(19) "Highway", any public thoroughfare for vehicles, including state roads, county roads and public streets, avenues, boulevards, parkways or alleys in any municipality;
(20) "Improved highway", a highway which has been paved with gravel, macadam, concrete, brick or asphalt, or surfaced in such a manner that it shall have a hard, smooth surface;
(21) "Intersecting highway", any highway which joins another, whether or not it crosses the same;
(22) "Junk vehicle", a vehicle which is incapable of operation or use upon the highways and has no resale value except as a source of parts or scrap, and shall not be titled or registered;
(23) "Kit vehicle", a motor vehicle assembled by a person other than a generally recognized manufacturer of motor vehicles by the use of a glider kit or replica purchased from an authorized manufacturer and accompanied by a manufacturer's statement of origin;
(24) "Land improvement contractors' commercial motor vehicle", any not-for-hire commercial motor vehicle the operation of which is confined to:
(a) An area that extends not more than a radius of one hundred miles from its home base of operations when transporting its owner's machinery, equipment, or auxiliary supplies to or from projects involving soil and water conservation, or to and from equipment dealers' maintenance facilities for maintenance purposes; or
(b) An area that extends not more than a radius of twenty-five miles from its home base of operations when transporting its owner's machinery, equipment, or auxiliary supplies to or from projects not involving soil and water conservation. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prevent any motor vehicle from being registered as a commercial motor vehicle or local commercial motor vehicle;
(25) "Local commercial motor vehicle", a commercial motor vehicle whose operations are confined solely to a municipality and that area extending not more than fifty miles therefrom, or a commercial motor vehicle whose property-carrying operations are confined solely to the transportation of property owned by any person who is the owner or operator of such vehicle to or from a farm owned by such person or under the person's control by virtue of a landlord and tenant lease; provided that any such property transported to any such farm is for use in the operation of such farm;
(26) "Local log truck", a commercial motor vehicle which is registered pursuant to this chapter to operate as a motor vehicle on the public highways of this state, used exclusively in this state, used to transport harvested forest products, operated solely at a forested site and in an area extending not more than a fifty-mile radius from such site, carries a load with dimensions not in excess of twenty-five cubic yards per two axles with dual wheels, and is not operated on the national system of interstate and defense highways described in Title 23, Section 103(e) of the United States Code, does not have more than four axles and does not pull a trailer which has more than two axles. A local log truck may not exceed the limits required by law, however, if the truck does exceed such limits as determined by the inspecting officer, then notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, such truck shall be subject to the weight limits required by such sections as licensed for eighty thousand pounds;
(27) "Local transit bus", a bus whose operations are confined wholly within a municipal corporation, or wholly within a municipal corporation and a commercial zone, as defined in section 390.020, RSMo, adjacent thereto, forming a part of a public transportation system within such municipal corporation and such municipal corporation and adjacent commercial zone;
(28) "Log truck", a vehicle which is not a local log truck and is used exclusively to transport harvested forest products to and from forested sites which is registered pursuant to this chapter to operate as a motor vehicle on the public highways of this state for the transportation of harvested forest products;
(29) "Major component parts", the rear clip, cowl, frame, body, cab, front-end assembly, and front clip, as those terms are defined by the director of revenue pursuant to rules and regulations or by illustrations;
(30) "Manufacturer", any person, firm, corporation or association engaged in the business of manufacturing or assembling motor vehicles, trailers or vessels for sale;
(31) "Mobile scrap processor", a business located in Missouri or any other state that comes onto a salvage site and crushes motor vehicles and parts for transportation to a shredder or scrap metal operator for recycling;
(32) "Motor change vehicle", a vehicle manufactured prior to August, 1957, which receives a new, rebuilt or used engine, and which used the number stamped on the original engine as the vehicle identification number;
(33) "Motor vehicle", any self-propelled vehicle not operated exclusively upon tracks, except farm tractors;
(34) "Motor vehicle primarily for business use", any vehicle other than a recreational motor vehicle, motorcycle, motortricycle, or any commercial motor vehicle licensed for over twelve thousand pounds:
(a) Offered for hire or lease; or
(b) The owner of which also owns ten or more such motor vehicles;
(35) "Motorcycle", a motor vehicle operated on two wheels;
(36) "Motorized bicycle", any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having an automatic transmission and a motor with a cylinder capacity of not more than fifty cubic centimeters, which produces less than three gross brake horsepower, and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than thirty miles per hour on level ground;
(37) "Motortricycle", a motor vehicle operated on three wheels, including a motorcycle while operated with any conveyance, temporary or otherwise, requiring the use of a third wheel. A motortricycle shall not be included in the definition of all-terrain vehicle;
(38) "Municipality", any city, town or village, whether incorporated or not;
(39) "Nonresident", a resident of a state or country other than the state of Missouri;
(40) "Non-USA-std motor vehicle", a motor vehicle not originally manufactured in compliance with United States emissions or safety standards;
(41) "Operator", any person who operates or drives a motor vehicle;
(42) "Owner", any person, firm, corporation or association, who holds the legal title to a vehicle or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then such conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be deemed the owner for the purpose of this law;
(43) "Public garage", a place of business where motor vehicles are housed, stored, repaired, reconstructed or repainted for persons other than the owners or operators of such place of business;
(44) "Rebuilder", a business that repairs or rebuilds motor vehicles owned by the rebuilder, but does not include certificated common or contract carriers of persons or property;
(45) "Reconstructed motor vehicle", a vehicle that is altered from its original construction by the addition or substitution of two or more new or used major component parts, excluding motor vehicles made from all new parts, and new multistage manufactured vehicles;
(46) "Recreational motor vehicle", any motor vehicle designed, constructed or substantially modified so that it may be used and is used for the purposes of temporary housing quarters, including therein sleeping and eating facilities which are either permanently attached to the motor vehicle or attached to a unit which is securely attached to the motor vehicle. Nothing herein shall prevent any motor vehicle from being registered as a commercial motor vehicle if the motor vehicle could otherwise be so registered;
(47) "Rollback or car carrier", any vehicle specifically designed to transport wrecked, disabled or otherwise inoperable vehicles, when the transportation is directly connected to a wrecker or towing service;
(48) "Saddlemount combination", a combination of vehicles in which a truck or truck tractor tows one or more trucks or truck tractors, each connected by a saddle to the frame or fifth wheel of the vehicle in front of it. The "saddle" is a mechanism that connects the front axle of the towed vehicle to the frame or fifth wheel of the vehicle in front and functions like a fifth wheel kingpin connection. When two vehicles are towed in this manner the combination is called a double saddlemount combination. When three vehicles are towed in this manner, the combination is called a triple saddlemount combination;
(49) "Salvage dealer and dismantler", a business that dismantles used motor vehicles for the sale of the parts thereof, and buys and sells used motor vehicle parts and accessories;
(50) "Salvage vehicle", a motor vehicle, semitrailer or house trailer which, by reason of condition or circumstance, has been declared salvage, either by its owner, or by a person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity exercising the right of security interest in it, or by an insurance company as a result of settlement of a claim for loss due to damage or theft; or a vehicle, ownership of which is evidenced by a salvage title; or abandoned property which is titled pursuant to section 304.155, RSMo, or section 304.157, RSMo, and designated with the words "salvage/abandoned property";
(51) "School bus", any motor vehicle used solely to transport students to or from school or to transport students to or from any place for educational purposes;
(52) "Shuttle bus", a motor vehicle used or maintained by any person, firm, or corporation as an incidental service to transport patrons or customers of the regular business of such person, firm, or corporation to and from the place of business of the person, firm, or corporation providing the service at no fee or charge. Shuttle buses shall not be registered as buses or as commercial motor vehicles;
(53) "Special mobile equipment", every self-propelled vehicle not designed or used primarily for the transportation of persons or property and incidentally operated or moved over the highways, including farm equipment, implements of husbandry, road construction or maintenance machinery, ditch-digging apparatus, stone crushers, air compressors, power shovels, cranes, graders, rollers, well-drillers and wood-sawing equipment used for hire, asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, ditchers, leveling graders, finished machines, motor graders, road rollers, scarifiers, earth-moving carryalls, scrapers, drag lines, concrete pump trucks, rock-drilling and earth-moving equipment. This enumeration shall be deemed partial and shall not operate to exclude other such vehicles which are within the general terms of this section;
(54) "Specially constructed motor vehicle", a motor vehicle which shall not have been originally constructed under a distinctive name, make, model or type by a manufacturer of motor vehicles. The term "specially constructed motor vehicle" includes kit vehicles;
(55) "Stinger-steered combination", a truck tractor-semitrailer wherein the fifth wheel is located on a drop frame located behind and below the rearmost axle of the power unit;
(56) "Tandem axle", a group of two or more axles, arranged one behind another, the distance between the extremes of which is more than forty inches and not more than ninety-six inches apart;
(57) "Tractor", "truck tractor" or "truck-tractor", a self-propelled motor vehicle designed for drawing other vehicles, but not for the carriage of any load when operating independently. When attached to a semitrailer, it supports a part of the weight thereof;
(58) "Trailer", any vehicle without motive power designed for carrying property or passengers on its own structure and for being drawn by a self-propelled vehicle, except those running exclusively on tracks, including a semitrailer or vehicle of the trailer type so designed and used in conjunction with a self-propelled vehicle that a considerable part of its own weight rests upon and is carried by the towing vehicle. The term "trailer" shall not include cotton trailers as defined in subdivision (8) of this section and shall not include manufactured homes as defined in section 700.010, RSMo;
(59) "Truck", a motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained for the transportation of property;
(60) "Truck-tractor semitrailer-semitrailer", a combination vehicle in which the two trailing units are connected with a B-train assembly which is a rigid frame extension attached to the rear frame of a first semitrailer which allows for a fifth-wheel connection point for the second semitrailer and has one less articulation point than the conventional "A dolly" connected truck-tractor semitrailer-trailer combination;
(61) "Truck-trailer boat transporter combination", a boat transporter combination consisting of a straight truck towing a trailer using typically a ball and socket connection with the trailer axle located substantially at the trailer center of gravity rather than the rear of the trailer but so as to maintain a downward force on the trailer tongue;
(62) "Used parts dealer", a business that buys and sells used motor vehicle parts or accessories, but not including a business that sells only new, remanufactured or rebuilt parts. "Business" does not include isolated sales at a swap meet of less than three days;
(63) "Vanpool", any van or other motor vehicle used or maintained by any person, group, firm, corporation, association, city, county or state agency, or any member thereof, for the transportation of not less than eight nor more than forty-eight employees, per motor vehicle, to and from their place of employment; however, a vanpool shall not be included in the definition of the term "bus" or "commercial motor vehicle" as defined by subdivisions (6) and (7) of this section, nor shall a vanpool driver be deemed a "chauffeur" as that term is defined by section 302.010, RSMo; nor shall use of a vanpool vehicle for ride-sharing arrangements, recreational, personal, or maintenance uses constitute an unlicensed use of the motor vehicle, unless used for monetary profit other than for use in a ride-sharing arrangement;
(64) "Vehicle", any mechanical device on wheels, designed primarily for use, or used, on highways, except motorized bicycles, vehicles propelled or drawn by horses or human power, or vehicles used exclusively on fixed rails or tracks, or cotton trailers or motorized wheelchairs operated by handicapped persons;
(65) "Wrecker" or "tow truck", any emergency commercial vehicle equipped, designed and used to assist or render aid and transport or tow disabled or wrecked vehicles from a highway, road, street or highway rights-of-way to a point of storage or repair, including towing a replacement vehicle to replace a disabled or wrecked vehicle;
(66) "Wrecker or towing service", the act of transporting, towing or recovering with a wrecker, tow truck, rollback or car carrier any vehicle not owned by the operator of the wrecker, tow truck, rollback or car carrier for which the operator directly or indirectly receives compensation or other personal gain.
304.013. 1. No person shall operate an all-terrain vehicle, as defined in section 301.010, RSMo, upon the highways of this state, except as follows:
(1) All-terrain vehicles owned and operated by a governmental entity for official use;
(2) All-terrain vehicles operated for agricultural purposes or industrial on-premises purposes between the official sunrise and sunset on the day of operation;
(3) All-terrain vehicles operated by handicapped persons for short distances occasionally only on the state's secondary roads when operated between the hours of sunrise and sunset;
(4) Governing bodies of cities may issue special permits to licensed drivers for special uses of all-terrain vehicles on highways within the city limits. Fees of fifteen dollars may be collected and retained by cities for such permits;
(5) Governing bodies of counties may issue special permits to licensed drivers for special uses of all-terrain vehicles on county roads within the county. Fees of fifteen dollars may be collected and retained by the counties for such permits.
2. No person shall operate an off-road vehicle within any stream or river in this state, except that off-road vehicles may be operated within waterways which flow within the boundaries of land which an off-road vehicle operator owns, or for agricultural purposes within the boundaries of land which an off-road vehicle operator owns or has permission to be upon, or for the purpose of fording such stream or river of this state at such road crossings as are customary or part of the highway system. All law enforcement officials or peace officers of this state and its political subdivisions or department of conservation agents or department of natural resources park rangers shall enforce the provisions of this subsection within the geographic area of their jurisdiction.
3. A person operating an all-terrain vehicle on a highway pursuant to an exception covered in this section shall have a valid operator's or chauffeur's license, except that a handicapped person operating such vehicle pursuant to subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section, but shall not be required to have passed an examination for the operation of a motorcycle, and the vehicle shall be operated at speeds of less than thirty miles per hour. When operated on a highway, an all-terrain vehicle shall have a bicycle safety flag, which extends not less than seven feet above the ground, attached to the rear of the vehicle. The bicycle safety flag shall be triangular in shape with an area of not less than thirty square inches and shall be day-glow in color.
4. No persons shall operate an all-terrain vehicle:
(1) In any careless way so as to endanger the person or property of another;
(2) While under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance;
(3) Without a securely fastened safety helmet on the head of an individual who operates an all-terrain vehicle or who is being towed or otherwise propelled by an all-terrain vehicle, unless the individual is at least eighteen years of age.
5. No operator of an all-terrain vehicle shall carry a passenger, except for agricultural purposes. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any all-terrain vehicle in which the seat of such vehicle is designed to carry more than one person.
6. A violation of this section shall be a class C misdemeanor. In addition to other legal remedies, the attorney general or county prosecuting attorney may institute a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for injunctive relief to prevent such violation or future violations and for the assessment of a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars per day of violation.
304.029. 1. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a low-speed vehicle may be operated upon a highway in the state if it meets the requirements of this section. Every person operating a low-speed vehicle shall be granted all the rights and shall be subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of any other motor vehicle except as to the special regulations in this section and except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application.
2. The operator of a low-speed vehicle shall observe all traffic laws and local ordinances regarding the rules of the road. A low-speed vehicle shall not be operated on a street or a highway with a posted speed limit greater than thirty-five miles per hour. The provisions of this subsection shall not prohibit a low-speed vehicle from crossing a street or highway with a posted speed limit greater than thirty-five miles per hour.
3. A low-speed vehicle shall be exempt from the requirements of sections 307.350 to 307.402, RSMo, for purposes of titling and registration. Low-speed vehicles shall comply with the standards in 49 C.F.R. 571.500, as amended.
4. Every operator of a low-speed vehicle shall maintain financial responsibility on such low-speed vehicle as required by chapter 303, RSMo, if the low-speed vehicle is to be operated upon the highways of this state.
5. Each person operating a low-speed vehicle on a highway in this state shall possess a valid driver's license issued pursuant to chapter 302, RSMo.
6. For purposes of this section a "low-speed vehicle" shall have the meaning ascribed to it in 49 C.F.R., section 571.3, as amended.
7. All low-speed vehicles shall be manufactured in compliance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards for low-speed vehicles in 49 C.F.R. 571.500, as amended.
8. Nothing in this section shall prevent county or municipal governments from adopting more stringent local ordinances governing low-speed vehicle operation if the governing body of the county or municipality determines that such ordinances are necessary in the interest of public safety. The department of transportation may prohibit the operation of low-speed vehicles on any highway under its jurisdiction if it determines that the prohibition is necessary in the interest of public safety.
304.156. 1. Within five working days of receipt of the crime inquiry and inspection report under section 304.155 or the abandoned property report under section 304.157, the director of revenue shall search the records of the department of revenue, or initiate an inquiry with another state, if the evidence presented indicated the abandoned property was registered or titled in another state, to determine the name and address of the owner and lienholder, if any. After ascertaining the name and address of the owner and lienholder, if any, the department shall, within fifteen working days, notify the towing company. Any towing company which comes into possession of abandoned property pursuant to section 304.155 or 304.157 and who claims a lien for recovering, towing or storing abandoned property shall give notice to the title owner and to all persons claiming a lien thereon, as disclosed by the records of the department of revenue or of a corresponding agency in any other state. The towing company shall notify the owner and any lienholder within ten business days of the date of mailing indicated on the notice sent by the department of revenue, by certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice shall contain the following:
(1) The name, address and telephone number of the storage facility;
(2) The date, reason and place from which the abandoned property was removed;
(3) A statement that the amount of the accrued towing, storage and administrative costs are the responsibility of the owner, and that storage and/or administrative costs will continue to accrue as a legal liability of the owner until the abandoned property is redeemed;
(4) A statement that the storage firm claims a possessory lien for all such charges;
(5) A statement that the owner or holder of a valid security interest of record may retake possession of the abandoned property at any time during business hours by proving ownership or rights to a secured interest and paying all towing and storage charges;
(6) A statement that, should the owner consider that the towing or removal was improper or not legally justified, the owner has a right to request a hearing as provided in this section to contest the propriety of such towing or removal;
(7) A statement that if the abandoned property remains unclaimed for thirty days from the date of mailing the notice, title to the abandoned property will be transferred to the person or firm in possession of the abandoned property free of all prior liens; and
(8) A statement that any charges in excess of the value of the abandoned property at the time of such transfer shall remain a liability of the owner.
2. A towing company may only assess reasonable storage charges for abandoned property towed without the consent of the owner. Reasonable storage charges shall not exceed the charges for vehicles which have been towed with the consent of the owner on a negotiated basis. Storage charges may be assessed only for the time in which the towing company complies with the procedural requirements of sections 304.155 to 304.158.
3. In the event that the records of the department of revenue fail to disclose the name of the owner or any lienholder of record, the department shall notify the towing company which shall attempt to locate documents or other evidence of ownership on or within the abandoned property itself. The towing company must certify that a physical search of the abandoned property disclosed that no ownership documents were found and a good faith effort has been made. For purposes of this section, "good faith effort" means that the following checks have been performed by the company to establish the prior state of registration and title:
(1) Check of the abandoned property for any type of license plates, license plate record, temporary permit, inspection sticker, decal or other evidence which may indicate a state of possible registration and title;
(2) Check the law enforcement report for a license plate number or registration number if the abandoned property was towed at the request of a law enforcement agency;
(3) Check the tow ticket/report of the tow truck operator to see if a license plate was on the abandoned property at the beginning of the tow, if a private tow; and
(4) If there is no address of the owner on the impound report, check the law enforcement report to see if an out-of-state address is indicated on the driver license information.
4. If no ownership information is discovered, the director of revenue shall be notified in writing and title obtained in accordance with subsection 7 of this section.
5. (1) The owner of the abandoned property removed pursuant to the provisions of section 304.155 or 304.157 or any person claiming a lien, other than the towing company, within ten days after the receipt of notification from the towing company pursuant to subsection 1 of this section may file a petition in the associate circuit court in the county where the abandoned property is stored to determine if the abandoned property was wrongfully taken or withheld from the owner. The petition shall name the towing company among the defendants. The petition may also name the agency ordering the tow or the owner, lessee or agent of the real property from which the abandoned property was removed. The director of revenue shall not be a party to such petition but a copy of the petition shall be served on the director of revenue who shall not issue title to such abandoned property pursuant to this section until the petition is finally decided.
(2) Upon filing of a petition in the associate circuit court, the owner or lienholder may have the abandoned property released upon posting with the court a cash or surety bond or other adequate security equal to the amount of the charges for towing and storage to ensure the payment of such charges in the event he does not prevail. Upon the posting of the bond and the payment of the applicable fees, the court shall issue an order notifying the towing company of the posting of the bond and directing the towing company to release the abandoned property. At the time of such release, after reasonable inspection, the owner or lienholder shall give a receipt to the towing company reciting any claims for loss or damage to the abandoned property or the contents thereof.
(3) Upon determining the respective rights of the parties, the final order of the court shall provide for immediate payment in full of recovery, towing, and storage fees by the abandoned property owner or lienholder or the owner, lessee, or agent thereof of the real property from which the abandoned property was removed.
6. A towing and storage lien shall be enforced as provided in subsection 7 of this section.
7. Thirty days after the notification form has been mailed to the abandoned property owner and holder of a security agreement and the property is unredeemed and no satisfactory arrangement has been made with the lienholder in possession for continued storage, and the owner or holder of a security agreement has not requested a hearing as provided in subsection 5 of this section, the lienholder in possession may apply to the director of revenue for a certificate. The application for title shall be accompanied by:
(1) An affidavit from the lienholder in possession that he has been in possession of the abandoned property for at least thirty days and the owner of the abandoned property or holder of a security agreement has not made arrangements for payment of towing and storage charges;
(2) An affidavit that the lienholder in possession has not been notified of any application for hearing as provided in this section;
(3) A copy of the abandoned property report or crime inquiry and inspection report;
(4) A copy of the thirty-day notice given by certified mail to any owner and person holding a valid security interest and a copy of the certified mail receipt indicating that the owner and lienholder of record was sent a notice as required in this section; and
(5) A copy of the envelope or mailing container showing the address and postal markings indicating that the notice was "not forwardable" or "address unknown".
8. If notice to the owner and holder of a security agreement has been returned marked "not forwardable" or "addressee unknown", the lienholder in possession shall comply with subsection 3 of this section.
9. Any municipality or county may adopt an ordinance regulating the removal and sale of abandoned property provided such ordinance is consistent with sections 304.155 to 304.158, and, for a home rule city with more than four hundred thousand inhabitants and located in more than one county, includes the following provisions:
(1) That the department of revenue records must be searched to determine the registered owner or lienholder of the abandoned property;
(2) That if a registered owner or lienholder is disclosed in the records, that the owner and lienholder or owner or lienholder are mailed a notice by the governmental agency, by U.S. mail, advising of the towing and impoundment;
(3) That if the vehicle is older than six years and more than fifty percent damaged by collision, fire, or decay, and has a fair market value of less than two hundred dollars as determined by using any nationally recognized appraisal book or method, it must be held no less than ten days after the notice is sent pursuant to this subsection before being sold to a licensed salvage or scrap business; provided however where a title is required under this chapter an affidavit from a certified appraiser attesting that the value of the vehicle is less than two hundred dollars.
(4) That all other vehicles must be held no less than thirty days after the notice is sent pursuant to this subsectionbefore they may be sold.
10. Any municipality or county which has physical possession of the abandoned property and which sells abandoned property in accordance with a local ordinance may transfer ownership by means of a bill of sale signed by the municipal or county clerk or deputy and sealed with the official municipal or county seal. Such bill of sale shall contain the make and model of the abandoned property, the complete abandoned property identification number and the odometer reading of the abandoned property if available and shall be lawful proof of ownership for any dealer registered under the provisions of section 301.218, RSMo, or section 301.560, RSMo, or for any other person. Any dealer or other person purchasing such property from a municipality or county shall apply within thirty days of purchase for a certificate. Anyone convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of an infraction.
11. Any persons who have towed abandoned property prior to August 28, 1996, may, until January 1, 2000, apply to the department of revenue for a certificate. The application shall be accompanied by:
(1) A notarized affidavit explaining the circumstances by which the abandoned property came into their possession, including the name of the owner or possessor of real property from which the abandoned property was removed;
(2) The date of the removal;
(3) The current location of the abandoned property;
(4) An inspection of the abandoned property as prescribed by the director; and
(5) A copy of the thirty-day notice given by certified mail to any owner and person holding a valid security interest of record and a copy of the certified mail receipt.
12. If the director is satisfied with the genuineness of the application and supporting documents submitted pursuant to this section, the director shall issue one of the following:
(1) An original certificate of title if the vehicle owner has obtained a vehicle examination certificate as provided in section 301.190, RSMo, which indicates that the vehicle was not previously in a salvaged condition or rebuilt;
(2) An original certificate of title designated as prior salvage if the vehicle examination certificate as provided in section 301.190, RSMo, indicates the vehicle was previously in a salvage condition or rebuilt;
(3) A salvage certificate of title designated with the words "salvage/abandoned property" or junking certificate based on the condition of the abandoned property as stated in the abandoned property report or crime inquiry and inspection report;
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 301.573, RSMo, to the contrary, if satisfied with the genuineness of the application and supporting documents, the director shall issue an original title to abandoned property previously issued a salvage title as provided in this section, if the vehicle examination certificate as provided in section 301.190, RSMo, does not indicate the abandoned property was previously in a salvage condition or rebuilt.
13. If abandoned property is insured and the insurer of property regards the property as a total loss and the insurer satisfies a claim by the owner for the property, then the insurer or lienholder shall claim and remove the property from the storage facility or make arrangements to transfer the title, and such transfer of title subject to agreement shall be in complete satisfaction of all claims for towing and storage, to the towing company or storage facility. The owner of the abandoned vehicle, lienholder or insurer, to the extent the vehicle owner's insurance policy covers towing and storage charges, shall pay reasonable fees assessed by the towing company and storage facility. The property shall be claimed and removed or title transferred to the towing company or storage facility within thirty days of the date that the insurer paid a claim for the total loss of the property or is notified as to the location of the abandoned property, whichever is the later event. Upon request, the insurer of the property shall supply the towing company and storage facility with the name, address and phone number of the insurance company and of the insured and with a statement regarding which party is responsible for the payment of towing and storage charges under the insurance policy.
307.172. 1. No person shall operate any passenger motor vehicle upon the public streets or highways of this state, the body of which has been altered in such a manner that the front or rear of the vehicle is raised at such an angle as to obstruct the vision of the operator of the street or highway in front or to the rear of the vehicle.
2. Every motor vehicle which is licensed in this state and operated upon the public streets or highways of this state shall be equipped with front and rear bumpers if such vehicle was equipped with bumpers as standard equipment. This subsection shall not apply to motor vehicles designed or modified primarily for off-highway purposes while such vehicles are in tow or to motorcycles or motor driven cycles, or to motor vehicles registered as historic motor vehicles when the original design of such vehicles did not include bumpers nor shall the provisions of this subsection prohibit the use of drop bumpers. The superintendent of the Missouri state highway patrol shall adopt rules and regulations relating to bumper standards. Maximum bumper heights of both the front and rear bumpers of motor vehicles shall be determined by weight category of gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) measured from a level surface to the highest point of the bottom of the bumper when the vehicle is unloaded and the tires are inflated to the manufacturer's recommended pressure. Maximum bumper heights are as follows:
Maximum front Maximum rear
bumper height bumper height
Motor vehicles except
commercial motor
vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 inches. . . . . . . . . . . .22 inches
commercial motor
vehicles (GVWR)
4,500 lbs and under . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 inches. . . . . . . . . . . .26 inches
4,501 lbs through
7,500 lbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 inches. . . . . . . . . . . .29 inches
7,501 lbs through
9,000 lbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 inches. . . . . . . . . . . .30 inches
9001 lbs through
11,500 lbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 inches. . . . . . . . . . . .31 inches
3. A motor vehicle in violation of this section shall not be approved during any motor vehicle safety inspection required pursuant to sections 307.350 to 307.390.
4. Any person knowingly violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
307.366. 1. This enactment of the emissions inspection program is a mandate of the United States Congress pursuant to the federal Clean Air Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 7401, et seq. In any portion of an area designated by the governor as a nonattainment area, as defined in the federal Clean Air Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C.A. Section 7501, and located within the area described in subsection 1 of section 643.305, RSMo, certain motor vehicles shall be tested and approved prior to sale or transfer and biennially thereafter to determine that the emissions system is functioning within the emission standards as specified by the Missouri air conservation commission and as required to attain the national health standards for air quality. For such biennial testing, any such vehicle manufactured as an even-numbered model year vehicle shall be tested and approved in each even-numbered calendar year and any such vehicle manufactured as an odd-numbered model year vehicle shall be tested and approved in each odd-numbered calendar year. The motor vehicles to be tested shall be all motor vehicles except those specifically exempted pursuant to subdivisions (1) to (3) of subsection 1 of section 307.350 and those exempted pursuant to this section.
2. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Motor vehicles with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating in excess of eight thousand five hundred pounds;
(2) Motorcycles and motortricycles;
(3) Model year vehicles manufactured twenty-six years or more prior to [1971] the current model year;
(4) School buses;
(5) Diesel-powered vehicles;
(6) Motor vehicles registered in the area covered by this section but which are based and operated exclusively in an area of this state not subject to the provisions of this section if the owner of such vehicle presents to the director a sworn affidavit that the vehicle will be based and operated outside the covered area;
(7) New and unused motor vehicles, of model years of the current calendar year and of any calendar year within two years of such calendar year, which have an odometer reading of less than six thousand miles at the time of original sale by a motor vehicle manufacturer or licensed motor vehicle dealer to the first user; and
(8) Motor vehicles owned by a person who resides in a county of the first classification without a charter form of government with a population of less than one hundred thousand inhabitants according to the most recent decennial census who has completed an emission inspection pursuant to section 643.315, RSMo.
Each official inspection station which conducts emissions inspections within the area referred to in subsection 1 of this section shall indicate the gross vehicle weight rating of the motor vehicle on the inspection certificate if the vehicle is exempt from the emissions inspection pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection.
3. (1) At the time of sale, a licensed motor vehicle dealer, as defined in section 301.550, RSMo, may choose to sell a motor vehicle subject to the inspection requirements of this section either:
(a) With prior inspection and approval as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection; or
(b) Without prior inspection and approval as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection.
(2) If the dealer chooses to sell the vehicle with prior inspection and approval, the dealer shall disclose, in writing, prior to sale, whether the vehicle obtained approval by meeting the emissions standards established pursuant to this section or by obtaining a waiver pursuant to subsection 6 of this section. A vehicle sold pursuant to this subdivision by a licensed motor vehicle dealer shall be inspected and approved within the one hundred twenty days immediately preceding the date of sale, and, for the purpose of registration of such vehicle, such inspection shall be considered timely.
(3) If the dealer chooses to sell the vehicle without prior inspection and approval, the purchaser may return the vehicle within ten days of the date of purchase, provided that the vehicle has no more than one thousand additional miles since the time of sale, if the vehicle fails, upon inspection, to meet the emissions standards specified by the commission and the dealer shall have the vehicle inspected and approved without the option for a waiver of the emissions standard and return the vehicle to the purchaser with a valid emissions certificate and sticker within five working days or the purchaser and dealer may enter into any other mutually acceptable agreement. If the dealer chooses to sell the vehicle without prior inspection and approval, the dealer shall disclose conspicuously on the sales contract and bill of sale that the purchaser has the option to return the vehicle within ten days, provided that the vehicle has no more than one thousand additional miles since the time of sale, to have the dealer repair the vehicle and provide an emissions certificate and sticker within five working days if the vehicle fails, upon inspection, to meet the emissions standards established by the commission, or enter into any mutually acceptable agreement with the dealer. A violation of this subsection shall be an unlawful practice as defined in section 407.020, RSMo. No emissions inspection shall be required pursuant to this section for the sale of any motor vehicle which may be sold without a certificate of inspection and approval, as provided pursuant to subsection 2 of section 307.380.
4. A fee not to exceed twenty-four dollars may be charged for an automobile emissions and air pollution control inspection in order to attain the national health standards for air quality. Such fee shall be conspicuously posted on the premises of each such inspection station. The official emissions inspection station shall issue a certificate of inspection and an approval sticker or seal certifying the emissions system is functioning properly. The certificate or approval issued shall bear the legend: "This cost is mandated by your United States Congress.". No owner shall be charged an additional fee after having corrected defects or unsafe conditions in the automobile's emissions and air pollution control system if the reinspection is completed within twenty consecutive days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and if such follow-up inspection is made by the station making the initial inspection.
5. The air conservation commission shall establish, by rule, a waiver amount which may be lower for older model vehicles and which shall be no greater than seventy-five dollars for model year vehicles prior to 1981 and no greater than two hundred dollars for model year vehicles of 1981 and all subsequent model years.
6. An owner whose vehicle fails upon reinspection to meet the emission standards specified by the Missouri air conservation commission shall be issued a certificate of inspection and an approval sticker or seal by the official emissions inspection station that provided the inspection if the vehicle owner furnishes a complete, signed affidavit satisfying the requirements of this subsection and the cost of emissions repairs and adjustments is equal to or greater than the waiver amount established by the air conservation commission pursuant to this section. The air conservation commission shall establish, by rule, a form and a procedure for verifying that repair and adjustment was performed on a failing vehicle prior to the granting of a waiver and approval. The waiver form established pursuant to this subsection shall be an affidavit requiring:
(1) A statement signed by the repairer that the specified work was done and stating the itemized charges for the work; and
(2) A statement signed by the inspector that an inspection of the vehicle verified, to the extent practical, that the specified work was done.
7. The department of revenue shall require evidence of the inspection and approval required by this section in issuing the motor vehicle annual registration in conformity with the procedure required by sections 307.350 to 307.370.
8. Each emissions inspection station located in the area described in subsection 1 of this section shall purchase from the highway patrol sufficient forms and stickers or other devices to evidence approval of the motor vehicle's emissions control system. In addition, emissions inspection stations may be required to purchase forms for use in automated analyzers from outside vendors of the inspection station's choice. The forms must comply with state regulations.
9. In addition to the fee collected by the superintendent pursuant to subsection 5 of section 307.365, the highway patrol shall collect a fee of seventy-five cents for each automobile emissions certificate issued to the applicable official emissions inspection stations, except that no charge shall be made for certificates of inspection issued to official emissions inspection stations operated by governmental entities. All fees collected by the superintendent pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the "Missouri Air Pollution Control Fund", which is hereby created.
10. The moneys collected and deposited in the Missouri air pollution control fund pursuant to this section shall be allocated on an equal basis to the Missouri state highway patrol and the Missouri department of natural resources, air pollution control program, and shall be expended subject to appropriation by the general assembly for the administration and enforcement of sections 307.350 to 307.390. The unexpended balance in the fund at the end of each appropriation period shall not be transferred to the general revenue fund, except as directed by the general assembly by appropriation, and the provisions of section 33.080, RSMo, relating to the transfer of funds to the general revenue fund at the end of the biennium, shall not apply to this fund. The moneys in the fund shall be invested by the treasurer as provided by law, and the interest shall be credited to the fund.
11. The superintendent of the Missouri state highway patrol shall issue such rules and regulations as are necessary to determine whether a motor vehicle's emissions control system is operating as required by subsection 1 of this section, and the superintendent and the state highways and transportation commission shall use their best efforts to seek federal funds from which reimbursement grants may be made to those official inspection stations which acquire and use the necessary testing equipment which will be required to perform the tests required by the provisions of this section.
12. The provisions of this section shall not apply in any county for any time period during which the air conservation commission has established a motor vehicle emissions inspection program pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.355, RSMo, for such county, except where motor vehicle owners have the option of biennial testing pursuant to chapter 643, RSMo. In counties where such option is available, the emissions inspection may be conducted in stations conducting only an emissions inspection under contract to the state.
13. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 307.390, violation of this section shall be deemed a class C misdemeanor.
307.375. 1. The owner of every bus used to transport children to or from school in addition to any other inspection required by law shall submit the vehicle to an official inspection station, and obtain a certificate of inspection, sticker, seal or other device annually, but the inspection of the vehicle shall not be made more than sixty days prior to operating the vehicle during the school year. The inspection shall, in addition to the inspection of the mechanism and equipment required for all motor vehicles under the provisions of sections 307.350 to 307.390, include an inspection to ascertain that the following items are correctly fitted, adjusted, and in good working condition:
(1) All mirrors, including crossview, inside, and outside;
(2) The front and rear warning flashers;
(3) The stop signal arm;
(4) The crossing control arm on public school buses required to have them pursuant to section 304.050, RSMo;
(5) The rear bumper to determine that it is flush with the bus so that hitching of rides cannot occur;
(6) The exhaust tailpipe shall be flush with or may extend not more than two inches beyond the perimeter of the body or bumper;
(7) The emergency doors and exits to determine them to be unlocked and easily opened as required;
(8) The lettering and signing on the front, side and rear of the bus;
(9) The service door;
(10) The step treads;
(11) The aisle mats or aisle runners;
(12) The emergency equipment which shall include as a minimum, a first aid kit, flares or fuses, and a fire extinguisher;
(13) The seats, including a determination that they are securely fastened to the floor;
(14) The emergency door buzzer;
(15) All hand hold grips;
(16) The interior glazing of the bus.
2. In addition to the inspection required by subsection 1 of this section, the Missouri state highway patrol shall conduct an inspection after February first of each school year of all vehicles required to be marked as school buses under section 304.050, RSMo. This inspection shall be conducted by the Missouri highway patrol in cooperation with the department of elementary and secondary education and shall include, as a minimum, items in subsection 1 of this section and the following:
(1) The driver seat belts;
(2) The heating and defrosting systems;
(3) The reflectors;
(4) The bus steps;
(5) The aisles;
(6) The frame.
3. If, upon inspection, conditions which violate the standards in subsection 2 of this section are found, the owner or operator shall have them corrected in ten days and notify the superintendent of the Missouri state highway patrol or those persons authorized by the superintendent. If the defects or unsafe conditions found constitute an immediate danger, the bus shall not be used until corrections are made and the superintendent of the Missouri state highway patrol or those persons authorized by the superintendent are notified.
4. The Missouri highway patrol may inspect any school bus at any time and if such inspection reveals a deficiency affecting the safe operation of the bus, the provisions of subsection 3 of this section shall be applicable.
643.315. 1. Except as provided in sections 643.300 to 643.355, all motor vehicles which are domiciled, registered or primarily operated in an area for which the commission has established a motor vehicle emissions inspection program pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.355, which may include all motor vehicles owned by residents of a county of the first classification without a charter form of government with a population of less than one hundred thousand inhabitants according to the most recent decennial census who have chosen to participate in such a program in lieu of the provisions of section 307.366, RSMo, shall be inspected and approved prior to sale or transfer. In addition, any such vehicle manufactured as an even-numbered model year vehicle shall be inspected and approved under the emissions inspection program established pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.355 in each even-numbered calendar year and any such vehicle manufactured as an odd-numbered model year vehicle shall be inspected and approved under the emissions inspection program established pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.355 in each odd-numbered calendar year. All motor vehicles subject to the inspection requirements of sections 643.300 to 643.355 shall display a valid emissions inspection sticker, and when applicable, a valid emissions inspection certificate shall be presented at the time of registration or registration renewal of such motor vehicle.
2. No emission standard established by the commission for a given make and model year shall exceed the lesser of the following:
(1) The emission standard for that vehicle model year as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency; or
(2) The emission standard for that vehicle make and model year as established by the vehicle manufacturer.
3. The inspection requirement of subsection 1 of this section shall apply to all motor vehicles except:
(1) Motor vehicles with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating in excess of eight thousand five hundred pounds;
(2) Motorcycles and motortricycles if such vehicles are exempted from the motor vehicle emissions inspection under federal regulation and approved by the commission by rule;
(3) Model year vehicles manufactured twenty-six years or more prior to [1971] the current model year;
(4) Vehicles which are powered exclusively by electric or hydrogen power or by fuels other than gasoline which are exempted from the motor vehicle emissions inspection under federal regulation and approved by the commission by rule;
(5) Motor vehicles registered in an area subject to the inspection requirements of sections 643.300 to 643.355 which are domiciled and operated exclusively in an area of the state not subject to the inspection requirements of sections 643.300 to 643.355, but only if the owner of such vehicle presents to the department an affidavit that the vehicle will be operated exclusively in an area of the state not subject to the inspection requirements of sections 643.300 to 643.355 for the next twenty-four months, and the owner applies for and receives a waiver which shall be presented at the time of registration or registration renewal;
(6) New and unused motor vehicles, of model years of the current calendar year and of any calendar year within two years of such calendar year, which have an odometer reading of less than six thousand miles at the time of original sale by a motor vehicle manufacturer or licensed motor vehicle dealer to the first user; and
(7) Historic motor vehicles registered pursuant to section 301.131, RSMo.
4. The commission may, by rule, allow inspection reciprocity with other states having equivalent or more stringent testing and waiver requirements than those established pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.355.
5. (1) At the time of sale, a licensed motor vehicle dealer, as defined in section 301.550, RSMo, may choose to sell a motor vehicle subject to the inspection requirements of sections 643.300 to 643.355 either:
(a) With prior inspection and approval as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection; or
(b) Without prior inspection and approval as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection.
(2) If the dealer chooses to sell the vehicle with prior inspection and approval, the dealer shall disclose, in writing, prior to sale, whether the vehicle obtained approval by meeting the emissions standards established pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.355 or by obtaining a waiver pursuant to section 643.335. A vehicle sold pursuant to this subdivision by a licensed motor vehicle dealer shall be inspected and approved within the one hundred twenty days immediately preceding the date of sale, and, for the purpose of registration of such vehicle, such inspection shall be considered timely.
(3) If the dealer chooses to sell the vehicle without prior inspection and approval, the purchaser may return the vehicle within ten days of the date of purchase, provided that the vehicle has no more than one thousand additional miles since the time of sale, if the vehicle fails, upon inspection, to meet the emissions standards specified by the commission and the dealer shall have the vehicle inspected and approved without the option for a waiver of the emissions standard and return the vehicle to the purchaser with a valid emissions certificate and sticker within five working days or the purchaser and dealer may enter into any other mutually acceptable agreement. If the dealer chooses to sell the vehicle without prior inspection and approval, the dealer shall disclose conspicuously on the sales contract and bill of sale that the purchaser has the option to return the vehicle within ten days, provided that the vehicle has no more than one thousand additional miles since the time of sale, to have the dealer repair the vehicle and provide an emissions certificate and sticker within five working days if the vehicle fails, upon inspection, to meet the emissions standards established by the commission, or enter into any mutually acceptable agreement with the dealer. A violation of this subdivision shall be an unlawful practice as defined in section 407.020, RSMo. No emissions inspection shall be required pursuant to sections 643.300 to 643.360 for the sale of any motor vehicle which may be sold without a certificate of inspection and approval, as provided pursuant to subsection 2 of section 307.380, RSMo.