Fleet vehicle registration, director to establish system

301.032. Fleet vehicle registration, director to establish system — procedures — special license plates — exempt from inspection requirements, when — leasing company may operate as registered fleet owner, when, requirements — rulemaking authority. — 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 301.030 and 301.035 to the contrary, the director of revenue shall establish a system of registration of all fleet vehicles owned or purchased by a fleet owner registered pursuant to this section. The director of revenue shall prescribe the forms for such fleet registration and the forms and procedures for the registration updates prescribed in this section. Any owner of ten or more motor vehicles which must be registered in accordance with this chapter may register as a fleet owner. All registered fleet owners may, at their option, register all motor vehicles included in the fleet on a calendar year or biennial basis pursuant to this section in lieu of the registration periods provided in sections 301.030, 301.035, and 301.147. The director shall issue an identification number to each registered owner of fleet vehicles.

2. All fleet vehicles included in the fleet of a registered fleet owner shall be registered during April of the corresponding year or on a prorated basis as provided in subsection 3 of this section. Fees of all vehicles in the fleet to be registered on a calendar year basis or on a biennial basis shall be payable not later than the last day of April of the corresponding year, with two years' fees due for biennially-registered vehicles. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 307.355, an application for registration of a fleet vehicle must be accompanied by a certificate of inspection and approval issued no more than one hundred twenty days prior to the date of application. The fees for vehicles added to the fleet which must be licensed at the time of registration shall be payable at the time of registration, except that when such vehicle is licensed between July first and September thirtieth the fee shall be three-fourths the annual fee, when licensed between October first and December thirty-first the fee shall be one-half the annual fee and when licensed on or after January first the fee shall be one-fourth the annual fee. When biennial registration is sought for vehicles added to a fleet, an additional year's annual fee will be added to the partial year's prorated fee.

3. At any time during the calendar year in which an owner of a fleet purchases or otherwise acquires a vehicle which is to be added to the fleet or transfers plates to a fleet vehicle, the owner shall present to the director of revenue the identification number as a fleet number and may register the vehicle for the partial year as provided in subsection 2 of this section. The fleet owner shall also be charged a transfer fee of two dollars for each vehicle so transferred pursuant to this subsection.

4. Except as specifically provided in this subsection, all fleet vehicles registered pursuant to this section shall be issued a special license plate which shall have the words "Fleet Vehicle" in place of the words "Show-Me State" in the manner prescribed by the advisory committee established in section 301.129*. Alternatively, for a one-time additional five dollar per-vehicle fee beyond the regular registration fee, a fleet owner of at least fifty fleet vehicles may apply for fleet license plates bearing a company name or logo, the size and design thereof subject to approval by the director. All fleet license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130. Fleet vehicles shall be issued multiyear license plates as provided in this section which shall not require issuance of a renewal tab. Upon payment of appropriate registration fees, the director of revenue shall issue a registration certificate or other suitable evidence of payment of the annual or biennial fee, and such evidence of payment shall be carried at all times in the vehicle for which it is issued.

5. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 307.350 to 307.390 to the contrary, a fleet vehicle registered in Missouri is exempt from the requirements of sections 307.350 to 307.390 if at the time of the annual fleet registration, such fleet vehicle is situated outside the state of Missouri.

6. (1) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, any person, company, or corporation engaged in the business of renting or leasing three thousand five hundred or more motor vehicles which are to be used exclusively for rental or leasing purposes and not for resale that has applied to the director of revenue for authority to operate as a lease or rental company as prescribed in section 144.070 may operate as a registered fleet owner as prescribed in the provisions of this subsection to subsection 10 of this section.

(2) The director of revenue may issue license plates after presentment of an application, as designed by the director, and payment of an annual fee of three hundred sixty dollars for the first ten plates and thirty-six dollars for each additional plate. The payment and issuance of such plates shall be in lieu of registering each motor vehicle with the director as otherwise provided by law.

(3) The registration fees for vehicles in the registered fleet owner's fleet shall be fully payable at the time such plates are ordered, except that when such plate is ordered after the first month of registration, the fees payable shall be prorated by the month the plates were ordered. When biennial registration is sought, an additional year's annual fee shall be added to the partial year's prorated fee.

(4) Such motor vehicles within the fleet shall not be exempted from the safety inspection and emissions inspection provisions as prescribed in chapters 307 and 643, but notwithstanding the provisions of section 307.355, such inspections shall not be required to be presented to the director of revenue.

7. A recipient of a lease or rental company license issued by the director of revenue as prescribed in section 144.070 operating as a registered fleet owner under this section shall register such fleet with the director of revenue on an annual or biennial basis in lieu of the individual motor vehicle registration periods as prescribed in sections 301.030, 301.035, and 301.147. If an applicant elects a biennial fleet registration, the annual fleet license plate fees prescribed in subdivision (1) of subsection 6 of this section shall be doubled. An agent fee as prescribed in subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of section 136.055 shall apply to the issuance of fleet registrations issued under subsections 6 to 10 of this section, and if a biennial fleet registration is elected, the agent fee shall be collected in an amount equal to the fee for two years.

8. Prior to the issuance of fleet license plates under subsections 6 to 10 of this section, the applicant shall provide proof of insurance as required under section 303.024 or 303.026.

9. The authority of a recipient of a lease or rental company license issued by the director of revenue as prescribed in section 144.070 to operate as a fleet owner as provided in this section shall expire on January first of the licensure period.

10. A lease or rental company operating fleet license plates issued under subsections 6 to 10 of this section shall make available, upon request, to the director of revenue and all Missouri law enforcement agencies any corresponding vehicle and registration information that may be requested as prescribed by rule.

11. The director shall make all necessary rules and regulations for the administration of this section and shall design all necessary forms required by this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly under chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2019, shall be invalid and void.