It seems that the Oklahoma Legislature, during the 2018 session, enacted a new law regarding the license plates required on all motor vehicles, and possibly some trailers. The story announced that the effective date is July 1. 

That seems strange to me since most laws take effect on November 1 of the year passed.  There has not, until June 17 in the daily paper, been much, if any, publicity about this so it seems desirable that more information be forthcoming.

For those unfamiliar with the licensing law in Oklahoma, the plates were issued to the vehicle and would go with it when sold.  If the vehicle were scrapped then the plate expired and was to be taken out of service.  Now, as in many other states, the plate is issued to the owner and can be transferred to a different unit.  As in many law changes, there are some requirements that could put those uninformed in difficulty with the law.

At the end of the story, on the carry forward to Page A4, a sub-headline states: “Registration must be kept in the car.”  The implication would be or truck, trailer, motorcycle or other licensed unit.  In the past, warnings had been given to me to not keep the registration in the car, for reasoning not at all clear to me.

 That being the case, it will be my practice to photocopy the registration and keep the copy in a file at home, in case the unit, or registration, should be stolen.  It has been my practice to keep a duplicate of the registration in the car just in case.  Having it there is good proof that the car is really mine along with driver license, in case of my being stopped for any reason.

Not too long ago, there was a radio show caller stating that he was stopped, late at night, in a new Mercedes simply because the officer thought it might be stolen because the driver was black.  He stated that he was a university professor and had just purchased the car, and since he had proof of identity, was not detained.  One never knows what might happen.

The story said “officials say the switch will force owners to register ownership changes more timely and simplify the tracking of vehicles.”  Actually, my opinion is that it will make things somewhat simpler for the owners, since upon trading for a different unit, the plate is to be removed and placed on the new one as soon as the title is transferred and the registration change is accomplished.  It further states, “Former owners often find themselves dunned for cars they sold months or even years previously because the new owners never updated the registration.”  That would indicate that the new owners wished to avoid the cost and the possible future liability for their own actions.  And perhaps the new owners in some cases were in the USA illegally or a felon on the run.

It is reported also that the new law allows for, as now, a new car purchase from a dealer will have the paper tag good for 30 days and the registration and title change must be done in that time.  The paper tag can be replaced with the old one when accomplished, or if desired a new tag can be purchased.  There is a cost savings there in using the old tag. If bought not from a dealer, the car can be driven without a tag for five days with a copy of the bill of sale or title carried in the vehicle.

Personally, it seems about time for this change.  It was my experience, living in Colorado for 34 years, to have a license plate stolen off my car.  There, each car has two plates, front and back and only the back one was taken, probably since it had the year sticker on it.  The theft was reported to Denver Police within three days.  A week or so later, a call was received from the car pound that “my car was there.”  Well, the license was on another car which had been towed for illegal parking.  By checking the VIN number, the pound official said I could pick up the license. 

A few weeks later a nasty letter was received from the Denver Police Department about my not paying the charges due on the car.  It was explained to them, in no uncertain terms, that the plate was reported stolen and returned to me by the pound and they would do well to better communicate within the offices.  Nothing more was heard.