Amendment 2025-0791s to SB157 (2025)

Relative to inspection and registration of certain fleet vehicles and necessary amendments and administrative rules regarding the state implementation plan.


Revision: March 10, 2025, 10:35 a.m.

Senate Transportation

March 6, 2025

2025-0791s

08/09

 

 

Amendment to SB 157-FN

 

Amend the bill by replacing all after section 1 with the following:

 

2  Rental Fleet Passenger Vehicle Inspection.  Amend RSA 266:1, II-IV to read as follows:

II.  Any vehicle registered under this title, except an OHRV, snowmobile, moped, roadable aircraft, or other exempt vehicle, shall be inspected once a year, except as provided in paragraph IV-a, during the month in which the birth date of the owner is observed, if the owner is a natural person.  An inspection sticker shall be valid for the same duration as the vehicle's registration, which shall not exceed 16 months.  If the month in which the anniversary of the owner's birth occurs will be one of the next 4 months, an inspection sticker may be issued, with an expiration date of the birth month in the following year, of the first person named on the title application.  Nothing in this paragraph shall require any person who has registered and had inspected a vehicle with temporary plates to have the vehicle reinspected upon receipt of permanent motor vehicle plates.  An inspection sticker shall not expire when a vehicle is transferred to a licensed dealer.

II-a.  Notwithstanding RSA 266:1, II, and except as provided in paragraph IV-a, if the month in which the anniversary of the owner's birth occurs will be one of the next 4 months, and the vehicle owner provides written verification of absence from New Hampshire during the entire anniversary month, an inspection sticker may be issued, with an expiration date of the birth month in the following year, of the first person named on the title application.

III.  If the owner of the vehicle is a company or corporation or other than a natural person, the annual inspection shall be made during the month designated by the director as the registration month for such legal entity.  Vehicles registered as antique motor vehicles and antique motorcycles and which are 40 years old and over shall be inspected biennially.  Antique motor vehicles and custom vehicles shall be inspected in the month of May.  Without regard to the owner's birth date or registration month, motorcycles, autocycles, and recreational vehicles shall be inspected annually by July 1.

IV.  Notwithstanding paragraphs II and III, and except as provided in paragraph IV-a, newly registered vehicles, other than vehicles transferred to a licensed dealer, OHRVs, snowmobiles, mopeds, roadable aircraft, and vehicles, other than vehicles transferred to a licensed dealer, OHRVs, snowmobiles, mopeds, and roadable aircraft, the ownership of which has been transferred, shall be inspected not later than 10 days after the registration or transfer of ownership of said vehicle.  However, if a new vehicle other than one described in paragraph IV-a is purchased at retail from a licensed dealer, as defined in RSA 259:18, the vehicle shall be inspected not later than 20 days after the date of transfer.  A used vehicle for which a dealer has issued a 20-day plate pursuant to RSA 261:109 shall be inspected by the dealer or an authorized inspection station on behalf of the dealer at the time of the attachment of the plate unless a valid inspection sticker issued by the dealer is in place, in which case the vehicle shall be inspected within 20 days or before the sticker expires, whichever occurs first.  All other expired motor vehicle inspections shall be subject to the 10-day grace period in RSA 266:5.

IV-a.  A fleet vehicle that is registered as part of the rental fleet registration program pursuant to RSA 261:40-b and which was purchased within one year prior to or during the vehicle’s model year shall be inspected upon purchase and not again until the common annual expiration date in the second year after purchase.  The vehicle shall bear an inspection sticker that indicates the vehicle is in compliance with inspection regulations.

IV-b.  No later than 60 days after the effective date of this paragraph, the commissioner of the department of safety shall make rules relative to the establishment and administration of the rental fleet passenger vehicle program established in RSA 261:40-b and the waiver of registration in paragraph IV-a.

IV-c.  As soon as practicable, the department of environmental services shall submit an amendment to the state implementation plan to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for approval.

3  Contingency.  Sections 1 and 2 of this act shall take effect when the commissioner of the department of environmental services certifies to the director of the office of legislative services that the United States Environmental Protection Agency has approved amendments to the state SIP as it relates to the rental fleet registration program established in RSA 261:40-b.

4  Effective Date.

I.  Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect as provided in section 3.

II.  The remainder of this act shall take effect upon passage.