321.19 - EXEMPTIONS -- DISTINGUISHING PLATES -- DEFINITIONS OF URBAN TRANSIT COMPANY AND REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.

        321.19  EXEMPTIONS -- DISTINGUISHING PLATES --      DEFINITIONS OF URBAN TRANSIT COMPANY AND REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.         1.  All vehicles owned or leased for a period of sixty days or      more by the government and used in the transaction of official      business by the representatives of foreign governments or by      officers, boards, or departments of the government of the United      States, and by the state, counties, municipalities and other      political subdivisions of the state including vehicles used by an      urban transit company operated by a municipality or a regional      transit system, and self-propelling vehicles used neither for the      conveyance of persons for hire, pleasure, or business nor for the      transportation of freight other than those used by an urban transit      company operated by a municipality or a regional transit system, all      fire trucks, providing they are not owned and operated for a      pecuniary profit, and authorized emergency vehicles used only in      disaster relief owned and operated by an organization not operated      for pecuniary profit, are exempted from the payment of the      registration fees imposed by this chapter, except as provided for      urban transit companies in subsection 2, but are not exempt from the      penalties provided in this chapter.         The department shall furnish, on application, free of charge,      distinguishing plates for vehicles thus exempted, which plates except      plates on state patrol vehicles shall bear the word "official" and      the department shall keep a separate record.  Registration plates      issued for state patrol vehicles, except unmarked patrol vehicles,      shall bear two red stars on a yellow background, one before and one      following the registration number on the plate, which registration      number shall be the officer's badge number.  Registration plates      issued for county sheriff's patrol vehicles shall display one      seven-pointed gold star followed by the letter "S" and the call      number of the vehicle.  However, the director of the department of      administrative services or the director of transportation may order      the issuance of regular registration plates for any exempted vehicle      used by peace officers in the enforcement of the law, persons      enforcing chapter 124 and other laws relating to controlled      substances, persons in the department of justice, the alcoholic      beverages division of the department of commerce, disease      investigators of the Iowa department of public health, the department      of inspections and appeals, and the department of revenue, who are      regularly assigned to conduct investigations which cannot reasonably      be conducted with a vehicle displaying "official" state registration      plates, persons in the Iowa lottery authority whose regularly      assigned duties relating to security or the carrying of lottery      tickets cannot reasonably be conducted with a vehicle displaying      "official" registration plates, persons in the department of economic      development who are regularly assigned duties relating to existing      industry expansion or business attraction, and mental health      professionals or health care professionals who provide off-site or      in-home medical or mental health services to clients of publicly      funded programs.  For purposes of sale of exempted vehicles, the      exempted governmental body, upon the sale of the exempted vehicle,      may issue for in-transit purposes a pasteboard card bearing the words      "Vehicle in Transit", the name of the official body from which the      vehicle was purchased, together with the date of the purchase plainly      marked in at least one-inch letters, and other information required      by the department.  The in-transit card is valid for use only within      forty-eight hours after the purchase date as indicated on the bill of      sale which shall be carried by the driver.         2.  "Urban transit company" means any person, firm,      corporation, company, or municipality which operates buses or trolley      cars or both, primarily upon the streets of cities over well-defined      routes between certain termini, for the transportation of passengers      for a uniform fare, and which accepts for passengers all who present      themselves for transportation without discrimination up to the limit      of the capacity of each vehicle.  Included are street railways,      plants, equipment, property, and rights, used and useful in the      transportation of passengers.  Motor carriers and interurbans subject      to the jurisdiction of the state department of transportation, and      taxicabs, are not included.         The department, in accordance with subsection 1, shall furnish      distinguishing plates for vehicles used by urban transit companies      operated by a municipality.  No other provision of law providing for      the payment of taxes, registration, or license fees for vehicles      shall be applicable to any bus, car, or vehicle for the      transportation of passengers owned and operated by any urban transit      company.         Chapter 326 is not applicable to urban transit companies or      systems.         3.  "Regional transit system" means a public transit system      serving one county or all or part of a multicounty area whose      boundaries correspond to the same boundaries as those of the regional      planning areas designated by the governor, except as agreed upon by      the department.  Each county board of supervisors within the region      is responsible for determining the service and funding within its      county.  However, the administration and overhead support services      for the overall regional transit system shall be consolidated into      one existing or new agency to be mutually agreed upon by the      participating members.  Privately chartered bus services and uses      other than providing services that are open and public on a shared      ride basis shall not be construed to be a regional transit system.      
         Section History: Early Form
         [C24, 27, 31, 35, § 4867, 4922; C39, § 5001.03; C46, 50, 54,      58, 62, § 321.19; C66, 71, 73, § 321.19, 386C.1--386C.3; C75, 77, 79,      81, § 321.19] 
         Section History: Recent Form
         83 Acts, ch 40, § 1; 84 Acts, ch 1253, § 1--3; 85 Acts, ch 67, §      34; 85 Acts, ch 115, § 2; 86 Acts, ch 1042, § 10; 92 Acts, ch 1244, §      41; 95 Acts, ch 118, § 5; 96 Acts, ch 1034, § 19; 96 Acts, ch 1066, §      1; 96 Acts, ch 1211, § 33; 97 Acts, ch 104, §6; 97 Acts, ch 158, §1;      98 Acts, ch 1028, §1; 98 Acts, ch 1074, §21; 99 Acts, ch 141, § 37;      2003 Acts, ch 145, §244; 2003 Acts, ch 178, §109, 121; 2003 Acts, ch      179, §142; 2005 Acts, ch 35, §31; 2006 Acts, ch 1022, §1; 2008 Acts,      ch 1113, §49         Referred to in § 8A.362, 321.39, 321.166, 321E.11, 331.557, 721.8         See also § 8A.362, 321.170