A Capital Region lawmaker aims to alter the current system of renewing car registrations with the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) every two years. If you own a car, you are familiar with this regular requirement.
Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, a Democrat from Rotterdam, has proposed a new bill aimed at streamlining the vehicle registration process in New York State. The bill seeks to introduce a “one-time, lifetime registration for non-commercial vehicles.” By implementing this legislation, Santabarbara hopes to simplify the registration process and reduce the burden on vehicle owners in the state.
We recently had to renew the registration of one of our Chevy Equinox SUVs used for newsgathering. Like many New Yorkers, it is a regular passenger vehicle with standard license plates. The registration renewal fee for this vehicle came to $65, which is determined based on factors such as vehicle weight and license plate type.
According to data from the state’s data.ny.gov site, there are over 9.2 million registered passenger vehicles in New York, along with almost 240,000 additional passenger vehicles sporting personalized plates. When considering the collective need for registration renewals, the financial implications become significant.
“It’s less [of a] burden on them. They don’t have to remember to go back and re-register. They don’t have to go through that process. You only do it when it’s necessary… You’re not changing plates. The vehicle’s inspected, and it’s in good condition. What’s the reason we’re doing this?… Basically you’re paying a fee to get another sticker,” Santabarbara tells CBS 6.
When CBS 6 reached out to the DMV for a response regarding the bill, the agency declined to comment on pending legislation.
According to Santabarbara, if the proposed bill is approved, it would be a one-of-a-kind legislation in the United States. The safety and emissions regulations for vehicles would remain unchanged, and they would still need to undergo inspections.