OLYMPIA – There are about 111,000 collector vehicles registered in Washington state, and these vehicles are eligible for special “collector plates” that come with restricted uses.
But when a collector vehicle is involved in a traffic stop, the officer conducting the stop can’t access information about the vehicle from the state’s Department of Licensing database. As a result, there is no way to know if the driver is indeed the owner of the vehicle, or whether there are any outstanding warrants. There also is no way to tell if a vehicle’s plate is legal.
Today, the state House took a step towards closing that information loophole by passing House Bill 1933. It directs the Department of Licensing to provide a method by which law enforcement officers may readily access vehicle data for collector vehicles, and makes the use of fake collector plates a misdemeanor.
“This legislation helps protect law enforcement officers , as well as discouraging the skirting of our vehicle licensing laws,” said state Rep. Fred Finn (D – rural Thurston County), who sponsored the measure.
Vehicles have to be at least 30 years old in order to qualify for a collector plate. Vehicle owners pay a one-time registration fee of $35 and are not required to renew the plates. But collector vehicles are only permitted to be used for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and occasional driving.
Finn says the inability to run a “wants and warrants” search on a vehicle plate leaves law enforcement officers without access to important information.
The bill passed the House unanimously, and now heads to the state Senate for consideration.