Amends existing law to provide for a printed copy of a registration card for vehicles.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 629 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DEFENSE COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION; AMENDING SECTION 49-202, IDAHO CODE,2 TO REVISE A PROVISION REGARDING REPLACEMENT OF PHYSICAL REGISTRATION;3 AMENDING SECTION 49-427, IDAHO CODE, TO ALLOW AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT OF4 REGISTRATION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE5 DATE.6

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:7

SECTION 1. That Section 49-202, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby8 amended to read as follows:9 49-202. DUTIES OF DEPARTMENT. (1) All registration and driver's li-10 cense records in the office of the department shall be public records and11 open to inspection by the public during normal business hours, except for12 those records declared by law to be for the confidential use of the depart-13 ment, or those records containing personal information subject to restric-14 tions or conditions regarding disclosure. If the department has contracted15 for a service to be provided by another entity, an additional fee shall be16 charged by that contractor whether the service is rendered during normal17 business hours, other than normal business hours or on weekends.18 (2) In addition to other fees required by law to be collected by the de-19 partment, the department shall collect the following:20 (a) For certifying a copy of any record pertaining to any vehicle li-21 cense, any certificate of title, or any driver's license ....... $14.0022 (b) For issuing every Idaho certificate of title .............. $14.0023 (c) For furnishing a duplicate copy of any Idaho certificate24 of title ................................................... $14.0025 (d) For issuance or transfer of every certificate of title on a new or26 used vehicle or other titled vehicle in an expedited manner (rush ti-27 tles), in addition to any other fee required by this section .... $26.0028 (e) For recording a transitional ownership document, in addition to any29 other fee required by this section ........................... $26.0030 (f) For furnishing a replacement of any physical receipt31 of registration ............................................. $5.0032 (g) For furnishing copies of registration or ownership of motor vehi-33 cles or driver's license records, per vehicle registration, accident34 report records, title or per driver's license record ........... $7.0035 Additional contractor fee, not to exceed ...................... $4.0036 (h) For services in searching files of vehicle or other37 registrations, vehicle titles, or driver's licenses per hour .. $18.0038 (i) Placing "stop" cards in vehicle registration or title39 files, each ................................................ $21.0040 (j) For issuance of an assigned or replacement vehicle41 identification number (VIN) ................................. $18.0042

2 (k) For a vehicle identification number (VIN) inspection whether con-1 ducted by a city or county peace officer or any other peace officer or2 designated agent of the state of Idaho, per inspection .......... $5.003 (l) For all replacement registration stickers, each ........... $2.004 (m) For issuing letters of temporary vehicle clearance5 to Idaho-based motor carriers ............................... $18.006 (n) For all sample license plates, each .......................$21.007 (o) For filing release of liability statements ................ $3.508 (p) For safety and insurance programs for each vehicle operated9 by a motor carrier ........................................... $3.0010 A lesser amount may be set by rule of the board.11 (3) The fees required in this section shall not apply when the service12 is furnished to any federal, state, county or city peace officer when such13 service is required in the performance of their duties as peace officers.14 (4) The department may enter into agreements with private companies or15 public entities to provide the services for which a fee is collected in sub-16 section (2)(g) of this section. Such private contractor shall collect the17 fee prescribed and remit the fee to the department. The contractor shall18 also collect and retain the additional fee charged for his services.19 (5)(a) The department shall pay three dollars ($3.00) of the fee col-20 lected by a county assessor or other authorized agent of the department21 as provided in subsection (2)(a) through (f) of this section, and four22 dollars ($4.00) as provided in subsection (2)(g) of this section, to23 the county assessor or sheriff of the county or authorized agent of24 the department collecting such fee, which shall be deposited with the25 county treasurer and credited to the county current expense fund when26 collected by the county. When fees are collected by the department or an27 authorized agent of the department, such fees shall be deposited with28 the issuing entity. The remainder of the fees collected as provided in29 that subsection shall be paid by the department to the state treasurer30 and placed in the state highway account.31 (b) The fee collected under subsection (2)(k) of this section for a VIN32 inspection shall be placed in the city general fund if conducted by a33 city peace officer, in the county current expense fund if conducted by a34 county peace officer, shall be retained by the special agent authorized35 to perform the inspection, or paid to the state treasurer and placed to36 the credit of the Idaho state police if conducted by the Idaho state po-37 lice or in the state highway account if conducted by the department.38 (c) The fee collected under subsection (2)(o) of this section for fil-39 ing release of liability statements shall be retained by the county as-40 sessor of the county collecting such fee and shall be deposited with the41 county treasurer and credited to the county current expense fund. Any42 fees collected by the department for filing release of liability state-43 ments shall be retained by the department. However, the fees provided44 for in subsection (2)(o) of this section shall not apply when a transac-45 tion is filed electronically with the department.46 (d) The fee in subsection (2)(m) of this section shall not apply when47 the Idaho-based motor carrier or its representative obtains and prints48 the document using internet access.49

3 (e) The fee collected under subsection (2)(p) of this section for mo-1 tor carriers shall be paid by the department to the state treasurer and2 placed in the state highway account. The director and the director of3 the Idaho state police shall jointly determine the amount to be trans-4 ferred from the state highway account to the law enforcement fund for5 motor carrier safety programs conducted by the Idaho state police pur-6 suant to the provisions of section 67-2901A, Idaho Code.7 (6) The department as often as practicable may provide to law enforce-8 ment agencies the record of suspensions and revocations of driver licenses9 via the public safety and security information system (ILETS).10 (7) The department shall provide the forms prescribed in chapter 5 of11 this title, shall receive and file in its office in Ada county all instru-12 ments required in chapter 5 of this title to be filed with the department,13 shall prescribe a uniform method of numbering certificates of title, and14 shall maintain in the department indices for such certificates of title. All15 indices shall be by motor or identification number and alphabetical by name16 of the owner.17 (8) The department shall file each registration received under a18 distinctive registration number assigned to the vehicle and to the owner19 thereof.20 (9) The department shall not renew a driver's license or identification21 card when fees required by law have not been paid or where fees for past pe-22 riods are due, owing and unpaid including insufficient fund checks, until23 those fees have been paid.24 (10) The department shall not grant the registration of a vehicle when:25 (a) The applicant is not entitled to registration under the provisions26 of this title; or27 (b) The applicant has neglected or refused to furnish the department28 with the information required in the appropriate form or reasonable ad-29 ditional information required by the department; or30 (c) The fees required by law have not been paid, or where fees for past31 registration periods are due, owing and unpaid including insufficient32 fund checks.33 (11) The department or its authorized agents have the authority to re-34 quest any person to submit to medical, vision, highway, or written examina-35 tions, to protect the safety of the public upon the highways. The depart-36 ment or its authorized agents may exercise such authority based upon evi-37 dence which may include, but is not limited to, observations made.38 (12) The department shall revoke the registration of any vehicle:39 (a) Which the department shall determine is unsafe or unfit to be oper-40 ated or is not equipped as required by law;41 (b) Whenever the person to whom the registration card or registration42 plate has been issued shall make or permit to be made any unlawful use of43 the same or permit their use by a person not entitled thereto;44 (c) For any violation of vehicle registration requirements by the owner45 or operator in the current or past registration periods;46 (d) Whenever a motor carrier requests revocation, or whenever an inter-47 state carrier's federal operating authority has been revoked;48 (e) For failure of the owner or operator to file the reports required49 or nonpayment of audit assessments or fees assessed against the owner by50

4 the department or the state tax commission pursuant to audit under the1 provisions of section 49-439, Idaho Code;2 (f) Identified by any city or county administering a program estab-3 lished by ordinance for the inspection and readjustment of motor vehi-4 cles (which program is part of an approved state implementation plan5 adopted by both the state and federal governments under 42 U.S.C. 7410)6 as having failed to comply with an ordinance requiring motor vehicle7 emission inspection and readjustment; provided that no vehicle shall be8 identified to the department under this subsection unless:9 (i) The city or county certifies to the department that the owner10 of the motor vehicle has been given notice and had the opportunity11 for a hearing concerning compliance with the ordinance and has ex-12 hausted all remedies and appeals from any determination made at13 such hearing; and14 (ii) The city or county reimburses the department for all direct15 costs associated with the registration revocation procedure.16 (13) The department shall not reregister or permit a vehicle to oper-17 ate on a special trip permit until all fees, penalties and interest have been18 paid.19 (14) The department shall institute educational programs, demonstra-20 tions, exhibits and displays.21 (15) The department shall cancel a driver's license or identification22 card when fees required by law have not been paid or where fees are due, owing23 and unpaid including insufficient fund checks, until those fees have been24 paid.25 (16) The department shall examine persons and vehicles by written,26 oral, vision and skills tests without compulsion except as provided by law.27 (17) The department shall employ expert and special help as needed in28 the department.29 (18) The department shall compile accident statistics and disseminate30 information relating to those statistics.31 (19) The department shall cooperate with the United States in the elimi-32 nation of road hazards, whether of a physical, visual or mental character.33 (20) The department shall place and maintain traffic-control devices,34 conforming to the board's manual and specifications, upon all state highways35 as it shall deem necessary to indicate and to carry out the provisions of this36 title or to regulate, warn, or guide traffic. No local authority shall place37 or maintain any traffic-control device upon any highway under the jurisdic-38 tion of the department except by the latter's permission. The placement and39 maintenance of such a traffic-control device by a local authority shall be40 made according to the board's manual and specifications for a uniform system41 of traffic-control devices.42 (21) The department may conduct an investigation of any bridge or other43 elevated structure constituting a part of a highway, and, if it shall find44 that the structure cannot with safety to itself withstand vehicles travel-45 ing at a speed otherwise permissible under this title, shall determine and46 declare the maximum speed of vehicles which the structure can safely with-47 stand, and shall cause or permit suitable signs stating the maximum speed to48 be erected and maintained before each end of the structure.49

5 (22) Whenever the department shall determine on the basis of an engi-1 neering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any highway or part of2 a highway impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the depart-3 ment may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which no person4 shall drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compli-5 ance with law, and that limit shall be effective when posted upon appropriate6 fixed or variable signs.7 (23) The department shall regulate or prohibit the use of any con-8 trolled-access highway by any class or kind of traffic which is found to be9 incompatible with the normal and safe movement of traffic.10 (24) The department shall erect and maintain traffic-control devices on11 controlled-access highways on which any prohibitions are applicable.12 (25) The department and local authorities are authorized to determine13 those portions of any highway under their respective jurisdictions where14 overtaking and passing or driving on the left side of the roadway would be15 especially hazardous and may by appropriate signs or markings on the roadway16 indicate the beginning and end of those zones and when signs or markings are17 in place and clearly visible to an ordinarily observant person, every driver18 of a vehicle shall obey those directions.19 (26) The department and local authorities in their respective juris-20 dictions may in their discretion issue special permits authorizing the21 operation upon a highway of traction engines or tractors having movable22 tracks with transverse corrugations upon the periphery of the movable tracks23 or farm tractors or other farm machinery, the operation of which upon a high-24 way would otherwise be prohibited under this title or title 40, Idaho Code.25 (27) The department and local highway authorities within their respec-26 tive jurisdictions may place official traffic-control devices prohibiting,27 limiting or restricting the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles on any28 highway where such stopping, standing or parking is dangerous to those using29 the highway or where the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles unduly in-30 terferes with the free movement of traffic thereon.31 (28) On any informational material printed after July 1, 1995, by or at32 the order of the department and distributed to counties, school districts33 or individuals for the purpose of assisting a person to successfully pass34 a driver's license test, the department shall include material about the35 state's open range law and responsibilities, liabilities and obligations of36 drivers driving in the open range.37 (29) All employees, agents, and contractors of the department who have38 access to the source systems used by the division of motor vehicles shall be39 required to complete data security compliance training and to pass a federal40 bureau of investigation criminal background check. The department shall ad-41 minister access to and provide for the training required pursuant to this42 subsection.43

SECTION 2. That Section 49-427, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby44 amended to read as follows:45 49-427. REGISTRATION CARD TO BE CARRIED. The registration card issued46 for a vehicle required to be registered by the provisions of this chapter47 shall, while the vehicle is being operated upon a highway, be in the posses-48 sion of the driver or carried in the vehicle and be subject to inspection by49

6 any peace officer. For drivers of commercial vehicles registered pursuant1 to section 49-434 or 49-435, Idaho Code, For purposes of this section, an2 electronic format of the registration card is permitted.3

SECTION 3. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby4 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after5 July 1, 2026.6