OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS **AUSTIN**

Eoonorabls

Julian &ontgomery state Klghway Engineer Auntin, Texas

zmar sir:

1040, in whloh yo determined that its buses only request our an letter le.

toll 

### er of Earoh e0, y 

### Departaeptha* s may ragirter n rach faot, you llet

### out ln your

that the All Amerlean Bus Lines e prinoipal

## 0frh intbts other knowing that no aotor bgr company egal residenoe or prinoipal orribe r oounty, is it the duty of the El@- at, undar suoh siroumstances, to supply the Tax Oolleotor or thfs other oountrwith bus plates for the All Amerloan Bus Lines oimplr beoauca a requesthas been made of the Qepartamnt bg the Tax Colleotor of this 

### othsroountg iOr such plates in order to register the busee of the All Amerioan Bus Linea:Honorable fulian t:ontgoaory, page 2

"(0) Ii your answer to question (b) 18 in the affirmtire, thenwhat is the duty of the Highway Department should still another ooonty regueat bus plates in order to register the buss8 of the All 

### Anerioan 31s Lines? Alao lniom us as to the duty oi the Highway Department should every county in Texas request an unllmlted aupply **or** 

### motor Im~iplatee.-
In oplnlon NO. O-SOW, 

### addressedto yoqyi3u will reoallourm~ling as follows, in ooanectionwith the authority of the Highway Department:

"'9.what, 1.t

.any,la the authority or the Righwar Department 

### to determined.lrputedolaselrlcatlons or rahloles and other quwtlonr lnvolrlng aonstruotion of the re&stratlon lawa which 

### arlae tramtime to time?* wArtlale 66OSa,Vernon'a Annotated Civil Statutes, places the datr of 

### motorvehlele reglstration 'uponthe state Iil@tuy Department. When the oounty tax oolleotor 

### aot8,he aotronly a8 agentof raidDepartment. Article 

### Q678a-8, mwra, prorlder, in partr

‘ I
. . #hall apply each Jbar to the State Wgl~y Depament through the 

### cocntytax eol-

. . . •.~. *Artlole 6675a-12, Vernon*6 Annotated Civil Statuter,prorldea, in part3 WiThe Dq?artment 8hall lame, or cause to be **lsmue6,** to the owner or l 

### aohrehlole reglstereQ tut4er the prorieio~ 0r t&26 Aef a liaame reaelptwhleh aha&& lndleate.
. f *Article bWSa-13, Vernon's Aanotated Civil Statuter, yroridee, in part: "'The Departlnent8hall **isrue** or **06we** to be 

### lasued,ene lioenae number plate for saoh aotor OJOlC),

road tnotor, trailer 

### or eeml-txaiSer, and two lloense aumber plates for 

### any other rehl6le registered under this Aot.
. . .*

## 474

gonorable Julian koutgomry, Sage 3

"TheAot also provide4 for the applleatlon to be Lade to the oouuty tax oolleotorwho Is the ouly one authorleed to reoelve the lloense fees provided in the Aot. *Itmay be seen iron the above quoted provisions of the A!otor Vehlole RegistrationAot that the-;qppfIoatfon Is made to the State Filghway Departzstikwho I4 to 14aue a license reoelpt and lloenee plates. Nowhere in the AOt 1s it providedwhose word 16 to be final in case of disputed cla66ItioatIonof vehioles. From the above Quoted statuteswhich plaoe the 

### duty on the State Highway Department to reoelve the applioation and to lasue the license plates and the license receipts,w6 are of the opinion that the State Highway Department 1s the proper authority to detemlne disputed clasalrlcatIonof vehicles. It I# evident throughout the Aat that the tax collector 1smerely aotlng as agent 

### for the State HIghway Department. Your attention Is further oklled to the faat that the ouly tIn6 that It beoomee neoe44ary ror the applloatlon to be subxltted to the state Highway Department 

### for said Department*8 approval before lloense plates may be Issued I4 in on48 of vehiclesnhloh 

### are the property of theUnited States (;overnment or the State of Texas or any oounty or olty thereof. Artiole 6675a-3aa 40 spealfloally provides. =@hlle the Aot taksn aa a whole probably oontemplates t&et the countytax oolleotor 1s to issue the licenee reoelpt upon applloatlon reoelved by hIa, the Act plaoes the duty of the enforoemnt of the sahe upon the State El&may Departmentwhich Depart&e& should be the final aut.horIty

In the settlessnt of dlsputsd olasslfloatIons. "The authority disoussed ln oonneotlonwith this question 1s a8 between the state Highway Department and the oounty tax oolleotor.hothing herein shall be oonatruedas $rohlbltingan appeal by a motor tiehlole owner from a ruling OS the Highway Department to the courts of this State." In amswer to your question (a) it 1s our opinion that the Highway Departaertt having deterazlnedthat the buses

## 475

Honorable Julian ~ontgomarj, mge 4

of the All A&erican Bue L1n.m should be registerad in Dall~~e county, it then brooms the duty of raid Departstent to uup

### plytheTaxcolh4ator ofDallas Countywith licemm plats8 for the regis:ratlon of 8UOh boaam.

In answer to your qued.ionMO. **b** you am advised that basedupon the foot8 8tated, it 1s not the **duty OS**  rour Departmoat to 8eadmotor **buo** ~lodnae platesto this other county for the reglrtratlonof the buaea la question **in said**  **county, which**  **regirtratlon would**  **be, am** **you** state, rmsuthorlitea

by law. Aa wa here atUiw8red your quartioa 100. b in tb 

### Itire your queatioaNo. o door not need to be amwerd. Your8 very truly ATTORBXY CXNrtHAL

OF TEXASJ



# *G,-

ATTOFSEYGENERALOF TEXAS