Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-18
NEW YORK TRADES
AUTO PRIVILEGES
Nonresident Owners Secure
Same Exemptions as Own
State Grants
APPLIES TO REGISTRATION
Attorney General 0'MaIIey Gives
Construction of CaIIan
Automobile Law
APPLIES TO REGISTRATION

An announcement of more than
ordinary interest to automobilists, non
residents of New York state but VINO
frequently desire to tour within the
borders of the Empire state, is found
in the opinion which has just been
handed down by Hon. Edward X.
O'Malley. attorney general of the state
of New York, in response to request
from Secretary of State Samuel ).
Koenig, who asked the attorney gen.
eral to give his construction of Sec
ton 2S5 of the highway law pertain
ing to the use and operation of motor
vehicles in the state of New York un-
der the Callan automobile law Whlch
took effect on August l.
In the opinion, copies of which have
Just been received, reference is made
by the secretary of state to the last
paragraph of this section of the
article which gives the same eXemp-
tions and privileges in New York state
to nonresident owners as are granted
under the laws of their states to own
ers of motor vehicles who reside IN
New York.
Many states grant permits for vari-
Gus periods of time, from seven days
upward to nonresident owners-some
for a license fee and others without
license fee. The secretary of state de-
sired to learn from the attorney gen
eral if the automobile bureau had
power to issue temporary licenses at
the same fee and to run the same time
as those issued by other states to resi-
dents of New York state. Attorney
General O'Malley, in his opinion, says
that this question should be answered
in the negative He states that sec
tion 285 provides that so much of the
act as relates to the registration of
vehicles shall not apply to such We
hicles as are owned by non-residents
who have complied with the laws of
the state of their residence and who
conspicuously display the registration
numbers of their own states or terri
tories. This section further states that:
1.-THE provisions of this section, how
ever, shall be operative as to a motor
vehicle owned by nonresident OF
this city only to the extent that under
the laws of the foreign country. state,
territory or federal district of his resi-
dence like exemptions and privileges
are granted to motor vehicles duly
registered under the laws of and owned
by residents of this state"
The attorney general very clearly in
dicates the views in this regard, and
the following is quoted from his
opinion:
The words like exemptions and
privileges refer directly to the ex'
emption from registration. That is the
only exemption and privilege granted
by our law. 1t is only granted to resi-
dents of other states and governments
which grant the same to our resi-
dents.
1.-THE only person operating car in
this state who need not register his
vehicles under our law is a resident
of a state, territory or country which
allows residents of this state to operate
their motor vehicles within its boun-
daries without registration. There is
nothing in the statute authorizing
YOUR office to issue temporary licenses
or to grant other special privileges to
non residents"
Some such definite provision of the
motor car license law should be incor-
porated in California statutes this Win
ter. as it would have a tendency to
increase tourist travel to this coast
and would work no hardship to our
own people.