Evening star., 1923-02-19
SAYS LAW FORB|DS
REGISTERING AUTOS
L. L. Young Declares 1917
Acts Protects 0ut-of-ToW
Motorists.
STATUTE STILL IN EFFECT
Insists Carrying of Extra Tag Can
not Be Enforced Under
Its Provisions.
STATUTE STILL IN EFFECT
To the Editor Of The Star;

In your tSSuo OF the loIn lnStdHI IL
was reported that the District traff1c
bureau will require some 5000 non
resident motorists to carry on their
cars, after March /, q tag showing reg
istration at the bureau within three
days after arrival In the District, in
addition to the tags Of the states of
| which the motorists are legal residents.
1t was further reported that If the
cars Of such motorists are still here
after expiration Of the period Of re-
| ciprocity." stated to vary from ten
days to six months, according to the
various state laws, the nonresident
| motorists will be required TO buy and
display District tags.
Banned by Congress.
In this connection attention is direct
ed to an act OF Congress, approved
March 8, 1917, reprinted in the pam
phlet containing the District traffic regu-
! la atoms, which specifically states that
, non residents will not be required TO
register or secure operators permits
| from the District. or display on their
cars District Identification numbers. II
such residents have complied with
| the laws Of the states Of which they
are legal residents. provided such states
extend similar privileges to residents OF
the District.
AS the statute has not been repealed
! il is doubtful II the enforcement OF the
new regulation would be legal, espe-
cially where no time limit is specineo
| in the state and District laws as 70
the period Of reciprocity.
Table of States
The following table, compiled by the
a.. NIB hix,h
issues operators licenses and tags to
motorists Of that state. shows that the
period Of reciprocity varies from TWEEN
ty-f four hours in California to SIX months
in some other states, while the laws OF
some other states do not designate the
period, it evidently being indefinite or
dependent upon the time allowed by the
other jurisdictions:'
Alabama, reciprocal; Arizona
months; Arkansas, 80 days; California
"a hours (register with sheriff 80 days
free); Colorado, 80 days; Connecticut
Is days; District of Columbia, recipro
cal: Delaware, reciprocal; Florida
| reciprocal; Georgia, 80 days. Idaho
reciprocal: Illinois: months; In
diana. 60 days; Iowa, reciprocal
Kansas, so days; Kentucky, recip.
rocal; Louisiana, reciprocal: Maine, 81
! days: Massachusetts. reciprocal; Michi'
| gan, 90, days: Minnesota, 10 days treg.
I lister Win sneTln ~ oaSS 1Ieel' hiSSis'
| sippt. 80 days; Missouri. 80 days; Ne.
| braska. 80 days; Nevada. 80 days: New
Hampshire, 20 days: New Jersey. Is
days; New Mexico. 80 days; North Car
olina, so days: North Dakota, 80 days
Ohio, reciprocal: Oklahoma. 50 days;
Ontario. Il days; Pennsylvania. recip-
rocal; Quebec. 90 days (regtster upon
arrival with motor vehicle bureau, no
fee); Rhode Island. reciprocal; South
Carolina. 80 days; South Dakota, recip-
rocal; Tennessee, 30 days; Texas, 80
days; Utah, 80 days: Vermont, recipro-
cal; Virginia. reciprocal: Washington,
80 days; West Virginia months; Wis.,
consin, reciprocal; Wyoming. 80 days:
Porto Rico, 5 days: the Panama Canal
Zone. SO cents for 80 days.
the New York state motor vehicle
bureau, does not state the reciprocity
periods OF all the states, Maryland
and a few others being omitted from
the list.
Defines Reciprocity Period.
The reciprocity period is defined by
New York as follows:
Under the provisions OF the (New
York; motor vehicle law. a car
registered by and displaying registra-
tfon numbers of another state may
| be operated in New York state for the
| same length Of time granted by that
state to cars registered under the
laws Of and owned by residents OF
New York state"
| According to the above table It ap-
pears that cars from Massachusetts.
Pennsylvania, New York and certain
other states would be permitted to
remain In the District indefinitely.
while cars from California, Colorado,
Maine and other states would be
limited to remain in the District for
the time Indicated
Some Pay Double.
Evidently residents Of the District
should not be required to purchase
District tags If such residents main
tain 4 voting residence in the states.
. .washinRtonians who claim legal resi-
dence in the states are required by
some states to pay a state income or
other tax, in addition to federal in
come tax, and tax to District on
personality.
If cars Of such residents are regis
tered in both the states and the Dis
: trict the owners will be required to
| tax on their automobiles, in addition
to the fees for tags and permits.
There is justification In requiring
! the residents of one state residing in
/ another state to purchase tags OF the
state in which they are actually re-
|
| warrant for so doing In the case Of
the District in view OF the fact that
; the federal government contributes
| toward the cost OF upkeep OF the Dis
/ trict and that the community has no
| voice in its municipal government,
/; except through It's representatives
from the states Of which they are
legal residents.
| CentraIized Rules Needed.
| Again where residents Of one state
reside in another for certain period
legal residence is forfeited upon GER
| tain conditions. such as voting in the
state in which actually residing, while
such forfeiture cannot be incurred by
! residence in the District.
| The conflicting reciprocity periods
and regulations Of the various states
POSSIBLY may make necessary in the
future centralized regulation similar
| to that of interstate commerce. stan
dardIzation of registration and Is
suance Of license tags and operators
permits good anywhere, as advocated
by the Emo Foundation for Highway
Traffic Regulation, would probably
prove the most satisfactory solution
Of the problem. Very truly youSs.
] LEWIS L. YOUNG