Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that would amend the state Vehicle Code to allow motorcyclists the option of mounting and displaying the vehicle registration plates issued to their motorcycles in a vertical manner. 

My legislation also authorizes the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to produce, upon request, registration plates for motorcycles which display the identifying characters on the plate in a vertical alignment. The Department may charge an additional fee for issuance of those plates.
 
Currently, the Vehicle Code is silent on how a vehicle registration plate may be mounted. However, regulations in Title 67 of the Pennsylvania Code require horizontal mounting of vehicle registration plates and do not give the option for vertical mounting.
 
This legislation is specific to motorcycles. Inserting this provision into the Vehicle Code (Title 75, Pa. C.S.) would serve to supersede regulations in Title 67 and give motorcycle owners latitude in how they choose to mount a registration plate on their motorcycle.
 
Owners of custom-made or vintage motorcycles are sometimes reluctant to mount the registration plate horizontally on the rear fender because doing so interferes with the custom paint job or other custom work done on the cycle. They would like the option of displaying it vertically in a safe and secure manner somewhere on the side of the motorcycle. Many of these owners have approached ABATE, the motorcycle advocacy group, about making this legislative change.
 
ABATE supports my legislation and over the past few years PennDOT has indicated that it would be agreeable to the change. PennDOT also indicated that producing registration plates that display the identifying characters in a vertical alignment is feasible.