By Mike Aguilar
There’s been so much legislation that we feel is important to the automotive hobbyist community this week that we didn’t have enough room to mention everything in a single update. There are two important pieces of legislation out of New Hampshire and another out of Alabama that we need to look at. Let’s check out the Alabama legislation first, and then head over to New Hampshire and take a look at what they’re considering.
Alabama Senate Bill 281 Will Exempt Older Cars from Certificate of Title Requirements
Alabama Senate Bill 281 recognizes that finding a title for older cars like this can be nearly impossible.
Alabama’s Senate Bill 281 has been written to help automotive hobbyists/enthusiasts who don’t have a certificate of title for their older cars. Alabama law already exempts cars that were built prior to model year 1975 from titling requirements. This bill will change the wording of the current law so that any car that is 35 years or more from its date of manufacture from being required to have a certificate of title. This acknowledges the fact that it is sometimes there is no certificate of title available for cars of this age.
If passed, the law would also change Alabama motor vehicle code so that any type of trailer that is at least 20 years old would also not be required to have a certificate of title. The law currently states that any type of trailer built prior to 1990 isn’t required to have a certificate of title.
If enacted, Alabama S.B. 281 would take effect on the first of January, 2017. Alabama residents that wish to show their support for this piece of pending legislation should contact their local senator. You can find their contact information on the Alabama Senate’s webpage.
New Hampshire House Bill 1170 Would Open Up Jericho Mountain State Park to More Vehicles
Should New Hampshire’s legislature open Jericho Mountain State Park to more than just ATVs and snowmobiles?
New Hampshire’s Jericho Mountain State Park is a beautiful space that hundreds of thousands of people enjoy every year. However, it’s still under development, and as such, isn’t always open to all types of off highway recreational vehicles (OHRV).Currently, only ATVs and snowmobiles are allowed on all the trails in the park.
New Hampshire House Bill 1170 would change that and allow the Bureau of Trails to permit larger OHRVs at specific times and on specific trails. Specifically, the law would allow OHRVs weighing up to 2000 pounds with a width of no more than 65 inches on specifically designated trails, “provided that, in addition, the Bureau of Trails may permit operation of wider or heavier 4WD motor vehicles, as referenced in the Jericho Mountain State Park master development plan, registered as OHRVs, at specific times and on specific trails.”
New Hampshire House Bill 351-Exempting Certain Vehicles from Emissions Requirements
If New Hampshire House Bill 351 passes, this will be a thing of the past for owners of older cars.
Many states around the country exempt vehicles of a certain age from emissions requirements (smog testing). Now some New Hampshire State Representatives want to do the same thing. House Bill 351 would amend RSA 265:59-b, IV so that vehicles that are more than 20 model years old would also be exempt from emissions testing requirements. If passed, it would also allow the director of the Department of Safety to exempt vehicles determined to be historically significant or rare from emissions testing as well.
Those wishing to show their support for passage of these bills in the New Hampshire House should contact their district’s representative. Email addresses for all state representatives can be found on the House’s website.