[Ord. No. 2006-24 §1, 12-4-2006]
This Chapter may be cited as "The Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Ordinance".
[Ord. No. 2006-24 §1, 12-4-2006]
As used in this Chapter, the following words and phrases shall mean:
A person who is employed for the principal purpose of operating a motor vehicle or any person who drives a motor vehicle while in use as a public or common carrier of persons or property for hire.
Director of Revenue of the State of Missouri acting directly or through his authorized officers and agents.
An operator's or driver's license, temporary instruction permit, chauffeur's or registered operator's license issued under the laws of this State.
A self-propelled vehicle which is designed for use upon a highway, except trailers designed for use with such vehicles, traction engines, road rollers, farm tractors, tractor cranes, power shovels, well drillers and motorized bicycles as defined in Section 307.180, RSMo., and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead wires but not operated upon rails.
A person who is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle.
A person who holds the legal title to a motor vehicle; or in the event a motor vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a motor vehicle is entitled to possession thereof, then such conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor.
Proof of ability to respond in damages for liability, on account of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date of said proof, arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle in the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) because of bodily injury to or death of one (1) person in any one (1) accident, and subject to said limit for one (1) person in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) because of bodily injury to or death of two (2) or more persons in any one (1) accident and in the amount of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one (1) accident.
Registration certificate or certificates and registration plates issued under the laws of this State pertaining to the registration of motor vehicles.
Any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or any province of the Dominion of Canada.
The entire width between property lines of every way or place of whatever nature when any part thereof is open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, for purposes of vehicular traffic.
[Ord. No. 2006-24 §1, 12-4-2006]
A.
No owner of a motor vehicle registered in Missouri, or required to be registered in Missouri, shall operate, register or maintain registration of a motor vehicle, or permit another person to operate such vehicle, unless the owner maintains the financial responsibility which conforms to the requirements of the laws of this State. Furthermore, no person shall operate a motor vehicle owned by another with the knowledge that the owner has not maintained financial responsibility unless such person has financial responsibility which covers the person's operation of the other's vehicle; however, no owner shall be in violation of this Subsection if he or she fails to maintain financial responsibility on a motor vehicle which is inoperable or being stored and not in operation.
B.
A motor vehicle owner shall maintain the owner's financial responsibility in a manner provided for in Section 303.160, RSMo., or with a motor vehicle liability policy which conforms to the requirements of the laws of Missouri.
C.
Any person who violates this Section is guilty of an offense, punishable pursuant to the provisions of Section 100.120 of this Code. However, no person shall be found guilty of violating this Section if the operator demonstrates to the court that he or she met the financial responsibility requirements of this Section at the time the Peace Officer wrote the citation. In addition to any other authorized punishment, the court shall notify the Director of Revenue of any person convicted pursuant to this Section and shall forward the record of the conviction for an assessment of four (4) points.