No person shall operate or park any motor vehicle or trailer
upon any street or highway of this City unless such motor vehicle
or trailer has properly displayed a valid license plate or plates
or temporary permit issued to the lawful owner of the vehicle by the
Department of Revenue of the State of Missouri, except that any person
who is a non-resident of the State of Missouri may operate or park
any motor vehicle or trailer upon any street or highway of this City,
provided the motor vehicle or trailer has been duly registered for
the current year in the State, country or other place of which the
owner is a resident, provided that at all times such motor vehicle
or trailer is being operated or parked upon the streets or highways
of this City, the valid license plate or plates or temporary permit
is properly displayed on such vehicle or trailer.
Application for registration of a motor vehicle not previously
registered in Missouri, operated for the first time on the public
highways of this State, and previously registered in another State
shall be made within thirty (30) days after the owner of such motor
vehicle has become a resident of this State.
No motor vehicle or trailer shall be operated on any highway
of this City unless it shall have displayed thereon the license plate
or set of license plates issued by the Director of Revenue or the
State Highways and Transportation Commission and authorized by Section
301.140, RSMo. Each such plate shall be securely fastened to the motor
vehicle or trailer in a manner so that all parts thereof shall be
plainly visible and reasonably clean so that the reflective qualities
thereof are not impaired. License plates shall be fastened to all
motor vehicles except trucks, tractors, truck tractors or truck-tractors
licensed in excess of twelve thousand (12,000) pounds on the front
and rear of such vehicles not less than eight (8) nor more than forty-eight
(48) inches above the ground with the letters and numbers thereon
right side up. The license plates on trailers, motorcycles, motortricycles
and motorscooters shall be displayed on the rear of such vehicles
either horizontally or vertically, with the letters and numbers plainly
visible. The license plate on buses, other than school buses, and
on trucks, tractors, truck tractors or truck-tractors licensed in
excess of twelve thousand (12,000) pounds shall be displayed on the
front of such vehicles not less than eight (8) nor more than forty-eight
(48) inches above the ground with the letters and numbers thereon
right side up, or if two (2) plates are issued for the vehicle pursuant
to Subsection (3) of Section 301.130, RSMo., displayed in the same
manner on the front and rear of such vehicles. The license plate or
plates authorized by Section 301.140, RSMo., when properly attached,
shall be prima facie evidence that the required fees have been paid.
No person shall operate a motor vehicle or trailer on which
there is displayed on the front or rear thereof any other plate, tag
or placard bearing any number except the plate furnished by the Director
of Revenue or the placard herein authorized and the official license
tag of any municipality of this State, nor shall there be displayed
on any motor vehicle or trailer a placard, sign or tag bearing the
words "license lost," "license applied for" or words of similar import
as a substitute for such number plates or such placard.
No person shall show, exhibit, display or have in possession
for the purpose of sale any motor vehicle bearing or displaying thereon
any number or license plates except those of the dealer or owner so
displaying said motor vehicle; provided, however, that where the motor
vehicle is placed on consignment with a dealer by the owner thereof,
there may be displayed a number or license plate issued to the owner
thereof.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate in this City
a motor vehicle or trailer required to be registered as provided by
law unless a certificate of ownership has been applied for as provided
in Section 301.190, RSMo.
It shall be unlawful for any person to buy or sell in this City
any motor vehicle or trailer registered under the laws of this State
unless at the time of delivery thereof there shall pass between the
parties a certificate of ownership with an assignment thereof as provided
in Section 301.210, RSMo., as amended, and the sale of any motor vehicle
or trailer registered under the laws of this State, without the assignment
of such certificate of ownership, shall be fraudulent and void.
Upon the transfer of ownership of any motor vehicle or trailer,
the certificate of registration and the right to use the number plates
shall expire and the number plates shall be removed by the owner at
the time of the transfer of possession, and it shall be unlawful for
any person other than the person to whom such number plates were originally
issued to have the same in his/her possession whether in use or not,
unless such possession is solely for charitable purposes; except that
the buyer of a motor vehicle or trailer who trades in a motor vehicle
or trailer may attach the license plates from the trade-in motor vehicle
or trailer to the newly purchased motor vehicle or trailer. The operation
of a motor vehicle with such transferred plates shall be lawful for
no more than thirty (30) days, or no more than ninety (90) days if
the dealer is selling the motor vehicle under the provisions of Section
301.213, RSMo. As used in this Section, the term "trade-in motor vehicle
or trailer" shall include any single motor vehicle or trailer sold
by the buyer of the newly purchased vehicle or trailer, as long as
the license plates for the trade-in motor vehicle or trailer are still
valid.
[Ord. No. 17-02, 3-7-2017]
Upon the sale of a motor vehicle or trailer by a dealer, a buyer
who has made application for registration, by mail or otherwise, may
operate the same for a period of thirty (30) days, or no more than
ninety (90) days if issued by a dealer selling the motor vehicle under
the provisions of Section 301.213, RSMo., after taking possession
thereof if during such period the motor vehicle or trailer shall have
attached thereto, in the manner required by Section 301.130, RSMo.,
number plates issued to the dealer. Upon application and presentation
of proof of financial responsibility as required under Subsection
(5) of Section 301.140, RSMo., and satisfactory evidence that the
buyer has applied for registration, a dealer may furnish such number
plates to the buyer for such temporary use. In such event, the dealer
shall require the buyer to deposit a sum as set forth in the Comprehensive
Schedule of Fees and Charges, to be returned to the buyer upon return of the number
plates, as a guarantee that said buyer will return to the dealer such
number plates within thirty (30) days, or no more than ninety (90)
days if issued by a dealer selling the motor vehicle under the provisions
of Section 301.213, RSMo.
No dealer shall advise any purchaser of a motor vehicle or trailer
that such purchaser may drive such a motor vehicle or trailer without
compliance with the foregoing license requirements.