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Sponsors seek cleanup so retired fire trucks can remain registered and displayed
Summary
House Bill 390 would clarify that retired fire apparatus may qualify as antique vehicles without forcing owners to remove historically significant equipment, resolving an unintended consequence of earlier statute changes, committee heard.
Lawmakers moved to fix a statutory conflict that had effectively barred many retired fire apparatus from road registration and public display. Representative Steve Pearson told the Senate Transportation Committee House Bill 390 corrects an unintended consequence from an earlier statutory change that used the term “emergency vehicle,” which the DMV now interprets to prohibit historically equipped apparatus from registering as antiques.
Background: Representative Pearson said DMV review of statutes found that vehicles equipped with emergency lights or sirens could be excluded from antique vehicle registration, which meant some preserved fire engines could not legally appear in parades or exhibitions unless owners removed historically significant fixtures.
Sponsor and DMV cooperation: Pearson said he worked with DMV Director John Marasco and with chairpersons of House and Senate transportation committees to craft language that allows retired fire apparatus used solely for exhibition or parade purposes to qualify under the antique vehicle provisions without enabling unlawful emergency use. Marasco told the committee DMV and the state prison plate production process could produce plates for these vehicles once statutory language is clarified.
Next steps: The committee received testimony supporting the technical change and later recorded an “ought to pass” recommendation in executive session.
