SECTIONS 27900-27910

27900.  (a) Every motor vehicle or combination of vehicles used tocarry the property of others for hire or used to carry passengers forhire, any truck or truck tractor having three or more axles or anytruck tractor with a semitrailer, and all commercial motor vehicles,as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 34601, shall have displayedon both sides of each vehicle or on both sides of one of the vehiclesin each combination of vehicles the name or trademark of the personunder whose authority the vehicle or combination of vehicles is beingoperated. (b) A vehicle or combination of vehicles listed in subdivision (a)that is operated under a rental agreement with a term of not morethan 30 calendar days shall meet all of the following requirements: (1) Have displayed on both sides of each vehicle or on both sidesof one of the vehicles in each combination of vehicles the name ortrademark of the lessor. (2) Have displayed on both sides of each vehicle or on both sidesof one of the vehicles in each combination of vehicles any of thefollowing numbers issued to the lessor: (A) The carrier identification number issued by the United StatesDepartment of Transportation. (B) A valid operating authority number. (C) A valid motor carrier of property number. (3) (A) Have in the vehicle or combination of vehicles a copy ofthe rental agreement entered into by the lessor and the vehicleoperator. (B) The rental agreement shall be available for inspectionimmediately upon the request of any authorized employee of thedepartment or any regularly employed and salaried police officer ordeputy sheriff, or any reserve police officer or reserve deputysheriff listed in Section 830.6 of the Penal Code. (C) If the rented vehicle or combination of vehicles is operatedin conjunction with a commercial enterprise, the rental agreementshall include the operator's carrier identification number or motorcarrier of property permit number. (c) A vehicle or combination of vehicles that is in compliancewith Section 390.21 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulationsshall be deemed to be in compliance with subdivision (b). (d) All names, trademarks, and other identifiers for companies nolonger in business, no longer operating with the same name, or nolonger operating under the same operating authority, shall be removedfrom or covered over on every motor vehicle or combination ofvehicles listed in subdivision (a), within 60 days from the change ofcompany ownership or operation. Those vehicles or combinations ofvehicles shall be remarked pursuant to subdivision (a) before theymay be operated on the highways.27901.  The display of the name or trademark shall be in letters insharp contrast to the background and shall be of such size, shape,and color as to be readily legible during daylight hours from adistance of 50 feet. This section does not prohibit additional displays notinconsistent with this article.27902.  Section 27900 does not apply to any motor vehicle having anunladen weight of 6,000 pounds or less or to any vehicle towed bysuch motor vehicles, or to any motor vehicle operating undermanufacturers, dealers, or transporters special plates, or to anymotor vehicle operated by a passenger stage corporation subject tothe jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission.27903.  (a) Subject to Section 114765 of the Health and Safety Code,any vehicle transporting any explosive, blasting agent, flammableliquid, flammable solid, oxidizing material, corrosive, compressedgas, poison, radioactive material, or other hazardous materials, ofthe type and in quantities that require the display of placards ormarkings on the vehicle exterior by the United States Department ofTransportation regulations (49 C.F.R., Parts 172, 173, and 177),shall display the placards and markings in the manner and underconditions prescribed by those regulations of the United StatesDepartment of Transportation. (b) This section does not apply to the following: (1) Any vehicle transporting not more than 20 pounds of smokelesspowder or not more than five pounds of black sporting powder or anycombination thereof. (2) An authorized emergency vehicle as defined in paragraph (1) ofsubdivision (b) of Section 165, operated by a peace officer asdefined in Sections 830.1 and 830.2 of the Penal Code, whentransportation is required within the scope and course of lawenforcement explosives detection or removal duties, provided one ofthe following conditions applies: (A) The law enforcement agency operating the vehicle complies withregulations adopted by the California Highway Patrol pursuant tosubdivision (b) of Section 34501, notwithstanding Section 34500 andsubdivision (a) of Section 34501. (B) The peace officer possesses an exemption issued by thecommissioner, who may require additional transportation restrictionsas deemed appropriate.27904.  There shall be displayed in a conspicuous place on both theright and left sides of a pilot car a sign showing the name of thecompany which owns or operates the pilot car. The name shall contrastwith the background and shall be of a size, shape, and color as tobe readily legible during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet.Additional markings which do not interfere with the legibility of thename may also be displayed.27904.5.  Subject to Section 35783.5, a pilot car shall displayneat, clean, and legible signs containing the word "OVERSIZE." Thewords "OVERSIZE LOAD," "WIDE LOAD," or "LONG LOAD" may be substitutedas applicable. The sign shall be a minimum of 48 inches above theground and shall be legible at 45 degrees from either side when readfrom the front or rear. The sign shall have a bright yellowbackground with a minimum projected area of 440 square inches. Thelettering shall be black with a 1-inch minimum brush stroke width anda 6-inch minimum letter height.27905.  It is unlawful to display on a vehicle any sign with thewords "fire" or "fire department" thereon, except on vehicles ownedand operated by a regularly organized fire department, fire district,forestry service, or the State Fire Marshal's Office, and on theprivately owned vehicles of any regular member of any such firedepartments.27906.  (a) Every schoolbus, while being used for the transportationof school pupils at or below the 12th-grade level shall bear uponthe front and rear of the bus a plainly visible sign containing theword "schoolbus" in letters not less than eight inches in height. Theletters on schoolbus signs shall be of proportionate width. Except as provided in subdivision (b), no other vehicle shalldisplay a sign containing the word "schoolbus." (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a schoolbus which is alsoused to transport persons of any age who are developmentallydisabled, as defined by the Lanterman Developmental DisabilitiesServices Act (Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500) of theWelfare and Institutions Code), may display a sign containing theword "schoolbus" while transporting those persons to or fromvocational, prevocational, or work training centers sponsored by theState Department of Developmental Services. (c) Every schoolbus, when operated for the transportation ofschool pupils at or below the 12th-grade level, shall bear upon therear of the bus, below the rear windows, a plainly visible signcontaining the words "Stop When Red Lights Flash" in letters not lessthan six inches in height. The letters on schoolbus signs shall beof proportionate width.27906.5.  Every youth bus, when operated for the transportation ofschool pupils, shall bear, upon the front and rear of the youth bus,a plainly visible sign containing the words "YOUTH BUS" in lettersnot less than eight inches in height. The letters on youth bus signsshall be of proportionate width and the letters shall be in sharpcontrast to the background.27907.  There shall be displayed in a conspicuous place on both theright and left side of a tow truck, a repossessor's tow vehicle, oran automobile dismantler's tow vehicle used to tow or carry vehiclesa sign showing the name of the company or the owner or operator ofthe tow truck or tow vehicle. The sign shall also contain thebusiness address and telephone number of the owner or driver. Theletters and numbers of the sign shall not be less than 2 inches inheight and shall be in contrast to the color of the background uponwhich they are placed. A person licensed as a repossession agency pursuant to Chapter 11(commencing with Section 7500) of Division 3 of the Business andProfessions Code, or a registrant of the agency, may use the licensenumber issued to the agency by the Department of Consumer Affairs inlieu of a name, business address, and telephone number.27908.  (a) In every taxicab operated in this state there shall be asign of heavy material, not smaller than 6 inches by 4 inches, orsuch other size as the agency regulating the operation of the taxicabprovides for other notices or signs required to be in every taxicab,securely attached and clearly displayed in view of the passenger atall times, providing in letters as large as the size of the sign willreasonably allow, all of the following information: (1) The name, address, and telephone number of the agencyregulating the operation of the taxicab. (2) The name, address, and telephone number of the firm licensedor controlled by the agency regulating the operation of the taxicab. (b) In the event more than one local regulatory agency hasjurisdiction over the operation of the taxicab, the notice requiredby paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall provide the name, address,and telephone number of the agency having jurisdiction in the areawhere the taxicab operator conducts its greatest volume of business;or, if this cannot readily be ascertained, the agency havingjurisdiction in the area where the taxicab operator maintains itsoffices or primary place of business, provided that the operatorconducts a substantial volume of business in such area; or, ifneither of the foregoing provisions apply, any agency havingjurisdiction of an area where the taxicab operator conducts asubstantial volume of business. (c) As used in this section, "taxicab" means a passenger vehicledesigned for carrying not more than eight persons, excluding thedriver, and used to carry passengers for hire. "Taxicab" shall notinclude a charter-party carrier of passengers within the meaning ofthe Passenger Charter-party Carriers' Act, Chapter 8 (commencing withSection 5351) of Division 2 of the Public Utilities Code.27909.  Any vehicle which carries liquefied petroleum gas fuel ornatural gas, in a tank attached to a vehicle, in any concealed area,including trunks, compartments, or under the vehicle, shall displayon the exterior of the vehicle the letters "CNG," "LNG," or "LPG,"whichever type fuel is utilized, in block letters at least one inchhigh. The letters shall be of contrasting color and shall be placedas near as possible to the area of the location of the tank. Anyvehicle fueled by liquefied petroleum gas fuel or by natural gas mayalso comply with this section by displaying on each side of thevehicle words or letters at least 0.25 inch high indicating that thevehicle is fueled by liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas. It isunlawful to dispense liquefied petroleum gas fuel or natural gas intoany tank in a concealed area of any vehicle registered inCalifornia, unless the vehicle complies with the requirements of thissection.27910.  The Department of the California Highway Patrol shallinitiate a 12-month study to determine an effective means to enforcethe provisions of the Commercial Vehicle Registration Act of 2001.The Department of the California Highway Patrol, after consultationwith representatives from the Department of Transportation, the Boardof Equalization, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and thecommercial vehicle industry, shall provide, on or before July 1,2003, recommendations to the Legislature for actions to be taken toensure compliance with that act.