§286-51  Registration, expense.  (a) Every certificate of registration issued under this part shall expire atmidnight on December 31 of each year and shall be renewed annually before April1 of each year upon application by the registered owner by presentation of thelast issued certificate of registration or the last issued application forrenewal, such renewal to take effect as of January 1 of each year; providedthat the certificate of registration for each motor vehicle in the counties ofthe State may be renewed on a staggered basis, if a county elects to do so. The director of finance of each county may adopt rules to carry out thepurposes stated in this section and shall expend the necessary funds from thedirector's operating funds as may be necessary for these purposes; providedthat the director of finance, if the director has ascertained as of the date ofthe application that the registered owner has not deposited or paid bail withrespect to any summons or citation issued to the registered owner for stopping,standing, or parking in violation of traffic ordinances within the county, mayrequire, as a condition precedent to the renewal, that the registered ownerdeposit or pay bail with respect to all such summons or citations.  Thecertificates of registration issued hereunder shall show, in addition to allinformation required under section 286-47, the serial number of the tag oremblem and shall be valid during the registration year only for which they areissued.  The certificates of ownership need not be renewed annually but shallremain valid as to any interest shown therein until canceled by the director offinance as provided by law or replaced by new certificates of ownership ashereinafter provided.

(b)  This part shall be administered by thedirector of finance in conjunction with the requirements of sections 249-1 to249-13 and shall entail no additional expense or charge to the personregistering the ownership of a motor vehicle other than as provided by thissection or by other laws; provided that for each new certificate of ownershipissued by the director of finance under section 286-52, the director of financemay charge a fee which shall be deposited in the general fund.  The feescharged to issue a new certificate of ownership shall be established by thecounty's legislative body.

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary,an additional fee of not more than $1 for each certificate of registration fora U-drive motor vehicle and $2 for each certificate of registration for allother motor vehicles may be established by ordinance and collected annually bythe director of finance of each county, to be used and administered by eachcounty:

(1)  For the purpose of beautification and otherrelated activities of highways under the ownership, control, and jurisdictionof each county; and

(2)  To defray the additional cost in the dispositionand other related activities of abandoned or derelict vehicles as prescribed inchapter 290.  For the purposes of this paragraph, other related activitiesshall include but need not be limited to any and all storage fees that arenegotiated between each county and a towing company contracted by the county toremove and dispose of abandoned or derelict vehicles.

The $2 fee established pursuant to this subsectionfor certificates of registration for motor vehicles other than U-drive motorvehicles may be increased by ordinance up to a maximum of $10; provided thatall amounts received from any fee increase over $2 shall be expended only forthe purposes of paragraph (2).  The moneys so assessed and collected shall beplaced in a revolving fund entitled, "the highway beautification anddisposal of abandoned or derelict vehicles revolving fund". [L 1929, c197, §7; RL 1935, §2670; am L 1935, c 74, §1; am L 1941, c 298, §2; RL 1945,§7341; am L 1951, c 162, §6; RL 1955, §160-9; am L 1962, c 10, §2; am L 1965, c125, §§1, 2; HRS §286-51; am L 1972, c 161, §1; am L 1976, c 237, §2; am L1981, c 44, §2; am L 1982, c 135, §2; am L 1984, c 126, §2; gen ch 1985; am L1999, c 274, §1; am L 2000, c 111, §1; am L 2007, c 269, §2]