Vehicle registration and drivers license fees will be increased, if a bill now being reviewed by the House is approved.
Introduced by Rep. Avagafono Vaimaga Maiava, the bill would increase the basic vehicle registration fee from $32 to $45, plus $25 per ton of weight.
Renewal of registration for motor vehicles would be $40 plus $20 per ton of weight.
The fees for legal ownership certificates and titles will be hiked from $10 to $25, transfers would be doubled from $10 to $20, shipment fees will be increased from $10 to $25, conversions from $12 to $25, the fee for replacing lost or stolen tags or plates will go up from $22 to $25.
50% of revenues from vehicle registration fees except for tonnage fees are to be deposited in a separate checking account designated ASG vehicle Registration Fee Account administered by the Treasurer and used solely by the Department of Public Safety for law enforcement costs and maintenance, and supplies for the production of driver licenses and vehicle registrations. The revenues are subject to appropriation by the Fono and approval by the Governor.
Fifty-percent of tonnage fees collected are to be placed in a Road Maintenance Fund to be used for road repairs.
Private drivers license fees would remain at $40, and renewal would also cost $40 as it is now. But a commercial driver’s license would be hiked from $8 to $45, a renewal for a commercial driver’s license jumps from $8 to $40, and a duplicate commercial driver’s license would be hiked from $6 to $20.
75% of revenues generated from license fees would also be used by DPS for law enforcement costs and maintenance and supplies for the production of driver licenses and vehicle registrations. The bill provides an immediate effective date upon passage by the Fono and approval by the Governor.
