§ 14504. Registration of Motor Carriers by a State

     (a) Definitions.—In this section, the terms "standards" and "amendments to standards" mean the specification of forms and procedures required by regulations of the Secretary to prove the lawfulness of transportation by motor carrier referred to in section 13501.

     (b) General Rule.—The requirement of a State that a motor carrier, providing transportation subject to jurisdiction under subchapter I of chapter 135 and providing transportation in that State, must register with the State is not an unreasonable burden on transportation referred to in section 13501 when the State registration is completed under standards of the Secretary under subsection (c). When a State registration requirement imposes obligations in excess of the standards of the Secretary, the part in excess is an unreasonable burden.

     (c) Single State Registration System.—

     (1) In general.—The Secretary shall maintain standards for implementing a system under which—

     (A) a motor carrier is required to register annually with only one State by providing evidence of its Federal registration under chapter 139;

     (B) the State of registration shall fully comply with standards prescribed under this section; and

     (C) such single State registration shall be deemed to satisfy the registration requirements of all other States.

     (2) Specific requirements.—

     (A) Evidence of federal registration; proof of insurance; payment of fees.—Under the standards of the Secretary implementing the single State registration system described in paragraph (1) of this subsection, only a State acting in its capacity as registration State under such single State system may require a motor carrier registered by the Secretary under this part—

     (i) to file and maintain evidence of such Federal registration;

     (ii) to file satisfactory proof of required insurance or qualification as a self-insurer;

     (iii) to pay directly to such State fee amounts in accordance with the fee system established under subparagraph (B)(iv) of this paragraph, subject to allocation of fee revenues among all States in which the carrier operates and which participate in the single State registration system; and

     (iv) to file the name of a local agent for service of process.

     (B) Receipts; fee system.—The standards of the Secretary—

     (i) shall require that the registration State issue a receipt, in a form prescribed under the standards, reflecting that the carrier has filed proof of insurance as provided under subparagraph (A)(ii) of this paragraph and has paid fee amounts in accordance with the fee system established under clause (iv) of this subparagraph;

     (ii) shall require that copies of the receipt issued under clause (i) of this subparagraph be kept in each of the carrier’s commercial motor vehicles;

     (iii) shall not require decals, stamps, cab cards, or any other means of registering or identifying specific vehicles operated by the carrier;

     (iv) shall establish a fee system for the filing of proof of insurance as provided under subparagraph (A)(ii) of this paragraph that—

(I) is based on the number of commercial motor vehicles the carrier operates in a State and on the number of States in which the carrier operates;

(II) minimizes the costs of complying with the registration system; and

(III) results in a fee for each participating State that is equal to the fee, not to exceed $10 per vehicle, that such State collected or charged as of November 15, 1991; and

     (v) shall not authorize the charging or collection of any fee for filing and maintaining evidence of Federal registration under subparagraph (A)(i) of this paragraph.

     (C) Prohibited fees.—The charging or collection of any fee under this section that is not in accordance with the fee system established under subparagraph (B)(iv) of this paragraph shall be deemed to be a burden on interstate commerce.

     (D) Limitation on participation by states.—Only a State which, as of January 1, 1991, charged or collected a fee for a vehicle identification stamp or number under part 1023 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, shall be eligible to participate as a registration State under this subsection or to receive any fee revenue under this subsection.

(Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 103, Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 902.)

     Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 11506 of this title prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a).

     This section is referred to in section 13908 of this title.