ASSEMBLY, No. 1549
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 15, 1996
By Assemblyman ZISA
An Act concerning commercial motor vehicles and amending R.S.39:4-46.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.39:4-46 is amended to read as follows:
39:4-46. a. Every vehicle used for commercial purposes on a street or highway, except for passenger automobiles and vehicles owned or leased by a pharmacy and utilized for the transportation or delivery of drugs, shall have conspicuously displayed thereon, or on a name plate affixed thereto, the name of the owner, lessee or lessor of the vehicle and the name of the municipality in which the owner, lessee or lessor has his principal place of business. Franchised public utilities and operators of fleets of 50 or more commercial vehicles, shall be exempted from displaying the name of the municipality, provided that their vehicles display a corporate identification number. The sign or name plate shall be in plain view and not less than three inches high. Where available space for lettering is limited, either by the design of the vehicle or by the presence of other legally specified identification markings, making a strict compliance herewith impractical, the size of the lettering required by this section shall be as close to three inches high as is possible, within the limited space area, provided the name is clearly visible and readily identifiable. In the case of a combination of two vehicles the requirements of this section will be served when either unit of the combination conforms with the above identification specifications. No person shall operate or drive or cause or permit to be operated or driven on a road or highway a commercial vehicle, except for passenger automobiles and vehicles owned or leased by a pharmacy and utilized for the transportation or delivery of drugs, which does not conform hereto.
For purposes of this section, a franchised public utility means a public utility, as defined in R.S.48:2-13, that has a defined geographical service territory approved by the Board of Public Utilities.
b. Every owner of a commercial motor vehicle as defined in section 3 of P.L.1990, c.103 (C.39:3-10.11) which has a gross vehicle weight rating or a combined gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more and is registered or principally garaged in this State shall display the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) for the vehicle in the manner set forth in subsection a. of this section. For purposes of this subsection, GVWR means the value specified by the manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of a single or combination (articulated) vehicle, or registered gross weight, whichever is greater. Any person who knowingly displays or causes to be displayed on a commercial motor vehicle a GVWR less than the actual GVWR, or an owner who knowingly permits a commercial motor vehicle owned by him to be operated in this State with a displayed GVWR less than the actual GVWR shall, for each offense, be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned for a term of not more than 90 days, or both.
(cf: P.L.1990, c.103, s.32)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
Vehicles used for commercial purposes, except passenger automobiles, are required to display the name of the owner or lessor of the vehicle and the name of the municipality in which the business is located in letters at least three inches high. This bill grants an exception to this law for vehicles owned or leased by pharmacies which are used for the transportation or delivery of drugs. These vehicles have become a target for robbery by thieves who use or sell illicit drugs. This bill is intended to make these vehicles less obvious to these would-be criminals.
Permits pharmacies to remove identifying signs from commercial vehicles.