(A) As used in this section:
(1) "Research and development business" or "business" means a person who manufacturers tires or transmissions in this State for use as original or replacement equipment on motor vehicles and who conducts research and development activities on tires or transmissions in conjunction with the person's manufacturing activities in South Carolina.
(2) "Contracted fleet owner" or "contractor" means a person or company in the business of operating a group of vehicles driven by their employees for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of a research and development business' tires or transmissions.
(3) "Tires" includes tires and tire replacement parts.
(4) "Transmissions" includes transmissions and transmission parts.
(B)(1) Upon application and payment of the required fee, the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue research and development license plates to a research and development business. The license plates must be used exclusively on motor vehicles, including motorcycles, provided by a motor vehicle manufacturer to the research and development business for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions on the motor vehicle.
(2) Application for research and development license plates must be made by the research and development business on a form prescribed by the department and submitted with proof of the applicant's status as a bona fide research and development business. The cost of each research and development license plate issued is two hundred dollars, of which one hundred sixty dollars must be remitted by the department to the county in which the testing facility of the business is located. Forty dollars of the fee must be placed by the Comptroller General into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167. Each plate is valid for two years. A maximum of one hundred research and development license plates may be issued for the two-year period.
(C)(1) Upon application and payment of the required fee, the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue fleet research and development plates to a research and development business or to a contracted fleet owner. The license plates will be registered to a specific vehicle owned by the research and development business, or owned by a contracted fleet owner under contract with the research and development business.
(2) Application for fleet research and development license plates must be made by the contractor on a form prescribed by the department and submitted with certification from the research and development business establishing the applicant's status as a bona fide contracted fleet owner under contract with the research and development business. The cost of each fleet research and development license plate is two hundred dollars, of which one hundred sixty dollars must be remitted by the department to the county in which the vehicle is sited, as evidenced by the address on the registration card. Each plate is valid for two years. A maximum of one hundred fleet research and development license plates may be issued to a contracted fleet owner for the two-year period.
(D) Vehicles with research and development plates or fleet research and development plates may be operated on the state's streets and highways or another state's streets and highways pursuant to a reciprocity agreement with that state. The vehicles may be operated pursuant to this section only for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions on the motor vehicle.
(E) The Department of Motor Vehicles may enter into reciprocal agreements with other states concerning the registration and operation of vehicles owned by a research and development business, provided to the research and development business by a contractor under contract with the research and development business, or provided by a motor vehicle manufacturer to the research and development business for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions.
(F) It is the sole responsibility of the research and development business, or contracted fleet owner, to take any other actions required by another state that are necessary for the research and development business, or contracted fleet owner, to legally test and evaluate the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions in that state. The research and development business must comply with any other requirements associated with the operation of the vehicle on the other state's roads and highways.
HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 84A; 2011 Act No. 15, Section 1, eff May 9, 2011; 2013 Act No. 51, Section 1, eff June 7, 2013; 2016 Act No. 275 (S.1258), Section 34, eff July 1, 2016.