Another special registration category recognized under current law allows a
former military vehicle to be registered as a historic military vehicle if the vehicle

was manufactured for use in any country's military forces, is maintained to
accurately represent its military design and markings, and either is a domestic
vehicle or is imported and at least 25 years old. DOT issues special plates for these
vehicles identifying them as historic military vehicles. Historic military vehicles are
subject to significant operating restrictions and may be used only for special
occasions such as display and parade purposes, including traveling to and from such
events, and for necessary testing, maintenance, and storage purposes.
Also under current law, DOT must refuse registration of a vehicle that is
originally designed and manufactured for off-highway operation unless the vehicle
meets the provisions of a certain section of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle
Safety Act of 1966, as amended. However, this prohibition against registration does
not apply to a former military vehicle being registered under the special registration
categories for collector vehicles or historic military vehicles.
This bill modifies this ground for refusing vehicle registration. Under the bill,
DOT must refuse registration of a vehicle that was manufactured after 1969 and does
not meet manufacturer or importer certification label requirements as specified in
federal regulations or that is a Kei class vehicle. However, this prohibition against
registration does not apply to former military vehicles, regardless of the registration
category for which the vehicle is registered. The bill defines a "former military
vehicle" as a vehicle, including a trailer but excluding a tracked vehicle, that was
manufactured for use in any country's military forces. This prohibition against
registration also does not apply to collector vehicles being registered under the
special registration category for collector vehicles. As under current law, this
prohibition against registration also does not apply to a former military vehicle being
registered under the special registration categories for collector vehicles or historic
military vehicles.
The bill also modifies an eligibility requirement for registering a collector
vehicle that is not a former military vehicle. Under the bill, a vehicle is eligible for
registration as a collector vehicle if the vehicle is at least 20 years old, the vehicle's
body has not been altered from the original, and the vehicle is being preserved for
its historic interest.
The bill expands the circumstances under which a vehicle registered as a
historic military vehicle may be operated. The bill allows these vehicles to be
operated for occasional personal use, but not for regular transportation, and specifies
that use for special occasions includes club activities, exhibitions, and tours. The bill
also specifies that an owner of a vehicle registered as a historic military vehicle may
store unregistered, operable or inoperable, historic military vehicles and parts
vehicles for historic military vehicles on the owner's property if the vehicles and parts
vehicles and the outdoor storage area do not constitute a health hazard and are
screened from ordinary public view.
Under current law, an "off-road utility vehicle" is defined as a motor vehicle
that: 1) is designed and constructed to carry no more than two persons and to be used
for collecting waste, such as garbage, recyclables, and yard waste, for landscaping,
or for incidental street maintenance; 2) is not certified for on-road use or is certified
as meeting the equipment standards for a low-speed vehicle under federal

regulations; and 3) satisfies specified equipment standards under state law or the
equipment standards under federal regulations for a low-speed vehicle. A
"low-speed vehicle" for purposes of these provisions is a vehicle identified as such
under applicable federal regulations.
Under current law, an off-road utility vehicle operated on a highway is exempt
from motor vehicle registration with DOT if the vehicle is being operated in
compliance with the following restrictions. A person may operate an off-road utility
vehicle on a highway only if all of the following apply: 1) the highway has a speed
limit of 35 miles per hour or less; 2) the person is employed by, or under contract with,
the state or a local governmental unit; and 3) the off-road utility vehicle is being used
for the state or local governmental purpose of collecting waste, landscaping, or
performing incidental street maintenance and is operated on the highway for a
distance of not more than half a mile.
Under this bill, a Kei class vehicle is an off-road utility vehicle. As such, the
foregoing provisions relating to registration and operating restrictions apply to Kei
class vehicles. A Kei class vehicle is prohibited from general vehicle registration with
DOT but is afforded a limited registration exemption for operation as an off-road
utility vehicle.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB157,1 1Section 1. 340.01 (38m) of the statutes is renumbered 340.01 (38m) (a) (intro.)
2and amended to read:
AB157,3,33 340.01 (38m) (a) (intro.) "Off-road utility vehicle" means a any of the following:
AB157,4,2 41. A motor vehicle that is designed and constructed to carry no more than 2
5persons and to be used for collecting residential and commercial solid waste, such as
6yard waste, recyclable materials, and household garbage, refuse, and rubbish,
7landscaping, or incidental street maintenances; that is not certified by the
8manufacturer for on-road use or that is certified by the manufacturer as meeting the
9equipment standards for a low-speed vehicle under 49 CFR 571.500; and that
10satisfies the equipment standards for a Type 2 automobile or Type 2 motorcycle

1under ch. 347 or the equipment standards for a low-speed vehicle under 49 CFR
2571.500
.
AB157,4,5 3(b) "Off-road utility vehicle" does not include any motorized construction
4equipment or any motor vehicle that falls within another definition under this
5section.
AB157,2 6Section 2. 340.01 (38m) (a) 2. of the statutes is created to read:
AB157,4,77 340.01 (38m) (a) 2. A Kei class vehicle.
AB157,3 8Section 3. 341.01 (2) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 341.01 (2) (am).
AB157,4 9Section 4. 341.01 (2) (af) of the statutes is created to read:
AB157,4,1210 341.01 (2) (af) "Former military vehicle" means a vehicle, including a trailer
11but excluding a tracked vehicle, that was manufactured for use in any country's
12military forces.
AB157,5 13Section 5. 341.10 (6) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB157,4,2414 341.10 (6) The vehicle is originally designed and manufactured for
15off-highway operation unless the vehicle meets the provisions of s. 114 of the
16national traffic and motor vehicle safety act of 1966, as amended, except as otherwise
17authorized by the statutes
was manufactured after 1969 and does not meet
18manufacturer or importer certification label requirements as specified in 49 CFR 567
19or the vehicle is a Kei class vehicle
. This subsection does not apply to former military
20vehicles, historic military vehicles, as defined in s. 341.269 (1) (a), for which the
21department receives an application, and which are eligible, for registration under s.
22341.269 or, with respect to a county or municipality, under s. 341.26 (2m), or special
23interest vehicles, as defined in s. 341.266 (1) (c), for which the department receives
24an application, and which are eligible, for registration under s. 341.266
.
AB157,6 25Section 6. 341.266 (1) (am) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB157,5,3
1341.266 (1) (am) (intro.) "Former Notwithstanding s. 341.01 (2) (af), "former
2military vehicle" means any of the following vehicles if the vehicle is at least 25 years
3old:
AB157,7 4Section 7. 341.266 (1) (c) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB157,5,75 341.266 (1) (c) 2. A motor vehicle of any age, of which the body has not been
6altered or modified from the original manufacturers specifications and, because of
7its historic interest, is being preserved by hobbyists a collector.
AB157,8 8Section 8. 341.266 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB157,5,179 341.266 (2) (a) Any person who is the owner of a special interest vehicle that
10is a former military vehicle, or that is not a former military vehicle and is 20 or more
11years old at the time of making application for registration or transfer of title of the
12vehicle, and who, unless the owner is an historical society that is exempt from federal
13income taxes, owns, has registered in this state, and uses for regular transportation
14at least one vehicle that has regular registration plates may upon application
15register the vehicle as a special interest vehicle upon payment of a fee under par. (b).
16 A former military vehicle may be registered under this paragraph notwithstanding
17s. 341.10 (6).
AB157,9 18Section 9. 341.269 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 341.269 (1) (intro.) and
19amended to read:
AB157,5,2020 341.269 (1) (intro.) In this section, "former:
AB157,5,24 21(a) "Historic military vehicle" means a vehicle, including a trailer but excluding
22a tracked vehicle, that was manufactured for use in any country's military forces and
23is maintained to accurately represent its military design and markings, regardless
24of the vehicle's size or weight.
AB157,10 25Section 10. 341.269 (1) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
AB157,6,3
1341.269 (1) (b) "Parts vehicle" means a vehicle generally in nonoperable
2condition that is owned to furnish parts which will enable a historic military vehicle
3owner to restore, preserve, and maintain a historic military vehicle.
AB157,11 4Section 11. 341.269 (2) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB157,6,145 341.269 (2) (a) Any resident of this state who is the owner of a former historic
6military vehicle that is at least 25 years old at the time of making application for
7registration and has been imported into the United States from another country, or
8that is any age and has not been imported into the United States, may upon
9application register the vehicle under this section as a historic military vehicle upon
10payment of the fees specified in par. (b). The applicant has the burden of providing
11evidence satisfactory to the department that the vehicle may be registered under this
12section, including, if applicable, providing documentation demonstrating that a
13former historic military vehicle which is less than 25 years old was manufactured for
14U.S. military forces and was never imported.
AB157,12 15Section 12. 341.269 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB157,6,2016 341.269 (3) A vehicle registered under this section may only be used for special
17occasions such as display and parade purposes, club activities, exhibitions, and
18tours,
including traveling to and from such events, and for necessary testing,
19maintenance, and storage purposes, and for occasional personal use, but not for
20regular transportation
.
AB157,13 21Section 13. 341.269 (6) of the statutes is created to read:
AB157,7,222 341.269 (6) The owner of a historic military vehicle may store unregistered,
23operable or inoperable, historic military vehicles and parts vehicles on the owner's
24property if the vehicles and parts vehicles and the outdoor storage area are
25maintained in such a manner that they do not constitute a health hazard and are

1screened from ordinary public view by means of a fence, rapidly growing trees,
2shrubbery, or other appropriate means.
AB157,14 3Section 14. Initial applicability.
AB157,7,64 (1) The treatment of sections 341.10 (6) and 341.266 (1) (c) 2. of the statutes first
5applies to applications for registration received by the department of transportation
6on the effective date of this subsection.
AB157,7,87 (2) The treatment of section 341.269 (3) of the statutes first applies to vehicles
8operated on the effective date of this subsection.
AB157,15 9Section 15. Effective date.
AB157,7,1110 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 3rd month beginning after
11publication.
AB157,7,1212 (End)
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