39:3-19. Annual registration fees

39:3-19. For each vehicle used as an omnibus for the transportation of passengers for hire the applicant for the registration thereof shall pay an annual fee as follows:

$30.00 for each vehicle having a seating capacity of 18 passengers or less;

$48.00 for each vehicle having a seating capacity of not less than 19 nor more than 30 passengers;

$48.00 for vehicles having a seating capacity of more than 30 passengers and an additional fee of $3.00 for each passenger measured by the seating capacity in excess of 30 passengers.

Whenever the number of regular route passengers carried by an applicant in the previous calendar year represents 75% or more of the combined number of passengers carried on regular route, casino, special and charter bus operations during that year, then such applicant shall pay $10.00 per annum for the registration of each vehicle used as an omnibus for the transportation of passengers for hire in lieu of the annual fees hereinbefore prescribed. In addition, any applicant who is operating regular route bus service under a contract with the New Jersey Transit Corporation pursuant to P.L. 1979, c. 150 (C. 27:25-1 et seq.), shall pay $10.00 per annum for the registration of each vehicle used as an omnibus for the transportation of passengers for hire in lieu of the annual fees hereinbefore prescribed and without regard to the aforementioned 75% requirement.

Applicants seeking to register a vehicle for the reduced fee shall first obtain a letter from the Department of Transportation certifying that the number of regular route passengers carried by the applicant in the previous calendar year represents 75% or more of the combined number of passengers carried on regular route, casino, special and charter bus operations during that year, or in the case of applicants operating under contract with the New Jersey Transit Corporation pursuant to P.L. 1979, c. 150 (C. 27:25-1 et seq.) shall obtain a letter from the corporation certifying that they are under such a contract. Applicants shall present the appropriate letters of certification with their applications for omnibus registration to the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles.

The director shall provide identification marks of the general style and kind provided for motor vehicle registrations, assigning a number to each identification mark, and before each number the letter "O" shall be placed.

Every applicant for omnibus registration shall make application, setting forth the fact that he is in the business of transporting passengers for hire; and the director, if satisfied of the correctness of the statements made in such application, may issue a registration certificate for omnibus license.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the use by an omnibus operator of any automobile duly licensed by him as owner.

Amended 1951,c.5; 1968,c.130,s.5; 1972,c.211,s.1; 1987,c.445,s.4.