HB501 Alabama 2015 Session

Updated Feb 24, 2026

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Jim CarnsRepresentative
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2015
Title: Jefferson Co., cities, motor vehicle tags, issuance, issuance fees and commissions, retention by city, Act 2012-196, 2012 Reg. Sess., am'd.
Summary: HB501 lets cities in Jefferson County issue motor vehicle registrations and plates, detailing how they collect and keep issuance fees and commissions, with retroactive effect to 2014.
What This Bill Does
authorize city leaders to designate city officers or employees to issue motor vehicle registrations and plates for city residents; require the city to collect registration fees, ad valorem taxes, and issuance fees and to remit funds, keeping certain issuance fees and commissions in the city’s general fund; allow an additional annual issuance fee up to $5 per plate to fund the city office; require city audits and bonding for officials, and set retroactive applicability to April 1, 2014.

Who It Affects
Residents of cities within Jefferson County who may have their motor vehicle registrations issued by city officers instead of the county, provided the vehicle is registered in the state by the current owner and the resident lives in the city.
City license plate issuing officials and city employees who issue registrations, collect related fees and taxes, retain issuance fees and commissions, may levy an extra issuance fee, and are subject to audits and bonding requirements.

Key Provisions
Cities may designate city officers or employees to issue motor vehicle registrations and plates for city residents, with rules mirroring county procedures and requiring vehicle ownership registration in the state.
Cities collect registration fees, ad valorem taxes, and issuance fees, and remit these amounts minus any issuance fee and city-retained commissions, with issuance fees retained by the city and credited to the city general fund.
Cities may levy an annual additional issuance fee up to $5 per plate, due with the state fee, not to be charged more than once per vehicle per year, and the fee goes to the city general fund to operate the city issuing office.
Cities deduct and retain commissions on ad valorem tax assessments and collections, using rates similar to the county (1% for assessments and 1% for collections); commissions for motor vehicle taxes follow the specified state/county fund rates.
Cities are audited by the Examiners of Public Accounts and responsible for any shortages; issuing officials and employees must be bonded with bonds approved by the city’s mayor and council.
The act is retroactive to April 1, 2014 and is described as remedial and curative to clarify legislative intent.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Jefferson County