Oklahoma Senate Pro Tem Discusses New Legislation Affecting Vehicle Registration

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat

OKLAHOMA CITY –

Under new legislation passed at the Oklahoma State Capitol, Oklahoma drivers will be able to immediately acquire a metal license plate the same day they purchase a vehicle.

Oklahoma Sen. Greg Treat said prior to the new legislation he proposed, Oklahoma law was “inadequate.”

“The law was inadequate,” Treat said. “If you bought a car from a private individual, you did not have a tag for up to 60 days. This law seeks to change that and make everything the same.”

The “Mason Treat Act,” so named after Treat’s son Mason who was involved in a wreck along I-40 in January that nearly left him dead and injured Canadian County deputy Jose Mendoza.

Deputy Mendoza had pulled over Mason due to the paper tag on his vehicle having expired, which had also not been replaced before the 60 day expiration.. After being pulled over, another driver wrecked into Mason’s vehicle.

Now, Treat said drivers will be able to obtain a metal license plate the same day they purchase a vehicle.

“When I buy a car from you, I can go get a metal tag from the state immediately, even before all the taxes and liens are paid,” Treat said. “It’s just unfortunate that my son had to be on the side of that road.”

Treat said this law seeks to protect law enforcement and the driving public.

As for Mason, Greg Treat said his son is on the road to recovery, despite having lost feeling in the right side of his body.

“Obviously, we would rather Mason not have been injured at all, but we don’t want any other family to go through this,” Treat said. “Plus, we want law enforcement to be able to really focus on people that need to be pulled over. Mason had the bill of sale, the proof of insurance, everything he was driving legally, but the law enforcement officer wasn’t well within his right to pull him over because he had no tag.”

For the new process of obtaining a vehicle tag after Sept. 1, which is when the law takes effect, Treat said drivers will have to pre-register their vehicle.

“You’ll get a new tag with a pre-registration sticker, and it’ll be uniform regardless if you buy it at a dealership or from a private individual,” Treat said. “Go on OKCars.com, and then you do a pre-registration. You put the VIN number, who sold it to you, and then that person on their email confirms it, then you’ll get a plate mailed to you automatically.”

Treat said through this new system, drivers will not have to visit Service Oklahoma or a tag agency.

“They will mail it to you, and it will have the stickers,” Treat said. “You’ll still have the 60 days to be able to pay your taxes, get any liens released, but you’ll be driving, and police will know that you’re doing it lawfully.”