License-plate renewals without limits; plus, how far to Twin Cities?
Posted on June 29th, 2009 – 12:01 AMBy Roadguy
Here’s my weekly column, which now runs in the Monday paper. Please comment away below.
It’s a buyer’s market for car shoppers, but alert reader Dr. P warns consumers that they might want to prepare themselves for another kind of sticker shock: license-plate renewal fees.
Dr. P bought himself a 2008 Range Rover about a year ago, and he was floored this year to receive a bill for more than $800 to get his tabs renewed.
Under old rules dating to the Ventura administration, Dr. P would have paid no more than $189, but the 2008 transportation bill ended such limits for vehicles that hadn’t previously been registered in Minnesota. The bill’s gas-tax increase and the legislative override of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto grabbed most of the headlines back then, but the removal of the caps and the creation of a faster depreciation schedule (which lowered renewals for some folks) were indeed enacted.
Dr. P thought his tax must be an error, so he called his dealership and even a legislator, but nope.
Renewal fees are based on a percentage of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price plus destination charges, says Roxanne LaDoucer of Driver and Vehicle Services. You can look up that value and a bunch of other things, including the annual tax of any vehicle for which you know the license-plate number, at www.mndriveinfo.org — and perhaps head off any potential shocks of your own.
WHERE YA HEADED? DEPENDS
On the drive south from Duluth, sometimes you’re told how far it is to Minneapolis, other times to St. Paul, and still other times to the Twin Cities.
Alert reader Mysteray has long wondered why, going so far as to count the number of “Twin Cities” signs (four, he says) on his most recent trip. And just how, he wants to know, can there be a single distance to a pair of cities?
“For the past 20 years or so, states have begun phasing out nicknames such as Twin Cities, Quad Cities, etc.,” said Todd Kramascz, metro spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), because such names “typically are not recognized by interstate travelers.” Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are on an official nationwide list of “control” cities, he said, so MnDOT now alternates between the two, with “Twin Cities” signs being replaced when they reach the end of their lifespans.
The distances to Minneapolis or St. Paul are the number of miles to the respective downtowns, while the “Twin Cities” signs show the distance to — well, to highway marker 106 on Interstate 35E just south of Grand Avenue in St. Paul. It was picked long ago as a way to split the difference, Kramascz said.
15 Responses to "License-plate renewals without limits; plus, how far to Twin Cities?"
EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS! Ye flippin’ gods!
I had been considering upgrading my ten-year-old truck to something nice, but I guess I can live without an ego-boosting, wallet-busting luxo-box for a while longer.
i did notice also on a recent trip to wisconsin that the signs alternate between st paul and minneapolis heading back to the “twin cities” on interstate 94. i wasn’t paying close enough attention to notice if any signs said “twin cities” however.
oh, and that mile marker 106 is right on the money according to my “research”.
Vehicle registration ought to be based on size and weight of the vehicle, not it’s cost. It’s nobody’s business what anyone pays for their vehicle, and just because someone can afford to drive a nicer more expensive vehicle shouldn’t invite more hands out looking for additional tax dollars. But a larger heavier vehicle places extra burden on the roads, and on traffic in general.
Having driven down from that way hundreds of times (I grew up along I-35), I didn’t think that there was much of a difference between the two cities in terms of mileage - particularly these days where they city could be defined by several points. I-94 would be a different situation, however, since there is a clear difference.
I’d like to see people who drive high miles per gallon vehicles get some sort of discounted license fee.
I always knew the mileage figures were to the central city, but the Grand Ave. exit on 35E being the middle ground seems an odd choice. Isn’t that basically downtown St. Paul? Why not have the midpoint somewhere on I94? I guess it’s a moot point as they are phasing theme out.
I’ve been on the entire length of I-90/94 thru Wisconsin, and there isn’t a single sign that reads “Twin Cities.” Most are “St Paul” with a few “Minneapolis.”
Tried to check on the cost for my tabs this year and was unable to do so, not only do I need to know the LP # but the last three digits of the VIN#. Anyone else find a way to check out the new cost? Remember my VIN#, come on, I don’t remember my birthdate some days.
In response to the idea that people who drive vehicles with high mpg should get a discount on license fees.
That is illogical. People who drive more efficient vehicles are already not paying a fair portion of taxes. New roads and maintenance to existing ones costs everyone in Minnesota. Much of this money is recouped through the gasoline tax. Putting the vehicle weight and size issue aside, like vehicles put the same wear and tear on roads, regardless of their mpg. So with the current system, a person who has a car that gets a higher mpg is already getting a substantial tax break because they are not paying an equal tax for the same miles driven.
The system is clearly flawed and paying $800 for tabs is absolutely ridiculous. But to give an additional tax break to the people who already don’t pay their share is ludicrous.
@JuliedP - That will never happen. They’ll want to charge more because people whose cars get high mpg don’t pay as much gas tax as those who have gas guzzlers.
@manny - quick easy check for the VIN - the insurance card you (should) carry with you. Mine has the VIN printed on it.
$800 dollars is outrageous. It is interesting that as I have lived in different states, each have different mentalities in terms of how these decide to fund transportation projects.
Our neighbors to the east(Wisconsin) have a gas tax that is 7 cents and was 12 cents higher than ours for many years before the recent increase. In return Wisconsin’s tab fees are very low. When I lived there I paid less than $50 for a year old car. The positives that come out of it are that instead of Wisconsin residents taking the full brunt of funding transportation, they share paying for highway improvements with those who travel through the state. For Wisconsin the benefits are huge as those from Minnesota and Illinois travel through frequently.
Iowa recently discussed raising their tab fees and then realized it is better to raise the gas tax as the many who travel across the state, especially on 80 and 35, would contribute if they funded highway improvements through the gas tax.
When I moved to Minnesota and watched people battle to the bitter end an increase in the gas tax, it made me wonder why they were not battling the tab increases. I would rather pay a few cents higher in the gas tax in return for having tab fees less than $50 as in Wisconsin. Although now I hear it’s more around $75 as the Wisconsin governor has taken money from tab fees to balance the budget.
@ Disco I-90/I-94 from Wisconsin would say St. Paul more frequently as that is the city you “hit” first using that route. From Duluth is another matter as I-35 splits into I-35E and I-35W just south of Forest Lake, which is why I felt Twin Cities was appropriate until one got to Forest Lake.
Bigg Robb writes
“Putting the vehicle weight and size issue aside, like vehicles put the same wear and tear on roads, regardless of their mpg. So with the current system, a person who has a car that gets a higher mpg is already getting a substantial tax break because they are not paying an equal tax for the same miles driven.”
How can you ‘put vehicle weight and size’ aside when discussing MPG? The largest factors in determining MPG are … weight and size. Heavier & larger vehicles are less efficient than smaller, lighter vehicles. Less efficient means it takes more fuel to travel the same distance - which means they’re paying more taxes for road maintenance.
The renewal on my old Toyota is due and it is $41.25.
The biggest problem driving a small car is people driving vehicles like Range Rovers. They can’t seem to see me because their vision is blocked by iPhones. I can’t understand why the owners of $80000+ vehicles can’t afford a $20 bluetooth device. And then they complain about the tax, which can easily be known before a vehicle is purchased.
And my old Toyota, which has over a quarter million miles, will still be running long after the Range Rover has been sent to the crusher.
