§ 154-926. Parking or stopping prohibited at all times; license plate and brake tag requirements.

(a)

No person shall stop or park a motor vehicle on any street, sidewalk or neutral ground unless the motor vehicle is visibly equipped with a current, valid license plate or temporary registration from the state or a foreign state.

(b)

No person shall stop or park a motor vehicle on any street, sidewalk, neutral ground, or any other public place if the motor vehicle is equipped with a license plate which is mutilated, defaced, damaged, or obscured in such a manner that the letters, numerals, and expiration dates are not legible.

(c)

If a motor vehicle bears a license plate from the state, no person shall stop or park the motor vehicle on any street, sidewalk or neutral ground, unless the vehicle displays a current safety inspection certificate (brake tag) issued by a municipality or parish of the state or by the state or its agents. The lack of a safety inspection certificate (brake tag) on a motor vehicle equipped with a current, valid, temporary registration from the state shall not constitute a violation of this section.

(d)

Self-propelled motor cranes, bulldozers, tractors, and similar equipment used for construction are exempt from the provisions of this section.

(e)

Any ticket, summons, citation, or affidavit issued pursuant to this section shall be dismissed by the parking adjudication bureau if the owner of the vehicle submits to the parking adjudication bureau a valid motor vehicle registration for the vehicle to which the ticket, summons, citation, or affidavit was issued indicating that there existed a valid license plate or temporary registration as of the date of issuance of the ticket, summons, citation or affidavit, that the license plate or temporary registration was reported stolen and a police item number obtained, and that application for a new temporary registration or license plate has been submitted to the appropriate licensing authority, and if applicable, a valid receipt for a safety inspection sticker indicating that the vehicle possessed a current inspection sticker on the date of the issuance of the ticket, summons, citation, or affidavit.

(f)

Any ticket, summons, citation, or affidavit issued pursuant to this section shall be dismissed by the parking adjudication bureau if the owner of the vehicle submits to the parking adjudication bureau adequate proof indicating that the vehicle to which the ticket, summons, citation or affidavit was issued was parked on the street within the boundaries of the property line (extended to the street) of the residence of the owner of the vehicle and on the same side of the street as the residence of the owner of the vehicle.

(g)

For the purposes of this section, a vehicle is "equipped with" or "displays" a license plate, temporary registration, or safety inspection certificate (brake tag) only if the license plate, temporary registration, or safety inspection certificate is readily visible to a person standing outside the vehicle and only if the placement of the license plate, temporary registration, or inspection certificate complies with all applicable requirements of law.

(h)

Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to authorize or permit parking or stopping on any street, sidewalk, neutral ground, or other public place if such parking or stopping is otherwise prohibited by law or ordinance.

(i)

No person shall be fined or punished for a first offense violation of this section and no person shall be fined or punished for a second or subsequent violation of this section unless a period of at least 30 days shall have passed between receipt of the citation for a first offense and receipt of a citation for a second or subsequent violation of this section.

(M.C.S., Ord. No. 17,433, § 1, 3-7-96)