Chapter 01 - Vehicle Licensing and Registration




Chapter 01 - Vehicle Licensing and Registration















22.0101 Authority.








The rule codified in this article is issued under the authority of 22.1004 and 22.1202 (a)
(2) A.S.C.A.










22.0102 Purpose.








This article establishes a system for the annual registration of privately owned motor vehicles determined by the first digit of the motor vehicle license number.













22.0103 Current registration and tag display mandatory.








No privately owned motor vehicle shall be operated on any public highway in American Samoa unless it is currently registered and the motor vehicle license tag issued for it is affixed to it as required by 22.1001 and 22.1003 A.S.C.A.













22.0104 Fee-Safety, insurance certificates.








In accordance with 22.1002 A.S.C.A., no privately owned motor vehicle shall be registered without:
(1) payment of the annual motor vehicle license fee of $25 prescribed by 22.1002 A.S.C.A., or the prorated amount thereof when applicable under 22.0105 (b), of this chapter;
(2) presentation of an official certificate of safety inspection issued pursuant to 22.1201 through 22.1231 A.S.C.A., within the immediately preceding 10 days;
(3) presentation of a certificate of compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance coverage required by 22.2001 through 22.2019 A.S.C.A., and effective for the entire, succeeding period of registration.













22.0105 Renewal date.








(a) Effective 1 Oct 79, the first digit of the motor vehicle license number issued upon new or renewal registration of each privately owned motor vehicle will correspond to the month of issuance, as follows: 1 January 2 February 3 March 4 April 5 May 6 June 7 July 8 August 9 September 0 October-December.
(b) The registration of a privately owned motor vehicle during each month shall expire annually on the last day of the same month during the next succeeding year; provided, that in order to facilitate this registration system and accommodate the program for safety inspection of ASG vehicles during November and December of each year, new registrations during October, November, and December of each year shall expire on 31 Oct of the next succeeding year. The annual motor vehicle license fee for new registrations in November or December shall be prorated accordingly.













22.0110 Authority.








The rule codified in this article is adopted under the authority of 22.1004, 22.1005 (2), 22.1005 (4), and 22A 202 (a) (2) A.S.C.A.













22.0111 Purpose-Applicability.








This article establishes the system for the registration and licensing of privately owned motor vehicles which arc newly purchased from licensed dealers in American Samoa or directly imported by the owner, with or without valid license tags issued by another jurisdiction, into American Samoa.













22.0112 Newly purchased vehicles.








(a) No licensed dealer in American Samoa shall deliver a privately owned motor vehicle to the purchaser unless and until the purchaser provides the dealer or his authorized representative with a certificate of compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance coverage required by 22.2001 through 22.2019 A.S.C.A., and effective through the last day of the same month 1 year after the month in which the insurance coverage is issued.
(b) Upon presentation of the certificate of compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance coverage, the licensed dealer shall cause to be affixed in the rear window of the motor vehicle, preferably in the lower right-hand corner, a temporary license tag on which the dealer has marked in bold numerals the expiration date as the fifth day, excluding Saturday and Sunday
(c) after the date of delivery of the motor vehicle to the purchaser.
(c) The purchaser of the motor vehicle shall have the vehicle inspected, registered, and licensed on or before the expiration date of the temporary license tag in accordance with 22.1002 and 22.1202 A.S.C.A., and Article 1 of this chapter.













22.0113 Imported motor vehicles.








(a) Except as provided in 22.0114, the period of exemption permitted under 22.1004 and 22.1005 (2) A.S.C.A., from registration and licensing in American Samoa of any motor vehicle validly registered and licensed in another jurisdiction expires immediately upon arrival of the vehicle in American Samoa.
(b) The director of port administration shall not release a privately owned motor vehicle to the owner upon its importation into American Samoa unless and until the owner provides the director or his authorized representative with a certificate of compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance coverage required by 22.2001 through 22.2019 A.S.C.A., and effective through the last day of the same month 1 year after the month in which the insurance coverage is issued, and further removes any license tags issued by another jurisdiction from the vehicle.
(c) Upon presentation of the certificate of compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance coverage and removal of any foreign license tags from the vehicle, the director of port administration shall cause to be affixed in the rear window of the motor vehicle, preferably on the lower right-hand corner, a temporary license tag on which the port director has marked in bold numerals the expiration date as the fifth day, excluding Saturday and Sunday, after the date of release of the motor vehicle to the owner.
(d) The owner of the motor vehicle shall have the vehicle inspected, registered, and licensed on or before the expiration date of the temporary license tag in accordance with 22.1002 and 22.1202 A.S.C.A., and Article 1 of this chapter.













22.0114 Existing imported motor vehicles.








(a) The period of exemption permitted under 22.1004 and 22.1005 (2) A.S.C.A., from registration and licensing in American Samoa of any motor vehicle validly registered and licensed in another jurisdiction upon arrival in American Samoa before and still valid on 1 Jul 80 expires on 3l Jul 80.
(b) The owner of any motor vehicle validly registered and licensed in another jurisdiction upon arrival in American Samoa before 1 Jul 80 shall have the vehicle inspected, registered and licensed on or before 31 Jul 80 in accordance with 22.1002 and 22.1202 ASCA, and Article 1 of this chapter.
The owner shall further remove the license tags issued by another jurisdiction from the vehicle at the time but before completion of the registration.













22.0115 Temporary license tag distribution.








All temporary license tags issued under this article shall be serialized and distributed to licensed dealers and the director of port administration under the direction of the director of traffic safety.