The 2021 plates ready for motorists.
PHILIPSBURG--Quite a few motorists got an early start on Monday, January 4, when they paid their 2021 motor vehicle tax and collected their new number plates.
Receiver’s Office staffers said there had been a steady flow of persons to collect their plates on Monday. Motorists were able to pay their 2021 motor vehicle tax (sometimes called road tax) online as of January 1, and physically at the Receiver’s Office cashiers as of yesterday, Monday.
Authorities had decided to use the number plates ordered for 2020, which had been delayed, for 2021.
Apart from government plates, plates ordered and received are 15,000 M plates; 9,999 P plates; 3,100 R plates; 300 B plates; 550 Taxi plates; 240 T plates; 90 G plates; 3,900 V plates; 390 Z plates; and 900 MF plates.
The licence plates are adorned with an image of the statue of William Henry Bell Jr. at the Cole Bay Hill lookout point on A.J.C. Brouwer Road. The plates are blue in colour and have “The Friendly Island” written at the top and “St. Maarten” at the bottom. A total of 32,988 sets of 2020 number plates and 900 single plates for motorbikes had been ordered for motorists. The plates were ordered on August 14, 2019.
By law the deadline for motorists to pay their motor vehicle tax is February 28 of each year. The plates cost NAf. 12.50 for all types of vehicles and NAf. 7.50 for motorbikes. Motorists with number plates M, P, SXM, MR (ministers) and PAR (parliament) will pay NAf. 275 in motor vehicle tax for gasoline-operated vehicles and NAf. 750 for diesel-fuel-operated ones.
Motorists with R plates will pay NAf. 300 for gasoline-operated vehicles and NAf. 750 for diesel fuel-operated vehicles.
Taxis, BUS, G (group) and T (tour buses with 35 passengers or less) pay NAf. 275 for gasoline-operated vehicles and NAf. 550 for diesel fuel-operated vehicles.
Vehicles with V and Z plates that weigh more than 3,500kg will pay NAf. 1,250 for gasoline- or diesel-fuel-operated vehicles. Vehicles with V plates that weigh less than 3,500kg will pay NAf. 275 for gasoline-operated vehicles and NAf. 750 for diesel-fuel-operated vehicles.
Persons with MF (motorbike) plates will pay NAf. 200 and those with MF (mopeds) will pay NAf. 50 in motor vehicle tax. A valid insurance document and inspection card will be needed for payment to be processed.
