Q. About a year ago you had an article about “suburban” plates along with the statute stating that the plate could be used on a “motor vehicle with a convertible or interchangeable body or with removable seats . . . or any vehicle into which access can be gained through the rear by means of a hatch or trunk and where the rear seats can be folded down to permit the carrying of articles as well as passengers.” I have a Volvo S80 that fits the above description. I attempted to register it with a family “suburban” plate at the local registry but was told it would not qualify. How do I proceed with this?

A. Karen, that is the current law. If you feel that your vehicle qualifies, your next step is to schedule a physical inspection with our enforcement section. A motor vehicle investigator will inspect the vehicle to make sure it meets the criteria for a suburban plate, and will then give you the okay to register the vehicle with the plate you have. The section of the law, 31-1-3 Types of Vehicles reads, “. . . (u) “Suburban vehicle” means every motor vehicle with a convertible or interchangeable body or with removable seats, usable for both passenger and delivery purposes, and including motor vehicles commonly known as station or depot wagons or any vehicle into which access can be gained through the rear by means of a hatch or trunk and where the rear seats can be folded down to permit the carrying of articles as well as passengers.”

You can contact the Enforcement Section at (401) 462-5736. Be aware that it will not be a plate change transaction; this requires us to re-register the vehicle with the proper plate type. You will not need your vehicle’s title, but you will need your current registration and plates, plus a letter from the family member giving you the suburban plates. No sales tax or title fees will apply, but you may have to pay a portion of the yearly registration fee. If your current registration has an entire year left, you will be eligible for a refund of that one year fee.

Sticker shock

Q. I am writing regarding an issue I have noticed since moving to Rhode Island three years ago. Can I be the only person noticing the multitude of incorrect placement of auto registration stickers on Rhode Island license plates? I have observed numerous amounts and quite a variety of plate displays; colorful stickers on all four corners of years gone by, up and down the right side like a row of dominoes, around the perimeter of the entire plate, and even strategically placed in the center! These colorful and historic displays of years gone by are both an embarrassment and a rampantly unique habit specific to Rhode Islanders like some sort of merit badge.

At one time, was there a glitch in the system regarding the instructions for the placement of a new registration sticker. The designated spot is indented into the plate. After watching a great tribute to Rhode Island on the History channel, a sticker-laden plate was shown for all to see and that was enough for me. Now a Rhode Islander, I am not discriminating against one state from another, as my husband and dad’s family are from here. I feel this is a possible source for the revenue we so desperately are lacking. Is this a violation of Rhode Island state law? Aside from the pride issue, I guess I just don’t understand why this embellishment of the Rhode Island license plate continues on and on without any sort of rectification.

I am not trying to offend any one, nor do I mean any disrespect, I just can’t go on without pointing out this issue.

A. Oh, Lee. You have just hit on one of my personal pet peeves. The law clearly states that a renewal sticker, or decal, shall be placed in the lower right hand corner of the plate and that, other than the state-sanctioned flag decal sold to benefit military families, it is the only decal or sticker permissible on Rhode Island license plates. RIGL 31-3-33 Renewal of Registration, reads, in part “(c) Upon renewal, owners will be issued a renewal sticker for each registration plate which shall be placed at the bottom right hand corner of the plate.” There is not, unfortunately, any fine associated with failure to comply with the law, though the intent is clear, renewal decals belong in the lower right corner of a registration plate and nowhere else.

Now, as to the statement that the renewal decal is the only decal permissible other than the flag decal, we read in RIGL31-3-76 Special License Plate Decal, (a) Notwithstanding any general law or regulation to the contrary, the administrator of the division of motor vehicles is hereby directed to make available a special license plate decal of the American flag made of the same material as the year sticker. (b) Upon the registration or renewal of a motor vehicle registration, the division of motor vehicles shall provide the owner the option to purchase for $5, the American flag decal. Such decal shall be affixed at the lower left corner of the rear license plate and shall not obscure the reading of any part of the license plate. These flag decals are available at any DMV branch office and at AAA branches offering DMV services. After costs for printing the decals are recouped, the donations will benefit the Military Family Relief Fund.

Gina Antonucci Zanni, chief of communications for the State Division of Motor Vehicles, has agreed to answer questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about state motor vehicle laws and procedures. To ask a question that would also be of interest to other readers, send a letter to Ask projoCars, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI, 02902. You can e-mail your question to projocars@projo.com. Please put “Ask projoCars” in the subject field. Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DMV directly and will not be answered in this column.

Confused about road rules? Or looking for a low-number license plate? You’ll find an archive of official answers to past driving questions posed by Journal readers at projocars.com