Section 3
SEC. 3. Section seventeen of the same Act, as amended, is further amended to read as follows: “SEC. 17. Number plate, preparation and issuance of.—(a) The Chief of the Motor Vehicles Office shall cause number plates to be prepared and issued to owners of motor vehicles and trailers registered under this Act, charging a fee of one peso for each complete plate including the numerals indicating the year of registry: Provided, however, That in case no number plates ate available, the Chief of the Motor Vehicles Office or his deputies may issue, without charge, a written permit temporarily authorizing the operation of any motor vehicles with other means of identification: Provided, further, That all motor vehicles exempted from payment of registration fees, motor vehicles for hire, and privately owned motor vehicles, shall bear plates so designed and painted with different colors to distinguish one class from the other: Provided, still further, That the plates of motor vehicles exempted from payment of registration fees shall be permanently assigned to such motor vehicles during their entire lifetime while exempted from payment of fees: And provided, finally, That the owner thereof shall return such plate to the Chief of the Motor Vehicles Office within a period of seven working days after such owner has lost his exemption privilege or has transferred the vehicle to a non-exempt owner. "(b) In case the design of the number plate is such that the numerals indicating the year of registry are in a detachable tag, the Chief, Motor Vehicles Office or his deputies may, in their discretion, issue the said tag only, for subsequent re-registration, charging a fee of fifty centavos for each tag issued."