710 ARTICLE 56.

is made within one year from the date of the sale, said excess shall be
transferred from the special fund to the General Treasury, to be expended
and used as other fees collected by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

PART III.
Registration of Motor Vehicles and Operators.

An. Code, 1924, sec. 179. 1912, sec. 140. 1916, ch. 687. 1918, ch. 85, sec. 140.

1927, ch. 520, sec. 179.

179. Every owner of one or more motor vehicles before the same shall
be operated in this State, and except as hereinafter otherwise provided,
shall fill in and file with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, on a blank
furnished by the Commissioner, an application for the registration of such
motor vehicles, containing such information as shall be required by the
Commissioner. The horsepower of all motor vehicles propelled by gas
engines, except motorcycles, shall be computed and recorded upon the fol-
lowing formula, and the annual registration fee, hereinafter provided for,
paid in accordance herewith: Square the diameter of the cylinder, multi-
ply by the number of cylinders and divide by two and one-half. For all
motor vehicles propelled by steam engines, other than tractors and traction
engines, the rating shall be based on the system of rating adopted by the
United States Government. Should any other motor power be used, and
in case of motor vehicles having solid tires, the Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles is empowered to adopt such formula to govern their rating as he
may deem proper. The said Commissioner of Motor Vehicles upon the
payment of the registration fee hereinafter provided for, shall file such
application in his office and register such motor vehicle, assigning to it a
distinguishing number or mark, and shall thereupon issue to the owner
thereof a certificate of registration which shall contain the name, place
of residence and post office address of the owner, and the number or mark
assigned to such motor vehicle. Such certificate shall be in convenient
form, and shall at all times be carried upon such motor vehicle, and shall
be subject to examination upon demand by any proper officer as herein-
after provided. Said Commissioner shall also, without expense to the
applicant, issue and deliver to such owner two duplicate metal plates or
markers bearing the letters "Md. " and the number or mark assigned to
such motor vehicle as aforesaid, the figures thereon to be not less than four
inches high, and each stroke to he not less than one-half inch in width.
Such plates or markers shall be of a distinctly different color or shade each
year, to be designated and selected by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles,
and there shall be at all times a marked contrast between the color of the
number plates and that of the numerals or letters thereon. In the case
of motorcycles, one number plate or marker shall be furnished, the letters
and figures thereon to be at least one inch high and one-eighth of an inch
in width. The certificate provided for in this section and the right to use
the number plate or marker aforesaid shall expire at midnight on Decem-