The borough assembly is moving forward with an ordinance that would eliminate the need for residents to pay the state’s vehicle registration fee on older vehicles.

During the Feb. 24 meeting, assembly members reviewed a proposed ordinance that would allow owners of non-commercial vehicles at least eight years old to opt into a provision of the state registration system that replaces the every-other-year $100 fee with a one-time $25 fee.

This change would introduce the lifetime “Z” tab affixed to license plates for Wrangell vehicle owners, a program that has been available in much of Alaska for over a decade but requires specific local approval to be implemented.

The discussion was led by Police Chief Gene Meek, who presented the plan as a practical way to improve the registration process in Wrangell. The police department handles Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles paperwork under a contract with the state.

While the one-time registration would apply to older vehicles, “people are still going to buy new vehicles and they will still have to register them up until they reach a certain age,” the chief said.

Meek said the motivation for the change did not come from a complicated bureaucratic study, but rather from a conversation with a member of the community. In a follow-up an interview on Feb. 26, he noted that the idea was sparked when a citizen inquired about the availability of the permanent tabs.

After looking into the benefits and seeing how many other jurisdictions in the state had already adopted the practice, he decided to bring it before the assembly.

“I thought it was a good idea, and I thought: ‘Why don’t we do that?’” he said.

The proposed ordinance, if adopted in its final reading at the March 10 assembly meeting, would allow residents to permanently register non-commercial motor vehicles that are at least eight years old, along with non-commercial trailers of any age.

The state adopted the registration change in 2015, but it requires municipalities to adopt the change before it applies in their communities.

These registrations remain valid for the entire life of ownership, meaning the Z tab stays with the vehicle as long as the current owner keeps it. However, the registration automatically expires upon the transfer or assignment of the title to a new owner, requiring the next person to apply independently.

The purpose of the ordinance is to reduce the recurring administrative burden on vehicle owners and law enforcement. By moving toward a one-time system for older cars and trailers, the borough hopes to improve long-term registration compliance.

The move aligns Wrangell with the registration practices already adopted in other Alaska cities and boroughs, such as Ketchikan, which made the change on Jan. 1.

If the assembly approves the ordinance at its March 10 meeting, the change would take effect immediately, allowing qualifying residents to secure their permanent state tabs right away.