SECTION 1.  Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended in line 156 by inserting after the word “provided,” the following:- 

“that the registrar shall not furnish a number plate with the identical sequence of horizontally aligned alphanumeric characters as another active number plate; and provided further,”.   

SECTION 2.  The registrar shall issue a new registration number and number plates to a registrant, at the registrant’s option upon application, without charge, whose number plate shares the identical sequence of horizontally aligned alphanumeric characters with another active number plate. 

SECTION 3.  Not later than January 1, 2020, the registrar shall (i) identify all registrants with number plates that share the identical sequence of horizontally aligned alphanumeric characters with another active number plate and (ii) provide written notice to such registrants informing them of same and of the registrar’s obligations under section 2.  

SECTION 4.  Municipal, county, and state agencies and other governmental entities, including but not limited to law enforcement agencies and personnel, the Massachusetts department of transportation, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and those acting on their behalf, shall include all vertically stacked characters that are part of a registration number and shall note whether a plate is a specialty, distinctive, commercial or other plate series when documenting or otherwise recording a motor vehicle or trailer plate number for the purpose of assessing any violation, fine, surcharge, toll, or fee.