1. The director shall provide for the retention of license plates by the owners of motor vehicles, other than commercial motor vehicles, and shall establish a system of registration on a monthly series basis to distribute the work of registering motor vehicles as uniformly as practicable throughout the twelve months of the calendar year. For the purpose of assigning license plate numbers, each type of motor vehicle shall be considered a separate class. Commencing July 1, 1949, motor vehicles, other than commercial motor vehicles, shall be registered for a period of twelve consecutive calendar months. There are established twelve registration periods, each of which shall start on the first day of each calendar month of the year and shall end on the last date of the twelfth month from the date of beginning. Fees for the renewal of noncommercial motor vehicle registrations shall be payable no later than the last day of the month that follows the twelfth month of the expired registration period. No delinquent renewal penalty shall be assessed under section 301.050, and no violation shall be issued under section 301.020 for an expired registration, prior to the second month that follows the twelfth month of the expired registration period.

2. Motor vehicles, other than commercial motor vehicles, operated for the first time upon the public highways of this state, to and including the fifteenth day of any given month, shall be subject to registration and payment of a fee for the twelve-month period commencing the first day of the month of such operation; motor vehicles, other than commercial motor vehicles, operated for the first time on the public highways of this state after the fifteenth day of any given month shall be subject to registration and payment of a fee for the twelve-month period commencing the first day of the next following calendar month.

3. All commercial motor vehicles and trailers, except those licensed under section 301.035 and those operated under agreements as provided for in sections 301.271 to 301.279, shall be registered either on a calendar year basis or on a prorated basis as provided in this section. The fees for commercial motor vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, and driveaway vehicles, other than those to be operated under agreements as provided for in sections 301.271 to 301.279 shall be payable not later than the last day of February of each year, except when such vehicle is licensed between April first and July first the fee shall be three-fourths the annual fee, when licensed between July first and October first the fee shall be one-half the annual fee and when licensed on or after October first the fee shall be one-fourth the annual fee. Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130. Local commercial motor vehicle license plates may also be so stamped, marked or designed as to indicate they are to be used only on local commercial motor vehicles and, in addition to such stamp, mark or design, the letter “F” shall also be displayed on local commercial motor vehicle license plates issued to motor vehicles used for farm or farming transportation operations as defined in section 301.010 in the manner prescribed by the advisory committee established in section 301.129^*. In addition, all commercial motor vehicle license plates may be so stamped or marked with a letter, figure or other emblem as to indicate the gross weight for which issued.

4. The director shall, upon application, issue registration and license plates for nine thousand pounds gross weight for property-carrying commercial motor vehicles referred to herein, upon payment of the fees prescribed for twelve thousand pounds gross weight as provided in section 301.057.

5. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any motorcycle or motortricycle registration issued by the Missouri department of revenue shall expire on June thirtieth.