Bill Text: NJ A3181 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes purchaser of automobile by private sale to operate automobile for three-day period following purchase without permanent registration or transfer of title.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [A3181 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A3181-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROBERT AUTH
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes purchaser of automobile by private sale to operate automobile for three-day period following purchase without permanent registration or transfer of title.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning temporary registration of automobiles and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Any resident of this State purchasing a passenger automobile pursuant to a private sale in this State from any person who is not a dealer or used motor vehicle dealer, and provided the automobile is to be principally garaged, registered, and titled in this State, may register the automobile in New Jersey on a temporary basis.
b. A temporary registration pursuant to this section shall be made through an application submitted to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission through the commission's website, with an electronic signature by the applicant, that requires the applicant to submit the applicant's name, address, and age, the automobile seller's name, a description of the character of the automobile including the make and model of the automobile and vehicle identification number, the date of the private sale, the odometer reading at the time of sale, the name of the insurance company insuring the automobile, the insurance policy number, a certification by the applicant that the automobile is insured in accordance with the requirements of the "Motor Vehicle Security-Responsibility Law," P.L.1952, c.173 (C.39:6-23 et seq.), and any other information that may be required by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. In the event that the insurance is terminated, the insurer shall notify the chief administrator within 30 days following the termination. The commission shall maintain a record of all temporary registration applications made pursuant to this section and all temporary license plates provided pursuant to this section, store this information in a database or registry, and make this information accessible to law enforcement officers. Immediately upon submission of the application, the commission shall provide to the applicant:
(1) a receipt through electronic mail that may serve as proof of temporary registration pursuant to this section; and
(2) a temporary license plate, in a manner to be determined by the chief administrator, which may be printed by the applicant and which shall be displayed on the automobile.
c. Following submission of the application, the applicant may operate the automobile on the roadways of this State for a period of three days from submission of the application, provided that the automobile is insured in accordance with the requirements of the "Motor Vehicle Security-Responsibility Law," P.L.1952, c.173 (C.39:6-23 et seq.) and the temporary license plate provided pursuant to subsection b. of this section is displayed on the automobile, notwithstanding that the automobile does not have a permanent registration and may not be properly titled with the commission. A law enforcement officer shall review the database or registry maintained by the commission or the receipt provided to the applicant by electronic mail pursuant to subsection b. of this section to confirm the temporary registration status of the automobile. Following the three-day period, the automobile shall not be operated on the roadways of this State unless it is registered pursuant to R.S.39:3-4 or properly registered in another state or jurisdiction.
d. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100, except that for the intentional misstatement of any fact in the application required to be made by the chief administrator, the person making the misstatement shall be subject to the penalties provided in R.S.39:3-37.
2. During the public health emergency declared on March 9, 2020 by the Governor, pursuant to Executive Order No. 103 and extended, where applicable, by subsequent executive orders, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may extend the period that persons may operate automobiles purchased pursuant to private sale that are temporarily registered pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) on the roadways of this State to a period not to exceed 10 days from the submission of the application pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), provided that the automobile is insured in accordance with the requirements of the "Motor Vehicle Security-Responsibility Law," P.L.1952, c.173 (C.39:6-23 et seq.) and the temporary license plate provided pursuant to subsection b. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) is displayed on the automobile.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment, except that the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall take anticipatory action in advance thereof to ensure the timely implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes a person who purchases a passenger automobile through a private sale from a person who is not a dealer or used motor vehicle dealer to operate the automobile on the roadways in the State for a period of three days, provided that the automobile is properly insured and the person who purchased the automobile temporarily registers the automobile pursuant to the bill and displays on the automobile the temporary license plate provided pursuant to the bill.
In order to be authorized to operate an automobile in such a manner, the automobile purchaser is required to submit information to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) through the commission's website. Once that information is submitted, the commission is required to provide the person with a receipt by electronic mail that proves that the person temporarily registered the automobile with the commission, which may serve as proof of the registration status of the automobile, and a printable temporary license plate, which is to be displayed on the automobile. The commission is required to maintain a record of the information submitted through the website and the temporary license plates provided to applicants in a database or registry, which is to be accessible to law enforcement officers.
Any person violating the provisions of the bill is to be subject to a fine up to $100. Any person that provides an intentional misstatement of any fact is subject to the penalties provided by law concerning the provision of falsified information to the commission.
The bill also includes a temporary provision that authorizes the chief administrator of the commission to expand the three-day time period under the bill to a 10-day time period during the Coronavirus disease 2019 public health emergency.
