| Chapter 249 |
| 2022 -- H 6645 Enacted 06/28/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- TRANSFER OF VEHICLES |
Introduced By: Representatives McGaw, Cortvriend, Potter, Baginski, Biah, Cardillo, Fenton-Fung, Messier, and Chippendale |
| Date Introduced: January 06, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Sections 31-4-3, 31-4-9 and 31-4-10 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-4 |
| entitled "Transfer of Vehicles" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 31-4-3. Temporary registration -- Invoice voucher issued by dealer. |
| (a) Any person who purchases a motor vehicle from a bona fide licensed dealer and who |
| presently has a motor vehicle registered in this state, may, when the vehicle purchased is of the |
| same type as the presently owned and registered vehicle, operate the newly acquired motor vehicle |
| for a period of twenty (20) thirty (30) days following the date of the original dated voucher. During |
| this period any operator of the newly acquired vehicle shall carry the original dated bill of sale or |
| invoice voucher which shall be accompanied by a numbered state sales tax form. The voucher or |
| bill of sale shall recite the registration number to be transferred from the former vehicle to the newly |
| acquired vehicle. |
| (b) The bill of sale or invoice voucher shall be sequentially and numerically identified, |
| dated on the day of sale, and shall be valid for not more than twenty (20) thirty (30) days following |
| the date of the original dated voucher. No dealer or any other person shall extend or alter the date |
| nor shall a new bill of sale be issued to the purchaser as a means to circumvent this section. |
| (c) Every dealer shall keep a sequential record of each temporary certificate issued and |
| those records shall be available during business hours for examination by any police officer or |
| inspector of the division of motor vehicles as designated by the administrator of the division of |
| motor vehicles. |
| (d) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in ยง 31-41.1-4. |
| 31-4-9. Out-of-state purchases. |
| Any person who purchases a motor vehicle outside the state of Rhode Island from a bona |
| fide licensed dealer and who presently has a motor vehicle registered in this state may, when the |
| new vehicle purchased is of the same type, and has the same number of wheels as the presently |
| owned and registered vehicle, operate the newly acquired motor vehicle for a period beginning at |
| the date of transfer until five o'clock (5:00) p.m. of the third division of motor vehicles business |
| day of thirty (30) days following the date of transfer provided that the number plates issued upon |
| registration of the transferred motor vehicle are attached to the newly acquired vehicle. During this |
| period any operator of the newly acquired vehicle shall carry an original dated copy of the bill of |
| sale reciting the registration number to be transferred from the former vehicle to the newly acquired |
| vehicle. |
| 31-4-10. Temporary transfer of registration. |
| (a) A person who transfers the ownership of a registered motor vehicle or trailer owned by |
| him or her to another or who loses possession of it and who intends to transfer the registration of |
| the motor vehicle or trailer to a newly acquired vehicle may, subject to other provisions of the this |
| title, operate the newly acquired motor vehicle or trailer for a period beginning from the date of |
| transfer until five o'clock (5:00) p.m. of the second division of motor vehicles business day of thirty |
| (30) days following the date of transfer within the period of which the transferred vehicle was |
| registered, provided that the number plates issued upon registration of the transferred motor vehicle |
| are attached to the newly acquired vehicle, and a true copy of the bill of sale is sent to the division |
| of motor vehicles within twenty-four (24) hours of the transfer. |
| (b) During these periods, any operator of a newly acquired vehicle shall carry an original |
| copy of the bill of sale reciting the registration number to be transferred from the former vehicle to |
| the newly acquired vehicle, the date of the sale or transfer, the make and identification number of |
| the vehicle, and the signature and address of the seller. |
| (c) This section shall apply only to transfer of registration between vehicles of the same |
| type and with the same number of wheels. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC003541 |
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