[PARTXV.]  INTERISLAND SHIPPING OF VEHICLES

 

§286-271  Interisland shipping of vehicles;proof required.  (a)  Except as provided in subsection (b), a legal ownerof a vehicle shall not ship that vehicle interisland in this State unless thelegal owner first presents to the carrier the legal owner's current certificateof registration showing that the person is the registered owner of the vehicle,identification, and proof of motor vehicle insurance.  If the registered ownerof the vehicle is not the legal owner of the vehicle, the registered ownershall present to the carrier, the registered owner's current certificate ofregistration, identification, and proof of motor vehicle insurance.  Duplicatecopies of the current registration and proof of motor vehicle insurance shallbe acceptable for commercial vehicles as defined in section 286-47(3)(C).  Anauthorized agent of the legal or registered owner may ship the vehicle bypresenting the current certificate of registration, identification, proof ofmotor vehicle insurance, and a notarized letter from the registered or legalowner authorizing the shipment.  For an unrecorded owner pending a lawfultransfer, a certificate of ownership signed by the previous owner may besubmitted for the current certificate of registration for a vehicle purchasedwithin thirty days of shipping.  A facsimile of proof of motor vehicleinsurance from an insurance company may be accepted for a vehicle purchasedwithin thirty days of shipping.  Presentation of proof of motor vehicleinsurance shall not be required for:

(1)  Unlicensed propelled vehicles that are notintended for on-road use;

(2)  New unregistered vehicles shipped with a bill oflading; or

(3)  Vehicles owned by the federal, state, or countygovernment.

(b)  A legal owner of a damaged vehicle shallnot ship that vehicle interisland in this State for repair, disposal, orsalvage unless the legal owner first presents to the carrier the legal owner'scurrent certificate of registration showing that the person is the registeredowner of the vehicle or a car dealer's license.  For an unrecorded ownerpending a lawful transfer, a certificate of ownership signed by the previousowner may be acceptable for a vehicle purchased within thirty days ofshipping.  A registered owner of the vehicle who is not the legal owner of thevehicle must present a current certificate of registration.

(c)  Any legal or registered owner who violatesthis section shall be fined not more than $100.

(d)  The carrier shall record by physical inspectionthe vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle and maintain a record ofthe transporting of the vehicle along with the description of the vehicle for aperiod of not less than three years.

(e)  This section shall not apply to:

(1)  Any motor vehicle rental company as defined insection 431:9A-141 that periodically ships in quantities of ten vehicles ormore;

(2)  Licensed dealers who periodically ship inquantities of ten vehicles or more, or whose primary business is the auction ofinsurance salvage vehicles;

(3)  Except for a lessee of a rental motor vehicleunder paragraph (4), drivers of vehicles transported by any water carrierauthorized by the public utilities commission to transport vehiclesinterisland; provided that the driver presents identification, a currentcertificate of registration for the vehicle, and proof of motor vehicleinsurance.  The interisland water carrier shall keep a record of transportingthe vehicle by recording the vehicle identification number and retaining theinformation for three years after the date of travel; or

(4)  A lessee of a rental motor vehicle; providedthat:

(A)  The rental motor vehicle is transported byany water carrier authorized by the public utilities commission to transportvehicles interisland;

(B)  The water carrier has a written agreementwith the owner of the rental motor vehicle; and

(C)  The water carrier records and retains theinformation required under subsections (d) and (f).

For purposes of this subsection,"lessee" and "rental motor vehicle" have the same meaningsas those terms are defined in section 437D-3.

(f)  The records maintained as required by thissection and all other records and receipts relating to the transportation ofvehicles shall be available for inspection by the federal, state, or county lawenforcement agencies, and financial institutions during normal business hours.[L 1994, c 170, §1; am L 1995, c 128, §2; am L 1997, c 251, §9; am L 1998, c95, §2; am L 2002, c 23, §1; am L 2003, c 26, §3; am L 2008, c 66, §1; am L2009, c 47, §2]