§286-53  Dealers in new motor
vehicles.  (a)  A manufacturer of or dealer in new motor vehicles having an
established place of business, owning any such new vehicles and operating them
upon the public highways, in lieu of registering each such new vehicle, may
make application upon an official form provided for that purpose to the
director of finance for a permanent number plate.



(b)  Every new vehicle owned or controlled by
the manufacturer or dealer, and permitted to be registered under a permanent
number plate shall be regarded as registered thereunder until the vehicle is
sold and the sale has been recorded by the director of finance.



(c)  The director of finance shall, upon
receipt of the application, or thereafter, furnish to the manufacturer or dealer:



(1)  Permanent number plates which shall be attached
to new motor vehicles which are used by the applicant only for demonstration of
the new motor vehicles to customers upon the public highways if requested by
the applicant.  The price of each permanent number plate shall be established
by the director of finance under chapter 91.  Each permanent number plate shall
display upon it the number which is assigned to the applicant and a different
letter or number to differentiate it from other plates furnished to the
applicant.  Permanent number plates which are detached from a new motor vehicle
which has been sold may be used on another new motor vehicle; and



(2)  Temporary motor vehicle plates, if the applicant
is a new motor vehicle dealer, which plates shall be blank except for an area
on the lower right corner which shall be utilized for validation of the
temporary plates.  The validation shall not be reproducible by any person other
than the director of finance, or director of finance of another county if an
agreement is made to utilize a uniform validation, shall signify the official
status of the temporary number plate, and be designed to be visible from a
distance of two feet.



The directors of finance of any two or more
counties may agree to utilize a uniform designation to be placed upon the
temporary number plate.  The director of finance shall establish the material
used for the temporary number plate and a charge by rule under chapter 91 for
each temporary number plate.



(d)  Whenever the design of the number plates
issued under chapter 249 is changed, the new motor vehicle dealer shall apply
to the director of finance for the most current permanent number plates. 
Before issuing the current permanent number plates, the director of finance
shall require each applicant to return the permanent number plates issued
previously.  If any permanent number plates issued previously have been lost or
destroyed, the manufacturer or dealer who applies for the permanent number
plates shall certify in writing to the director of finance that the permanent
number plates have been lost or destroyed and that if any lost permanent number
plates are found, they shall be returned forthwith to the director of finance. 
Upon receipt of the certificate, the director of finance shall issue an equal
number of the most current permanent number plates as have been certified to be
lost or destroyed.



(e)  Whenever a new motor vehicle dealer sells
a new motor vehicle to a person, the new motor vehicle dealer shall detach the
permanent number plate issued under subsection (c) from that new motor vehicle
and replace it with one temporary number plate.  The temporary number plate
shall be attached to the rear of the vehicle in the same location as required
for number plates under section 249-7.  The new motor vehicle dealer shall
print only the following upon the temporary number plate:



(1)  The date that is thirty working days after the
date the new owner takes possession of the motor vehicle, which date shall be
placed in the middle of the temporary number plate in numbers not less than
four inches in height;



(2)  The name and address of the new owner;



(3)  The name and address of the new motor vehicle
dealer;



(4)  The serial number of the new motor vehicle; and



(5)  The date the new motor vehicle owner took
possession of the motor vehicle.



Any temporary number plate upon which is placed any
drawings, pictures, or words other than what is required by paragraphs (1)
through (5), shall be invalid.



The information required by paragraphs (3)
through (5) shall be printed in the upper left corner of the temporary number
plate.



The temporary number plate shall be valid
through the date listed in paragraph (1).



Any person who operates a motor vehicle with an
expired temporary number plate shall be fined not more than $500.  Any new
motor vehicle dealer who prepares an invalid temporary number plate shall be
fined not more than $500.



(f)  No manufacturer or dealer shall permit the
operation of any motor vehicle owned or controlled by the manufacturer or
dealer upon any public highway, unless permanent number plates assigned to the
manufacturer or dealer are attached thereto, in the manner specified in this
part; provided that the new vehicles may be operated without permanent number
plates attached thereto on the initial continuous movement from the place of
entry of the vehicle into this State to the warehouse, storeroom, salesroom, or
other place of business selected by the manufacturer or dealer.



(g)  Every manufacturer or dealer, upon the
sale, lease, or other transfer by the manufacturer or dealer of a new vehicle
registered under a general distinguishing number, as herein provided, shall
forthwith give notice of the transfer to the director of finance upon the
appropriate official form, stating the date of the transfer, a description of
the vehicle, the name and post office address of the transferee, and certifying
that temporary number plates have been provided for the motor vehicle of the
transferee.



Following the transfer, if application for
registration has been made by or on behalf of the transferee, the vehicle may
be operated until duly registered by the director of finance under chapter 249
and this chapter or until the expiration of the temporary number plates
whichever occurs sooner.



(h)  The director of finance may, at the
director's discretion, grant a temporary permit to operate a vehicle, a
registration for which has been applied for.



(i)  For the purposes of this section:



(1)  "New motor vehicles" means motor
vehicles of the current model year, immediate past model year, or the next
model year which have not been sold or registered by the manufacturer or
dealer;



(2)  "New motor vehicle dealer" means a
dealer licensed under chapter 437 to engage in the business of selling at
wholesale or retail or both, new motor vehicles or used motor vehicles;



(3)  "Permanent number plate" means a number
plate furnished to a manufacturer or dealer under subsection (c)(1) for a motor
vehicle which is similar to the number plate issued under section 249-7 and
which allows the motor vehicle to be operated on the public highways; and



(4)  "Temporary number plate" means the
number plate furnished to a new motor vehicle dealer under subsection (c)(2).
[L 1929, c 197, §9; RL 1935, §2672; am L 1941, c 211, §1; RL 1945, §7343; am L
1949, c 162, §2; am L 1953, c 131, §1(f); RL 1955, §160-11; am L 1967, c 92,
§1; HRS §286-53; am L 1980, c 133, §4; gen ch 1985; am L 1987, c 319, §1; am L
1990, c 131, §2; am L 1995, c 24, §1]