2011 Connecticut Code
Title 14 Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway By Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 246 Motor Vehicles
Sec. 14-58. Application. General registration of motor vehicles. Documents to be issued to drivers. Photostatic copies of registration certificate as proof of ownership. Return of void number plates. Penalty.

      Sec. 14-58. Application. General registration of motor vehicles. Documents to be issued to drivers. Photostatic copies of registration certificate as proof of ownership. Return of void number plates. Penalty. (a) Each new car dealer, used car dealer or repairer before engaging in such business shall make a separate sworn application to the commissioner for a license to engage in such business in each place of business conducted by such dealer. The application shall include any information that may be required by the commissioner on blanks to be furnished by said commissioner. Each application shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred forty dollars for each place of business conducted by the applicant, together with the fee for the type of license for which the applicant is making application, and such fee or fees shall not be subject to prorating and shall not be subject to refund. No such license shall be transferable. When such licensee adds buildings or adjacent land to such licensee's licensed place of business, the commissioner may require the licensee to furnish satisfactory evidence of compliance with the provisions of section 14-54, or with other applicable provisions of law, administered by the municipality wherein such business is located, concerning building or zoning requirements. When a change of officers of a corporation engaged in such business is made, a notice of the change shall be sent to the commissioner within a period of fifteen days from the date of the change. The commissioner may suspend the license of any corporation, after notice and hearing, when the newly appointed or elected officers cannot be considered as qualified to conduct the business as provided in section 14-51.

      (b) Each such licensee shall, instead of registering each motor vehicle owned by such licensee or temporarily in such licensee's custody, make application to the commissioner for a general distinguishing number and mark, and the commissioner may issue to the applicant a certificate or certificates of registration containing the distinguishing number and mark assigned to such applicant, and made in a form and containing any further information that the commissioner may determine, and, thereupon, each motor vehicle owned by the applicant or temporarily in the applicant's custody shall be regarded as registered under and having assigned to it such general distinguishing number and mark until sold. For the registration of all motor vehicles registered under a general distinguishing number and mark, the commissioner shall charge a fee at the rate of seventy dollars per year. No new car dealer may be issued more than one such registration for each ten sales transactions in a year and no repairer or limited repairer may be issued more than three registrations in a year, unless such licensee makes application for an additional registration to the commissioner, in such form and containing such information as the commissioner may require to substantiate such request. No used car dealer may be issued more than three such registrations in a year, provided an additional registration may be issued for each ten sales transactions in excess of thirty such transactions upon submission of such application for an additional registration. The commissioner may issue to each such licensee such additional registrations as the commissioner deems necessary. The commissioner may withdraw any registration previously issued or may limit the number of registrations which any licensee is eligible to receive or to hold, if the commissioner determines that a licensee does not require such number of registrations or if a licensee has been found to be in violation of any of the provisions of section 14-64.

      (c) Registration certificates issued under the provisions of this section shall not be required to be carried upon such motor vehicles when upon the public highways as required under subsection (a) of section 14-13, except that the licensee shall issue to each person driving such motor vehicle a document indicating that such person is validly entrusted with such vehicle which document shall be carried in the motor vehicle. The commissioner shall determine the form and contents of this document. Legible photostatic copies of such registration certificates may be carried in such vehicles as proof of ownership. The licensee shall furnish financial responsibility satisfactory to the commissioner as defined in section 14-112, provided such financial responsibility shall not be required from a licensee when the commissioner finds that the licensee is of sufficient financial responsibility to meet such legal liability. The commissioner may issue such license upon presentation of evidence of such financial responsibility satisfactory to the commissioner.

      (d) Each licensee that was issued a general distinguishing number plate or plates by the commissioner in accordance with the provisions of this section or section 14-59, and that no longer holds a valid license due to failure to renew the license, surrender of the license or revocation of the license by the commissioner for a violation of any provision of this subpart, shall account for and immediately return such number plate or plates to the department, or shall immediately surrender such number plate or plates to a motor vehicle inspector or other authorized agent or employee of said department. All such number plates shall be void, as of the date of termination of the license, and shall not be used as a registration to operate any motor vehicle on any highway.

      (e) Any person who fails to return or surrender any general distinguishing number plate that is void, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (d) of this section, or who, with knowledge that such plate is void, uses such plate to operate a motor vehicle on any highway shall be guilty of a violation of subsection (c) of section 14-147.

      (1949 Rev., S. 2398; 1953, S. 1312d; 1961, P.A. 581, S. 13; 1963, P.A. 373; 1967, P.A. 866, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 247, S. 2; 759, S. 10; 1971, P.A. 649, S. 2; P.A. 77-50; P.A. 80-380, S. 1, 2; P.A. 81-108, S. 1; P.A. 84-254, S. 39, 62; 84-391, S. 1, 8; 84-429, S. 56; P.A. 02-70, S. 27; P.A. 03-184, S. 5; P.A. 09-187, S. 24; P.A. 10-110, S. 20, 59.)

      History: 1961 act increased application fee and fee for number plates; 1963 act added provisions re notice to commissioner of change in officers of corporation and re commissioner's suspension of license if new officers found to be unqualified; 1967 act added provisions re inclusion of additional buildings or land in license to engage in business; 1969 acts specified that $4 fee per set of plates is an annual charge and later increased $4 fee to $8; 1971 act referred to issuance of single plate rather than pair of plates; P.A. 77-50 added provision re carrying photostat copies of registration certificates as proof of ownership; P.A. 80-380 increased fee to $20 per year; P.A. 81-108 required licensees to issue documents to persons entrusted with motor vehicles subject to general registration; P.A. 84-254 increased the application and registration fees, effective July 1, 1984, scheduling the changes to take effect as of July first of 1985, 1989, 1991 and 1993; P.A. 84-391 limited the number of registrations under a general distinguishing number and mark issued to new and used car dealers and repairers and limited repairers; P.A. 84-429 made technical changes for statutory consistency; P.A. 02-70 divided existing provisions into Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c) and made technical changes throughout, amended Subsec. (a) to delete provisions re additions to existing license and to authorize commissioner to require licensee to furnish evidence of compliance with Secs. 14-54 and 14-55 or other provisions of law administered by the municipality wherein the business is located re building or zoning requirements when a licensee adds buildings or adjacent land to the licensed place of business, and amended Subsec. (b) to allow commissioner to withdraw any registration previously issued or limit the number of registrations a licensee is eligible to receive when the licensee has been found to be in violation of Sec. 14-64; P.A. 03-184 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to Sec. 14-55; P.A. 09-187 added Subsecs. (d) and (e) re return or surrender of general distinguishing number plates and penalty for failure to return or surrender; P.A. 10-110 amended Subsec. (b) to authorize commissioner to withdraw or limit number of registrations held by licensee upon determination that licensee does not require such number and to make technical changes, effective June 5, 2010, and made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective October 1, 2010.

      Cited. 140 C. 304. Mere violation does not necessarily create liability. 161 C. 388.

      Cited. 17 CS 239.