To put an end to the "endless" round of opinions, speculations,
individual experiences, and misunderstandings rampant on this subject, I
am including the REAL THING.
The web site for the California Department of Motor Vehicles is:
<http://www.leginfo.ca.gov>/
There is a search engine here, and if you know how to use one, you can
get the code on any subject. Here is the first of 20 responses, that I
think covers the territory.
I believe that the other states are advanced enough to carry such a
service, and can be similarly searched for your local law. I am only
speaking of the law here in California. It is my belief, however, that
similar law is on the books in many other states, if anyone bothers to
look.
I hope this puts an end to opinion and misinformation.
Don't read on, if you're not interested, because, like most laws, it
ain't short.
The URL for this particular search is:
<http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=3145612838+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve>
CALIFORNIA CODES
VEHICLE CODE
SECTION 10801-10804
10801. Any person who knowingly and intentionally owns or operates
a chop shop is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall
be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or
four years, or by a fine of not more than fifty thousand dollars
($50,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by up to one year
in the county jail, or by a fine of not more than one thousand
dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.
10802. Any person who knowingly alters, counterfeits, defaces,
destroys, disguises, falsifies, forges, obliterates, or removes
vehicle identification numbers, with the intent to misrepresent the
identity or prevent the identification of motor vehicles or motor
vehicle parts, for the purpose of sale, transfer, import, or export,
is guilty of a public offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished
by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three
years, or by a fine of not more than twenty-five thousand dollars
($25,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment, or by up to one year
in the county jail, or by a fine of not more than one thousand
dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine and imprisonment.
10803. (a) Any person who buys with the intent to resell, disposes
of, sells, or transfers, more than one motor vehicle or parts from
more than one motor vehicle, with the knowledge that the vehicle
identification numbers of the motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts
have been altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised,
falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed for the purpose of
misrepresenting the identity or preventing the identification of the
motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, is guilty of a public offense
and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state
prison for two, four, or six years, or by a fine of not more than
sixty thousand dollars ($60,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment, or by up to one year in the county jail, or by a fine
of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both the fine
and imprisonment.
(b) Any person who possesses, for the purpose of sale, transfer,
import, or export, more than one motor vehicle or parts from more
than one motor vehicle, with the knowledge that the vehicle
identification numbers of the motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts
have been altered, counterfeited, defaced, destroyed, disguised,
falsified, forged, obliterated, or removed for the purpose of
misrepresenting the identity or preventing the identification of the
motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts, is guilty of a public offense
and, upon conviction, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state
prison for 16 months, or two or three years, or by a fine of not more
than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), or by both the fine and
imprisonment, or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one
year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or
by both the fine and imprisonment.
10804. (a) Section 10803 does not apply to a motor vehicle scrap
processor who, in the normal legal course of business and in good
faith, processes a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part by crushing,
compacting, or other similar methods, if any vehicle identification
number is not removed from the motor vehicle or motor vehicle part
prior to or during the processing.
(b) Section 10803 does not apply to any owner or authorized
possessor of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which has been
recovered by law enforcement authorities after having been stolen or
if the condition of the vehicle identification number of the motor
vehicle or motor vehicle part is known to, or has been reported to,
law enforcement authorities. Law enforcement authorities are
presumed to have knowledge of all vehicle identification numbers on a
motor vehicle or motor vehicle part which are altered,
counterfeited, defaced, disguised, falsified, forged, obliterated, or
removed, when law enforcement authorities deliver or return the
motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to its owner or an authorized
possessor after it has been recovered by law enforcement authorities
after having been reported stolen.
THE END (I hope!)
Steve Laifman < One first kiss, >
B9472289 < one first love, and >
< one first win, is all >
< you get in this life. >
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