§33111. Verifications involving motor vehicle major parts

(a) General Requirements.-A person engaged in the business of salvaging, dismantling, recycling, or repairing passenger motor vehicles may not knowingly sell in commerce or transfer or install a major part marked with an identification number without-

(1) first establishing, through a procedure the Attorney General by regulation prescribes in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation under section 33109 of this title, that the major part has not been reported as stolen; and

(2) providing the purchaser or transferee with a verification-

(A) identifying the vehicle identification number (or derivative of that number) of that major part; and

(B) verifying that the major part has not been reported as stolen.

(b) Nonapplication.-(1) Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a person that-

(A) is the manufacturer of the major part;

(B) has purchased the major part directly from the manufacturer; or

(C) has received a verification from an insurance carrier under section 33110 of this title that the motor vehicle from which the major part is derived has not been reported as stolen, or that the carrier has not established whether that vehicle has been stolen.

(2) A person described under paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection that subsequently transfers or sells in commerce the motor vehicle or a major part of the vehicle shall provide the verification received from the carrier to the person to whom the vehicle or part is transferred or sold.

(c) Regulations.-The Attorney General shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. The regulations shall include regulations prescribed in consultation with the Secretary that are necessary to ensure that a verification a person provides under subsection (a)(2) of this section is uniform, effective, and resistant to fraudulent use.

( Pub. L. 103–272, §1(e), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1086 .)

In subsection (a), before clause (1), the word "distribute" is omitted as being included in "sell". In clause (1), the word "establishing" is substituted for "determining" for clarity and consistency in the revised title.

Subsection (b)(2) is substituted for 15:2026b(c) (2d sentence) for clarity.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 103–272, §4(v), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1373 , provided that: "Section 33111 of title 49, United States Code, as enacted by section 1 of this Act, is effective on the date on which the National Stolen Passenger Motor Vehicle Information System is established under section 33109 of title 49."