39:3-4. Except as hereinafter provided, every resident of
this State and every nonresident whose automobile or motorcycle shall be
driven in this State shall, before using such vehicle on the public
highways, register the same, and no automobile or motorcycle shall be
driven unless so registered.
Such registration shall be made in
the following manner: An application in writing, signed by the applicant
or by an agent or officer, in case the applicant is a corporation,
shall be made to the chief administrator or the chief administrator's
agent, on forms prepared and supplied by the chief administrator,
containing the name, street address of the residence or the business of
the owner, mailing address, if different from the street address of the
owner's residence or business, and age of the owner, together with a
description of the character of the automobile or motorcycle, including
the name of the maker and the vehicle identification number, or the
manufacturer's number or the number assigned by the chief administrator
if the vehicle does not have a vehicle identification number, and any
other statement that may be required by the chief administrator. A post
office box shall appear on the application only as part of a mailing
address that is submitted by the owner, agent or officer, as the case
may be, in addition to the street address of the applicant's residence
or business; provided, however, the chief administrator, upon
application, shall permit a person who was a victim of a violation of
N.J.S. 2C:12-10, N.J.S. 2C:14-2, or N.J.S. 2C:25-17 et seq., or who the
chief administrator otherwise determines to have good cause, to use as a
mailing address a post office box, an address other than the
applicant's address or other contact point. An owner whose last address
appears on the records of the division as a post office box shall change
his address on his application for renewal to the street address of his
residence or business and, if different from his street address, his
mailing address unless the chief administrator has determined, pursuant
to this section, that the owner may use a post office box, an address
other than the owner's address or other contact point as a mailing
address. The application shall contain the name of the insurer of the
vehicle and the policy number. If the vehicle is a leased motor vehicle,
the application shall make note of that fact and shall include along
with the name and street address of the lessor the name, street address
and driver license number of the lessee.
Thereupon the chief
administrator shall have the power to grant a registration certificate
to the owner of any motor vehicle, if over 17 years of age, application
for the registration having been properly made and the fee therefor
paid, and the vehicle being of a type that complies with the
requirements of this title. The form and contents of the registration
certificate to be issued shall be determined by the chief administrator.
If
the vehicle is a leased motor vehicle, the registration certificate
shall, in addition to containing the name and street address of the
lessor, identify the vehicle as a leased motor vehicle.
The chief administrator shall maintain a record of all registration certificates issued, and of the contents thereof.
Every
registration shall expire and the registration certificate thereof
become void on the last day of the twelfth calendar month following the
calendar month in which the certificate was issued; provided, however,
that the chief administrator may, at his discretion, require
registrations which shall expire, and issue certificates thereof which
shall become void, on a date fixed by him, which date shall not be
sooner than three months nor later than 26 months after the date of
issuance of such certificates, and the fees for such registrations,
including any other fees or charges collected in connection with the
registration fee, shall be fixed by the chief administrator in amounts
proportionately less or greater than the fees established by law. The
chief administrator may fix the expiration date for registration
certificates at a date other than 12 months if the chief administrator
determines that the change is necessary, appropriate or convenient in
order to aid in implementing the vehicle inspection requirements of
chapter 8 of Title 39 or for other good cause. The chief administrator
may, for good cause extend a registration beyond the expiration date
that appears upon the registration certificate for periods not to exceed
12 additional months. The chief administrator may extend the expiration
date of a registration without payment of a proportionate fee when the
chief administrator determines that such extension is necessary for good
cause. If any registration is so extended, the owner shall pay upon
renewal the full registration fee for the period fixed by the chief
administrator as if no extension had been granted.
Notwithstanding
any other provision of law to the contrary, every registration for new
passenger automobiles shall expire and the registration certificate
shall become void on the last day of the 48th calendar month following
the calendar month in which the certificate was initially issued. On and
after February 1, 2005, the provisions of this paragraph shall not
apply to new passenger automobiles purchased by a rental company for use
as rental passenger automobiles. As used in this paragraph, "rental
company" means a person engaged in the business of renting motor
vehicles; and "rental passenger automobile" means a passenger automobile
that is rented without a driver and used in the transportation of
persons or property other than commercial freight.
If the new
passenger automobile being registered is a leased passenger automobile,
the registration shall expire in accordance with the term of the lease.
If the term of the lease extends beyond one or more 12-month periods by
one or more months, the registration period shall be based upon the full
year into which one or more of the months extend; provided, however,
the registration period for a leased automobile shall not exceed
48-months.
Following the 48-month period of the initial
registration of a new passenger automobile, the subsequent registration
shall expire, and the registration certificate shall become void, on the
last day of the 12th calendar month following the calendar month in
which the certificate was next issued.
All motorcycles for which
registrations have been issued prior to the effective date of P.L. 1989,
c.167 and which are scheduled to expire between November 1 and March 31
shall, upon renewal, be issued registrations by the chief administrator
which shall expire on a date fixed by him, but in no case shall that
expiration date be earlier than April 30 nor later than October 31. The
fees for the renewal of the motorcycle registrations authorized under
this paragraph shall be fixed by the chief administrator in an amount
proportionately less or greater than the fee established by R.S.
39:3-21.
Application forms for all renewals of registrations for
passenger automobiles shall be sent to the last addresses of owners of
motor vehicles and motorcycles, as they appear on the records of the
division.
No person owning or having control over any unregistered
vehicle shall permit the same to be parked or to stand on a public
highway.
Any police officer is authorized to remove any
unregistered vehicle from the public highway to a storage space or
garage, and the expense involved in such removal and storing of the
vehicle shall be borne by the owner of the vehicle, except that the
expense shall be borne by the lessee of a leased vehicle.
Any
person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a
fine not exceeding $100, except that for the misstatement of any fact in
the application required to be made to the chief administrator, the
person making such statement or omitting the statement that the motor
vehicle is to be used as a leased motor vehicle when that is the case
shall be subject to the penalties provided in R.S. 39:3-37.
The
chief administrator may extend the expiration date of a registration
certificate without payment of a proportionate fee when the chief
administrator determines that such extension is necessary, appropriate
or convenient to the implementation of vehicle inspection requirements.
If any registration certificate is so extended, the owner shall pay upon
renewal the full registration fee for the period fixed by the chief
administrator as if no extension had been granted.
The New Jersey
Motor Vehicle Commission shall make a reasonable effort to notify any
lessor whose name and address is on file with the commission, or any
other lessor the commission may determine it is necessary to notify, of
the requirements of this amendatory act.
A lessor doing business
in this State shall notify in writing the lessee of a motor vehicle
registered pursuant to this Title of any change in its policies or
procedures affecting the registration of the motor vehicle.
Amended in 2004
