TITLE 31

Motor and Other vehicles

CHAPTER 31-2.1

Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Program

SECTION 31-2.1-1



   § 31-2.1-1  Motor vehicle theft prevention

program – Informed consent statement of owner – Issuance of vehicle

decals – Authority to request production of valid driver's license and

registration. –

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles, department of

administration, in consultation with the superintendent of state police, shall

establish a motor vehicle theft prevention program which shall include the

issuance of official decals to identify motor vehicles that are not normally

operated between the hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00 A.M. Participation in the

program shall be voluntary in nature and shall involve the following:



   (a) In the presence of a duly authorized police officer in

any municipality participating in the program, the registered owner of a motor

vehicle shall sign an informed consent statement indicating that the motor

vehicle registered to the owner is not normally operated between the hours of

1:00 A.M. and 5:00 A.M. The form of an informed consent statement shall be

promulgated by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles.



   (b)(i) Upon signing an informed consent statement, the

registered owner shall be issued a decal approved by the administrator of the

division of motor vehicles and the decal shall be affixed to the owner's

vehicle in a conspicuous place as prescribed by the administrator. The decal

shall be issued and affixed by the police officer in the municipality

participating in the program.



   (ii) The police officer issuing the decal shall make a record

of the decal number issued to each registered owner. These records shall be

maintained by the police department of any city or town participating in the

program and shall be available to the administrator of the division of motor

vehicles, to the superintendent of state police, and to local law enforcement

agencies.



   (c) Informed consent statement forms shall be available at

all division of motor vehicles offices, state police headquarters, and city and

town police departments.



   (d) Whenever any police officer sees a motor vehicle

displaying a decal issued pursuant to the provisions of this section operated

on any public highway in the state between the hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00

A.M., the officer is authorized to request the driver to produce a valid

driver's license and motor vehicle registration. Whenever the operator of the

motor vehicle during such hours is unable to produce a driver's license and

registration, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the person operating

the vehicle is not the registered owner and does not have the authorization of

the owner to operate the vehicle.



History of Section.

(P.L. 1990, ch. 318, § 1.)