Substitute Senate Bill No. 421
          Substitute Senate Bill No. 421

               PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-33


AN  ACT  CONCERNING  THE PENALTY FOR NONCOMPLIANCE
WITH MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1. Subsection (a) of section 14-12 of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a)  No  motor  vehicle  shall  be operated or
towed  on  any  highway,   except   as   otherwise
expressly  provided,  unless it is registered with
the commissioner, provided any motor  vehicle  may
be towed for repairs or necessary work if it bears
the markers of a licensed and  registered  dealer,
manufacturer  or [repairman] REPAIRER and provided
any motor vehicle which is validly  registered  in
another  state  may,  for  a  period of sixty days
following establishment by the owner of  residence
in  this state, be operated on any highway without
first  being  registered  with  the  commissioner.
Except  as  otherwise  provided in this subsection
[,] (1) a  person  commits  an  infraction  if  he
registers a motor vehicle he does not own or if he
operates,  or  allows   the   operation   of,   an
unregistered  motor vehicle on a public highway OR
(2) A RESIDENT OF THIS STATE WHO OPERATES A  MOTOR
VEHICLE  HE  OWNS  WITH  MARKER  PLATES  ISSUED BY
ANOTHER STATE SHALL BE FINED  NOT  LESS  THAN  ONE
HUNDRED  FIFTY DOLLARS NOR MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED
DOLLARS.  If  the  owner  of   a   motor   vehicle
previously  registered  on  an  annual OR BIENNIAL
basis, the registration of which expired not  more
than  thirty  days  previously, operates or allows
the operation of such a motor vehicle, he shall be
fined  the amount designated for the infraction of
failure to renew a registration, but his right  to
retain   his   operator's  license  shall  not  be
affected. No operator other than the  owner  shall
be  subject to penalty for the operation of such a
previously registered motor vehicle.
    Sec.  2.  Subsection  (f) of section 14-12a of
the general statutes is repealed and the following
is substituted in lieu thereof:
    (f)  [Failure  to  register  any motor vehicle
required to be registered by this section shall be
an  infraction]  A  PERSON  FAILING  TO REGISTER A
MOTOR VEHICLE  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  THIS  SECTION
SHALL  BE  FINED  NOT  LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY
DOLLARS NOR MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS.

Approved May 19, 1998