Sec. 14-15a. Registration of vehicles leased or rented for use in Connecticut.
Sec. 14-15a. Registration of vehicles leased or rented for use in Connecticut.
(a) Each passenger motor vehicle, as defined in section 14-1, which is leased or rented
for a period of more than thirty days in a calendar year primarily for use in this state
shall be registered in this state in accordance with the provisions of section 14-12. For
the purpose of this section, such period shall include all times during which such vehicle
may be absent from the state while being used on a daily round-trip basis.
(b) (1) If the commissioner finds, upon investigation, that any motor vehicle available for lease or rental in this state has been registered in another state for the purpose
of evading, or the effect of which is the avoidance of, the motor vehicle laws of this
state, for the purposes of paying a lower registration fee or evading the payment of any
tax levied by this state or any Connecticut municipality, said commissioner may, in said
commissioner's discretion, (A) prohibit the lease or rental of any such motor vehicle in
this state, (B) require that such motor vehicle be registered in this state in accordance
with the provisions of section 14-12, (C) suspend or revoke a license to engage in such
leasing or renting issued under the provisions of section 14-15, or (D) require a licensee
to furnish a bond in the amount of one thousand dollars for each vehicle registered in
another state. (2) If the commissioner finds, upon investigation, that any licensee has
failed to satisfy its obligations for payment of municipal property taxes, the commissioner may, thirty days after the issuance of notice to such licensee, and after notice and
an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, suspend
such license until all such obligations are satisfied.
(c) On and after January 1, 1996, the commissioner may transfer any special registration issued pursuant to the provisions of section 14-19a, 14-20, 14-20a, 14-21, 14-21c, 14-21d, 14-21e, subsection (s) of section 14-49, section 14-160, 14-253a or 14-254 to any motor vehicle leased for a period of at least one year by a person to whom
such special registration was issued. Any such motor vehicle may display the special
number plates issued pursuant to the provisions of any of said sections. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with chapter 54 to implement the provisions
of this subsection.
(d) Any person who fails to register any motor vehicle under the provisions of
subsection (a) of this section shall be fined one thousand dollars for each such vehicle.
(1967, P.A. 820, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-577, S. 15, 126; P.A. 88-340, S. 2; P.A. 95-260, S. 5, 24; P.A. 02-70, S. 19; P.A. 04-217, S. 25.)
History: P.A. 75-577 added Subsec. (c); P.A. 88-340 amended Subsec. (a) to require the registration of each "passenger"
motor vehicle, as defined in Sec. 14-1, leased for more than 30 days in a calendar year for use in this state, added Subsec.
(b)(3) and (4), authorizing commissioner to suspend or revoke licenses and require licensees to furnish a bond for each
vehicle registered in another state, and amended Subsec. (c) to increase fine from an infraction to $1,000 for each unregistered vehicle; P.A. 95-260 inserted new Subsec. (c) allowing commissioner, on and after January 1, 1996, to transfer special
registrations to any motor vehicle leased for a period of at least one year by a person to whom such special registration
was issued, permitting such motor vehicle to display special number plates and requiring commissioner to adopt regulations
to implement provisions of subsection, and relettered former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d), making a technical change within,
effective June 13, 1995; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1), changing
internal designators and making technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality therein, and by adding Subdiv. (2)
authorizing suspension of license if the commissioner finds that any licensee has failed to satisfy its obligations for payment
of municipal property taxes; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec. (a) to eliminate reference to Sec. 14-1(40), effective January
1, 2005.
See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.