Sec. 14-171. Application for certificate.
Sec. 14-171. Application for certificate. (a) The application for a certificate of
title of a vehicle in this state shall be made by the owner on a form the commissioner
prescribes and shall contain: (1) The name, residence and mail address of the owner;
(2) a description of the vehicle including, so far as the following data exists, its make,
model, identification number, type of body, the number of cylinders and whether new
or used; (3) the mileage reading at the time of application; (4) the date of purchase by
the applicant, the name and address of the person from whom the vehicle was acquired
and the names and addresses of any lienholders in the order of their priority and the
dates of their security agreements and, if a new vehicle, the application shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate of origin; and (5) any further information the commissioner reasonably requires to identify the vehicle and to enable the
commissioner to determine whether the owner is entitled to a certificate of title and the
existence or nonexistence of security interests in the vehicle. Such application shall be
accompanied by the most recent Connecticut certificate of title for such vehicle, if any,
unless the owner submits a statement on a form prescribed by the commissioner, that
the title is lost or destroyed or, despite reasonable efforts cannot be located or obtained
from the person or firm last known to have possession of such certificate or title.
(b) If the application refers to a vehicle purchased from a dealer, it shall contain the
name and address of any lienholder holding a security interest created or reserved at the
time of the sale and the date of such security agreement and be signed by the dealer as
well as the owner, and the dealer shall promptly mail or deliver the application to the
commissioner.
(c) If the application refers to a vehicle last previously registered in another state
or country, or by an Indian tribe recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian
Affairs, the application shall contain or be accompanied by: (1) Any certificate of title
issued by such other state, country or Indian tribe; (2) any other information and documents the commissioner reasonably requires to establish the ownership of the vehicle
and the existence or nonexistence of security interests in it; and (3) evidence that the
manufacturer's identification number of the vehicle was verified, by a means acceptable
to the commissioner, or inspected by a licensed dealer in accordance with subsection
(d) of section 14-99h.
(1957, P.A. 607, S. 7; 1967, P.A. 92; P.A. 86-114, S. 3; P.A. 00-169, S. 16; P.A. 02-70, S. 53; P.A. 04-199, S. 3, 38;
P.A. 08-150, S. 14.)
History: 1967 act made provisions of Subsec. (a) applicable to any certificate of title rather than the first and required
that application be accompanied by most recent Connecticut certificate of title; P.A. 86-114 added requirement that mileage
reading be shown on application; P.A. 00-169 amended Subsec. (a) to allow an owner to submit a statement that the title
is lost, destroyed or, despite best efforts, cannot be located or obtained, in lieu of the title, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing
the provision requiring a certificate that the identification number of the vehicle has been inspected and found to conform
to the description given in the application or any other proof of identity of the vehicle the commissioner reasonably requires
with a provision requiring evidence that such number was inspected at the time of registration, or by a licensed dealer in
accordance with Sec. 14-99h(c) and made technical changes for the purpose of gender neutrality; P.A. 02-70 amended
Subsec. (b) to make a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 04-199 amended
Subsec. (c) to replace requirement that application for certificate of title for vehicle previously registered in another state
or country contain evidence that manufacturer's identification number had been inspected at time of registration with
requirement that such number be verified by means acceptable to commissioner and to change reference to Sec. 14-99h(c)
to Sec. 14-99h(d), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (c) to include vehicle previously registered "by
an Indian tribe recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs" and add reference to "Indian tribe".
Failure of dealer to insert information concerning the lien of an installment contract when he filled out application for
a purchaser, made him liable for the loss suffered by bank to whom the dealer assigned the contract when the buyer
defrauded the bank lienor. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 491.