186A.115 Inspection of motor vehicles and documents by certified inspector -- Fee for certification of inspection -- Reciprocity between counties -- Exceptions -- Inspection of historic vehicles.
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Inspection of historic vehicles. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the owner of every vehicle brought into this state and required to be titled in this state shall, before submitting his
application for title to the county clerk, have the vehicle together with his
application for title and its supporting documents inspected by a certified inspector
in the county in which the application for title is to be submitted to the county clerk.
(a) The certified inspector shall be certified through the Department of Vehicle Regulation following requirements set forth by the department by regulation
and shall be designated by the county sheriff. The certified inspector will be
held responsible for all certifications required pursuant to this chapter and will
be liable for any and all penalties prescribed in this chapter, and shall be
available during regular office hours at any and all offices and branches that
issue applications for titles. (b) There shall be a five dollar ($5) fee for this certification, payable to the sheriff's office, upon completion of certification. (c) There shall be an additional fee of ten dollars ($10) per trip when it becomes necessary for the certified inspector to travel to the site of the vehicle rather
than bringing the vehicle to the sheriff's inspection area. (d) An inspection conducted in one (1) county within the Commonwealth of Kentucky under this subsection, and the fees paid for that inspection under
this subsection, shall be honored by the certified inspector, sheriff, and county
clerk in all other counties within this state. A second inspection shall not be
required and additional fees shall not be required. (2) The following vehicles are excluded from the requirement of inspection by a certified inspector prior to titling in this state:
(a) New motor vehicles sold by a dealer licensed in this state;
(b) Vehicles required to be registered in this state by reason of lack of a reciprocity agreement with another state and for which a nonnegotiable
registration document is to be issued; (c) Motor vehicles operated by a motor carrier under a nonnegotiable certificate or permit issued by the Department of Vehicle Regulation; (d) Motor vehicles owned by servicemen or servicewomen who are residents of Kentucky stationed outside of Kentucky may be inspected by the post provost
or similar officer of the camp, post, or station. The post provost or similar
officer shall submit an affidavit stating the name of the owner, the
identification or serial number, the make, body style, current license or title
number, if any, and state in which currently registered or titled, if any, of the
motor vehicle; (e) Motor vehicles purchased in another state by persons who are residents of Kentucky but are temporarily residing out of state for at least thirty (30) days,
but not longer than nine (9) months, may after the purchase of the vehicle be Page 2 of 4 inspected by the state police, a local law enforcement agency, or the vehicle
inspection program of another state. If an inspector in another state examines a
vehicle under this paragraph, the purchaser may request the inspector to
complete an affidavit stating the name of the owner, the vehicle identification
number, the vehicle make and body style, the current state of registration, if
any, and the current vehicle license or title number, if any. The Transportation
Cabinet shall create an affidavit form containing at a minimum this
information and shall post the form on the cabinet's Internet Web site. A
person using an inspector in another state under this paragraph shall comply
with all requirements of that state's inspection program, including payment of
fees charged in that state. A person registering a motor vehicle for the first
time in Kentucky under this paragraph shall transmit the application for
registration, all supporting documentation, and payment for registration and
usage tax to the county clerk of the county in which the person resides, and
upon receipt of the appropriate documentation, the county clerk shall register
the vehicle; and (f) Motor vehicles no longer located in Kentucky but which require inspection in order to issue a corrected Kentucky title due to error in vehicle identification
or serial number may be inspected by an inspector authorized to inspect
vehicle identification or serial number by the laws of the state or foreign
country where application for a new title has been submitted. (3) When presented to a certified inspector for inspection or to a county clerk for processing, the owner's application for a first certificate of registration or title in his
name shall be accompanied by proof of insurance in compliance with KRS 304.39-
080 and one (1) of the following documents as applicable:
(a) If the vehicle is a new vehicle not previously registered in this state, the properly assigned manufacturer's statement of origin for the vehicle for which
registration or title is sought; (b) If the vehicle was last registered in this state, and is a vehicle for which a title is not required in this state, a certificate of registration, or if the vehicle is one
for which a certificate of title is required in this state, a properly assigned
certificate of title; (c) If the vehicle was last previously titled in another state, a properly assigned certificate of title; (d) If the application refers to a vehicle previously registered in another country, the documents of that country establishing ownership of the vehicle; (e) If the application refers to a vehicle last previously registered in another country by a person on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States,
the county clerk may accept on behalf of the Department of Vehicle
Regulation evidence of ownership provided the applicant by the United States
Department of Defense; and (f) Except as provided in KRS 186A.072(2)(c) governing custom-built motorcycles, if the application relates to a vehicle which has been specially
constructed or reconstructed, that fact shall be stated in the application, and Page 3 of 4 the application shall be accompanied by the documents specified by
administrative regulations of the Department of Vehicle Regulation. (4) When requested to inspect a vehicle pursuant to this section, the certified inspector shall personally and physically inspect the vehicle, when registration or title is
sought in this state, on the following points:
(a) He shall ensure that the application is legible and properly executed to the extent required at the time of execution; (b) He shall compare the vehicle identification number as appearing on both the vehicle identification number plate, and the federal safety standards label of
the vehicle which is sought to be registered or titled, with the corresponding
number inscribed on the application, and its supporting documentation, and
ensure that the vehicle identification number appearing at each described
location appears legitimate and that they are consistent with each other; (c) He shall examine the primary odometer of the vehicle and legibly record the reading in the space provided in the inspection section of the application; and (d) After exercising due diligence in inspecting the vehicle, the application, and its supporting documentation, and finding that they appear to be in order, the
certified inspector shall execute the preprinted certificate of inspection
according to its terms by printing in the spaces provided his first name, middle
initial, and last name, and his title; the name of the county in which he serves;
and the telephone number including the telephone area code of his agency,
and sign in ink his signature in the space provided, and print the month, day,
and year in which his inspection was made, certifying under penalty of forgery
in the second degree the character, accuracy, and date of his inspection. (5) The certified inspector shall refrain from executing the certificate of inspection if: (a) He has not personally and physically inspected the vehicle in accordance with this section; (b) He has reason to believe that the vehicle displays an unlawfully altered vehicle identification number; (c) The application and any of its copies are illegible or otherwise improperly executed, or contain information reasonably believed to be inaccurate or
fraudulent; (d) The documentation required in support of any application is not present, or not consistent with the vehicle and the owner's application or appears
fraudulent; or (e) He has probable cause to believe the vehicle is stolen. (6) (a) Inspections on motor vehicles that meet the definition of a "historic vehicle" under KRS 186.043(2) and are brought into this state shall be limited to
verification of the vehicle identification number with supporting
documentation for purposes of titling. (b) Inspections on motor vehicles that meet the definition of a classic motor vehicle project as set forth in KRS 186A.510 shall be limited to verification of
the vehicle identification number with supporting documentation for purposes Page 4 of 4 of issuing a classic motor vehicle project certificate of title under KRS
186A.535(1). Effective: July 15, 2008
History: Amended 2008 Ky. Acts ch. 157, sec. 3, effective July 15, 2008. -- Amended 2007 Ky. Acts ch. 135, sec. 2, effective June 26, 2007. -- Amended 2003 Ky. Acts
ch. 97, sec. 1, effective June 24, 2003. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 298, sec. 3,
effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 35, sec. 2, effective July 15,
1996; and ch. 248, sec. 4, effective July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts
ch. 504, sec. 3, effective July 15, 1994. -- Amended 1986 Ky. Acts ch. 319, sec. 1,
effective July 15, 1986. -- Created 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 164, sec. 20, effective July 15,
1982.