SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

SENATE, No. 3512

 

with committee amendments

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  MAY 13, 2021

 

      The Senate Commerce Committee reports favorably and with amendments Senate Bill No. 3512.

      As amended, this bill authorizes a person who purchases a passenger automobile through a private sale from a person who is not a dealer or used motor vehicle dealer to operate the automobile on the roadways in the State for a period of three days, provided that the automobile is properly insured and the person who purchased the automobile temporarily registers the automobile pursuant to the bill and displays on the automobile the temporary license plate provided pursuant to the bill.

      In order to be authorized to operate an automobile in such a manner, the automobile purchaser is required to submit information to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) through the commission’s website. Once that information is submitted, the commission is required to provide the person with a receipt by electronic mail that proves that the person temporarily registered the automobile with the commission, which may serve as proof of the registration status of the automobile, and a printable temporary license plate, which is to be displayed on the automobile.  The commission is required to maintain a record of the information submitted through the website and the temporary license plates provided to applicants in a database or registry, which is to be accessible to law enforcement officers.

      Any person violating the provisions of the bill is to be subject to a fine up to $100.  Any person that provides an intentional misstatement of any fact is subject to the penalties provided by law concerning the provision of falsified information to the commission.

      The bill also includes a temporary provision that authorizes the chief administrator to expand the three-day time period under the bill to a 10-day time period during the Coronavirus disease 2019 public health emergency.

 

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to provide that an applicant for temporary registration pursuant to the requirements of the bill will also have access to a printable temporary license plate, to be displayed on the automobile, at the same time the application for the temporary registration is submitted.