Section 415-A - Vehicle dismantlers and other persons engaged in the transfer or disposal of junk and salvage vehicles1. Definition and registration of vehicle dismantlers. A vehicle dismantler is any person who is engaged in the business of acquiring motor vehicles or trailers for the purpose of dismantling the same for parts or reselling such vehicles as scrap. No person shall engage in the business of or operate as a vehicle dismantler unless there shall have been issued to him a registration in accordance with the provisions of this section. A violation of this subdivision shall be a class E felony.1-a. Definition and registration of salvage pools. A salvage pool is any person, acting on behalf of the vehicle owner or an insurance company, who sells, offers for sale or solicits bids for the sale of junk or salvage vehicles or major component parts of such vehicles, or displays or permits the display of such vehicles or parts upon premises owned or controlled by him, but who does not dismantle vehicles. No person shall engage in business as a salvage pool unless there shall have been issued to him a registration in accordance with the provisions of this section. A violation of this subdivision shall be a class A misdemeanor.1-b. Definition and registration of mobile car crushers. A mobile car crusher is any person who engages in the business of operating a transportable car crusher, but who does not acquire ownership of the vehicles which he crushes. No person shall engage in the business of or operate as a mobile car crusher unless there shall have been issued to him a registration in accordance with the provisions of this section. A violation of this subdivision shall be a class A misdemeanor.1-c. Itinerant vehicle collectors. An itinerant vehicle collector is any person who is engaged in the business of acquiring non-operable vehicles and who sells such vehicles or major component parts thereof to a vehicle dismantler or scrap processor. No person shall engage in business as an itinerant vehicle collector unless there shall have been issued to him a registration in accordance with the provisions of this section. A violation of this subdivision shall be a class A misdemeanor.2. Application for registration. An application for registration as a vehicle dismantler, salvage pool, mobile car crusher or itinerant vehicle collector shall be made to the commissioner on a form prescribed by him which shall contain the name and address of the applicant and the names and addresses of all persons having a financial interest in the business. Such application shall contain a listing of all felony convictions and all other convictions relating to the illegal sale or possession of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle parts, and a listing of all arrests for any such violations by the applicant and any other person required to be named in such application. On and after January first, nineteen hundred ninety-two, such application for or renewal of registration as a vehicle dismantler shall, in addition to the foregoing, contain a statement indicating that the applicant has purchased approved motor vehicle refrigerant recycling equipment or refrigerant recapturing equipment in accordance with section 38-0107 of the environmental conservation law. Applicants who are vehicle dismantlers must submit along with their application either a manufacturer's certificate issued upon purchase or an invoice with proof of payment. All such documents shall contain the name and address of the repair shop and manufacturer, the date purchased, and the serial numbers of the units acquired. The application shall also contain the business address of the applicant and may contain any other information required by the commissioner.3. Fees. The annual fee for registration as a vehicle dismantler, salvage pool, mobile car crusher or itinerant vehicle collector shall be fifty dollars. Upon approval of an application, an appropriate registration shall be issued for a period of time determined by the commissioner and if issued for a period of more or less than one year, the fee shall be prorated on a monthly basis. Fees assessed under this section shall be paid to the commissioner for deposit to the general fund.4. Requirements for registration. (a) Except as otherwise provided herein, no registration shall be issued or renewed unless the applicant has a permanent place of business at which the activity requiring registration is performed which conforms to section one hundred thirty-six of the general municipal law as such section applies and to all local laws or ordinances and the applicant and all persons having a financial interest in the business have been determined by the commissioner to be fit persons to engage in such business. However, the commissioner may issue a temporary registration pending final investigation of an application.(b) The provisions of this subdivision requiring a place of business at which the activity requiring registration is performed shall not apply to a mobile car crusher nor to an itinerant vehicle collector. However, the mobile car crusher or itinerant vehicle collector must otherwise comply with all applicable local licensing laws or ordinances.(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the commissioner may issue a registration to an applicant for registration as a vehicle dismantler or salvage pool to a person who may not comply with local laws relating to zoning provided that the applicant has engaged in business at that location as a vehicle dismantler since September first, nineteen hundred seventy-three. However, the issuance of such registration shall not be a defense with respect to any action brought with respect to violation of any such local law.5. Records and identification. (a) Any records required by this section shall apply only to vehicles or parts of vehicles for which a certificate of title has been issued by the commissioner or which would be eligible to have such a certificate of title issued. Every person required to be registered pursuant to this section shall maintain a record of all motor vehicles, trailers, and major component parts thereof, coming into his or her possession together with a record of the disposition of any such motor vehicle, trailer or part thereof and the date such motor vehicle, trailer or part thereof is received and shall maintain proof of ownership for any motor vehicle, trailer or major component part thereof while in his or her possession. For the purposes of this article an inflatable restraint system shall be a major component part and a catalytic converter shall be a major component part. Such records shall be maintained in a manner and form prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner may, by regulation, exempt vehicles or major component parts of vehicles from all or a portion of the record keeping requirements based upon the age of the vehicle if the commissioner deems that such record keeping requirements would not further the purposes of the motor vehicle theft prevention program established by section two hundred twenty-three of this chapter.
Upon request of an agent of the commissioner or of any police officer and during his or her regular and usual business hours, a vehicle dismantler shall produce such records and permit said agent or police officer to examine them and any vehicles or parts of vehicles which are subject to the record keeping requirements of this section and which are on the premises. In addition, the commissioner shall require every vehicle dismantler to produce, every sixty days, all records regarding the number of catalytic converters they took in within such sixty-day period subject to the record keeping requirements of this section. Upon request of any agent of the commissioner and during his or her regular and usual business hours, a salvage pool, mobile car crusher or itinerant vehicle collector shall produce such records and permit said agent or police officer to examine them and any vehicles or parts of vehicles which are subject to the record keeping requirements of this section and which are on the premises. The failure to produce such records or to permit such inspection on the part of any person required to be registered pursuant to this section as required by this paragraph shall be a class A misdemeanor. If a vehicle dismantler has gained money or property by failing to produce records of the number of catalytic converters they take in as required by the commissioner pursuant to this paragraph, the court may order such defendant to pay an amount, fixed by the court, not to exceed double the amount of such defendant's gain from the commission of such offense.
(b) Every vehicle dismantler and salvage pool shall display at his place of business at least one sign upon which his registration number and any other information required by the commissioner is affixed in a manner prescribed by the commissioner and further shall affix his registration number on all advertising, business cards, and vehicles used by him in connection with his business. The commissioner is hereby empowered to require, by regulation, that vehicle dismantlers and salvage pools mark, stamp or tag major component parts of vehicles in their possession in a manner prescribed by the commissioner so as to enable the part so marked to be identified as having come from a particular vehicle and from a particular vehicle dismantler and salvage pool. A violation of this paragraph shall be a class A misdemeanor.(c) For the purposes of this article, the term "catalytic converter" shall mean a device installed in the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine that utilizes catalytic action to oxidize hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions to carbon dioxide and water.5-a. Improper display of signs. (a) The holder of a vehicle dismantler or salvage pool registration shall remove or cause to be removed any sign which contains the license number of the facility which is visible to the public and which is required to be displayed by this article or regulations promulgated thereunder if the registration is revoked or suspended or the vehicle dismantler or salvage pool is out of business. If the registration is only suspended, the holder may cover up the sign instead of removing it.(b) No person shall permit the display of any sign required to be displayed by this article or regulations promulgated thereunder indicating to the public that an official vehicle dismantler or salvage pool is operating unless a dismantler or salvage pool registration has been issued to that person and is currently valid.6. Suspension, revocation and refusal to renew a registration; civil penalty. (a) A registration may be suspended or revoked, or renewal of a registration refused upon a conviction of any provision of the penal law relating to motor vehicle theft, illegal possession of a stolen vehicle or illegal possession of stolen motor vehicle parts, or after the registrant has had an opportunity to be heard upon any change of status of the registrant which would have resulted in refusal to issue a registration, any false statement in an application for a registration, an egregious and willful violation of title twenty-three of article twenty-seven of the environmental conservation law, any violation of subdivision five of this section or regulations promulgated by the commissioner with respect to this section, or any violation of title ten of this chapter.(b) Civil penalty. The commissioner, or any person deputized by him, in addition to or in lieu of revoking or suspending the registration of a registrant in accordance with the provisions of this article, may in any one proceeding by order require the registrant to pay to the people of this state a civil penalty in a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars for each violation and upon the failure of such registrant to pay such penalty within twenty days after the mailing of such order, postage prepaid, registered or certified, and addressed to the last known place of business of such registrant, unless such order is stayed by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, the commissioner may revoke the registration of such registrant or may suspend the same for such period as he may determine. Civil penalties assessed under this subdivision shall be paid to the commissioner for deposit into the state treasury, and unpaid civil penalties may be recovered by the commissioner in a civil action in the name of the commissioner.(c) In addition, as an alternative to such civil action and provided that no proceeding for judicial review shall then be pending and the time for initiation of such proceeding shall have expired, the commissioner may file with the county clerk of the county in which the registrant is located a final order of the commissioner containing the amount of the penalty assessed. The filing of such final order shall have the full force and effect of a judgment duly docketed in the office of such clerk and may be enforced in the same manner and with the same effect as that provided by law in respect to executions issued against property upon judgments of a court of record.7. Registration as a dealer and as a vehicle dismantler or salvage pool. A person may be registered as a dealer under section four hundred fifteen of this chapter as well as a vehicle dismantler or a salvage pool under this section. However, any such person must obtain a separate registration for each activity and must maintain separate records for each activity.8. Vehicle rebuilders. (a) A vehicle rebuilder is any person engaged in the business of acquiring damaged vehicles for the purpose of repairing and reselling such vehicles. In order to engage in such business, a person must be registered as a vehicle dismantler pursuant to this section or as a dealer pursuant to section four hundred fifteen of this chapter.(b) A vehicle rebuilder shall maintain a record of all vehicles or major component parts thereof coming into his possession for the purpose of rebuilding and all major component parts used in connection with such rebuilding in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. Upon request of an agent of the commissioner or any police officer during his regular and usual business hours, a vehicle rebuilder shall produce such records and permit said agent or police officer to examine them and any vehicles or parts of vehicles which are subject to the record keeping requirements of this section and which are on the premises. The failure to produce such records or to permit such records or to permit such inspection as required by this paragraph shall be a class A misdemeanor.9. Scrap processor. (a) A scrap processor is any person required to be licensed under article six-C of the general business law who purchases material which is or may have been a vehicle or vehicle part for processing into a form other than a vehicle or vehicle part, but who, except as otherwise provided by regulation of the commissioner, does not sell any such material as a motor vehicle, a trailer or a major component part thereof. No person shall engage in business or operate as a scrap processor as defined in this paragraph unless he has given notice to the commissioner that he is a scrap processor and that he has complied with article six-C of the general business law, and he has been certified by the commissioner as a scrap processor. A violation of this paragraph shall be a class A misdemeanor.(b) A scrap processor shall maintain a record of vehicles and a record of major component parts by weight coming into his possession thereof in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. This paragraph shall not apply to any major component part included in a mixed load. Upon request of an agent of the commissioner or any police officer or during his regular and usual business hours, a scrap processor shall produce such records and permit such agent or police officer to inspect them and to inspect any vehicles or major component parts of vehicles at the time of the delivery of such vehicles or parts to him. The failure to produce such records or to permit such inspection as required by this paragraph shall be a class A misdemeanor.10. Scrap collectors and repair shops. (a) A scrap collector is any person, other than a governmental agency, whose primary business is the collection of miscellaneous scrap for disposal, who may as an incident of such business collect vehicular parts as scrap. No person shall engage in the business or operate as a scrap collector as defined in this paragraph unless he has given notice to the commissioner that he is a scrap collector and has been certified as a scrap collector by the commissioner. A violation of this provision shall be a class A misdemeanor. No person shall be certified as a scrap collector eligible to do business within a city having a population of one million or more, or any county contiguous to such city, unless such person complies with all local requirements applicable to such business.(b) If required by regulation of the commissioner, a scrap collector shall keep records of his acquisition and disposition of vehicular scrap in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. Upon request of an agent of the commissioner or any police officer, a scrap collector shall produce such records as may be required to be kept and permit said agent or police officer to inspect them during usual business hours or while business is being conducted. The failure to produce such records as required by this paragraph shall be a class A misdemeanor.(c) A repair shop registered pursuant to article twelve-A of this chapter which disposes of vehicular scrap to a certified scrap processor shall apply to the commissioner for certification to carry out this disposal. The repair shop shall include in the application for certification the names and addresses of those scrap processors with whom it arranges for the disposal of its scrap. Thereafter the repair shop shall give notice to the commissioner within thirty days of any change in the scrap processors with whom it deals. The failure to comply with this paragraph or to make fraudulent statements regarding the scrap processors with which a repair shop arranges for the disposal of vehicular scrap shall be a class A misdemeanor.11. Out-of-state businesses. A person doing business in this state who does not have a place of business in this state, but has a place of business or engages in such business in another state or province of Canada and who would be required to be registered or certified pursuant to this section if it were in this state, shall apply to the commissioner for an identification number in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. Such identification number shall be issued provided that such person complies with all the laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which he has his principal place of business or engages in such business applicable to such business.12. Identification of certified persons. (a) Every person who is certified or who has been issued an identification number by the commissioner shall display such certification or identification number upon any vehicle used by him for the business of transporting vehicles or parts of vehicles, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the commissioner.(b) It shall be a class A misdemeanor for any person required to be registered or certified pursuant to the provisions of this section to transport a vehicle or major component parts out of New York state without having and displaying his registration or certification number as provided for in this section.13. Suspension or revocation of identification number or certification. An identification number and/or certification issued pursuant to subdivision eight, nine, ten or eleven of this section may be suspended or revoked upon conviction of any provision of the penal law relating to motor vehicle theft, illegal possession of a stolen vehicle or illegal possession of stolen motor vehicle parts. The commissioner may also revoke or suspend registration or certification, after an appropriate hearing where the holder of the registration or certification has had an opportunity to be heard, upon a finding of: (a) that there has been a change to the holder's status which would have resulted in a refusal to issue in the first instance, or (b) that the issuance was based upon a false statement by the holder, or(c) that there was a violation of the record keeping requirements, or (d) that there was a violation of the regulations promulgated by the commissioner pursuant to this section, o(e) that there was a violation of title X of this chapter.14. Restrictions on scrap processors. A certified scrap processor shall not purchase any material which may have been a vehicle or a major component part of a vehicle, if recognizable as such, from any person other than a dealer registered pursuant to section four hundred fifteen of this chapter, an insurance company, a governmental agency, a person in whose name a certificate of title or other ownership document has been issued for such vehicle or a person registered or certified or issued an identification number pursuant to this section. A violation of this subdivision shall be a class A misdemeanor.15. Regulations. The commissioner shall prescribe such rules and regulations as he shall deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.N.Y. Veh. and Traf. Law § 415-A
Amended by New York Laws 2022, ch. 574,Sec. 1, eff. 4/15/2023.