This bill amends RSA 262:7 to create an exception to the prohibition on removing vehicle identification numbers (VINs) from motor vehicles manufactured prior to 1981. The new legal language allows for the removal and reinstallation of a manufacturer's serial number or VIN if it is reasonably necessary for repair or restoration of the vehicle. Specifically, the bill states that individuals who remove and reinstall these numbers for such purposes will not be subject to penalties, provided they do not know or have reason to believe that the vehicle is stolen.

Additionally, the bill maintains penalties for individuals who knowingly buy, receive, possess, sell, or dispose of a vehicle with a removed or altered VIN, classifying such actions as a misdemeanor. However, it includes a provision that exempts individuals from penalties if they report the discovery of a removed or altered VIN to the police. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after its passage and is expected to have indeterminable fiscal impacts on state and local expenditures due to potential changes in the judicial and correctional systems.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 262:7