This bill revises the process for reporting lost or stolen registration plates to law enforcement agencies and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). It mandates that individuals whose motor vehicle or registration plates have been lost or stolen must immediately file a report with the appropriate law enforcement agency, replacing the previous requirement to notify the chief of police or other peace officer. Additionally, law enforcement agencies are required to provide a trackable case number linked to the report within 24 hours of filing. The Superintendent of State Police, in consultation with the Chief Administrator of the MVC, is tasked with creating or updating guidelines for filing these reports.

Furthermore, the bill stipulates that individuals must notify the MVC when their registration plates are lost or stolen, submitting either a copy of the police report or the trackable case number along with a completed vehicle registration plate status form. The MVC is required to update this form to include spaces for indicating whether the plates are lost or stolen and for the trackable case number. Upon completion, the MVC must provide a copy of the form to the individual reporting the loss. The intent of this legislation is to streamline the replacement process for lost or stolen registration plates, enhance law enforcement's ability to track such incidents, and prevent misuse of registration plates.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 39:3-85.1, 39:3-85.2, 39:3-85.3