Existing law authorizes an employee of the Department of Public Safety or a local law enforcement agency whose primary responsibility is to conduct investigations involving the theft of motor vehicles to inspect, under certain circumstances, the identification numbers of a vehicle and the title or registration of a vehicle or a part of the vehicle for the purpose of locating stolen vehicles. (NRS 480.610) Section 1 of this bill additionally authorizes an employee of the Department of Motor Vehicles whose primary responsibility is to conduct investigations involving the theft of motor vehicles to conduct such an inspection. Existing law requires automobile wreckers, operators of salvage pools, garage operators and operators of body shops to comply with certain requirements relating to licensing or registration, recordkeeping and operations. (NRS 487.047-487.200, 487.400-487.510, 487.530-487.690) A person is guilty of a misdemeanor for violations of those provisions. (NRS 487.200, 487.510, 487.690) Sections 2, 3 and 5 of this bill revise the penalty for violations of those provisions, with certain exceptions, such that a person is guilty of: (1) for the first offense, a misdemeanor punishable by a term of imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 6 months, or a fine of not more than $2,500, or both; (2) for the second offense, a gross misdemeanor punishable by a term of imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 6 months, or a fine of not more than $5,000, or both; and (3) for the third and each subsequent offense, a gross misdemeanor punishable by a term of imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 6 months, or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both. Existing law exempts a business that only performs services on motortrucks with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds from: (1) the requirement to be registered as a garage or licensed as a body shop; and (2) other requirements governing the operation of garages and body shops. (NRS 487.532, 487.540, 487.550, 487.560-487.687) Section 4 of this bill removes that exemption, thereby requiring such a business to comply with those requirements. Existing law requires a person to obtain an order from a court before installing or using a pen register or trap and trace device, except if otherwise authorized by federal law. Existing law authorizes a peace officer to apply for such an order if an application is supported by an affidavit by a peace officer that complies with federal law. (NRS 179.530) Section 6 of this bill additionally authorizes personnel of the Department of Motor Vehicles who have the powers of a peace officer to apply for such an order from a court and complete the required supporting affidavits. Existing law makes it unlawful for a person to: (1) possess or issue fraudulent or unauthorized evidence that a motor vehicle complies with the required equipment for the control of emissions from engines; or (2) willfully and knowingly fail to comply with any provision relating to the control of emissions from engines. (NRS 445B.840) Section 7 of this bill additionally makes it unlawful for a person to tamper with or remove an emission control device from a motor vehicle, including exchanging the engine of a motor vehicle for a different engine, except where certain conditions are satisfied. A violation of the prohibitions imposed by section 7 would be a misdemeanor. (NRS 445B.845)

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 480.610, 487.200, 487.510, 487.550, 487.690, 179.530, 445B.840
BDR: 480.610, 487.200, 487.510, 487.550, 487.690, 179.530, 445B.840