BILL NUMBER: S9456
SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, the criminal procedure law
and the penal law, in relation to removing the requirement for registra-
tion stickers and provides for electronic certificates of registration
for certain motor vehicles
 
PURPOSE:
Removes the requirement for physical registration stickers and allows
for electronic certificates of registration.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends subdivisions 3 and 4 and paragraph a of section 401 of
the vehicle and traffic law by removing requirements for a date tag to
be attached to a vehicle's license plate and other language relating to
a date tag; establishing the receipt of the certificate of registration
or registration renewal may be in either paper or electronic form and
establish that the commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations
concerning the issuance, design, and content of the certificates of
registration or registration renewal stubs; establishing that certain
vehicles are not required to have a validating sticker affixed to it in
any manner; and, removing "certificate of registration" from paragraph a
of section 401.
Section 2: Amends section 404-a of the vehicle and traffic law by adding
a new subdivision 8 to establish that the form of certificate of regis-
tration may be provided by the commissioner in either paper or electron-
ic form; establish that an electronic form shall be sufficient for any
requirements under the law for carrying or producing such documents;
define "electronic form" for the purposes of this section; establish
that use of an electronic device to present an electronic form is not
consent for a police officer or judge to access any other contents on
the device; and, establish commissioner responsibility to deter and
detect counterfeit or fraudulent certificates.
Section 3: Amends subdivision 3 of section 410 of the vehicle and traf-
fic law by adding paragraphs c and d to establish the possibility of an
electric form of certificate of registration; establish the validity of
use of the electric form for any requirements under the law for carrying
or producing such documents; define "electronic form" for the purposes
of this section; establish that use of an electronic device to present
an electronic form is not consent for a police officer or judge to
access any other contents on the device; and, establish commissioner
responsibility to deter and detect counterfeit or fraudulent certif-
icates.
Section 4: Amends paragraph b of subdivision 1 of section 1-20 of the
criminal procedure law by removing language relating to stickers.
Section 5: Amends paragraph a of subdivision 2-a of section 238 of the
vehicle and traffic law by removing language relating to stickers.
Section 6: Amends subparagraph 1 of paragraph e of subdivision 4 of
section 313 of the vehicle and traffic law by removing language relating
to a vehicle registration sticker.
Section 7: Amends subparagraph 1 of paragraph d of -subdivision 4 of
section 313 of the vehicle and traffic law by removing language relating
to a vehicle registration sticker.
Section 8: Amends section 403-a of the vehicle and traffic law removing
language relating to a validating sticker.
Section 9: Amends subdivision 1 of section 428 of the vehicle and traf-
fic law by removing language relating to stickers.
Section 10: Amends paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 450-10 of the
penal law by removing language relating to registration on windshield.
Section 11: Amends subparagraph 3 of paragraph a of subdivision 5 of
section 236 of the vehicle and traffic law by adding language relating
to the presentation of a physical or electronic registration card by the
vehicle owner.
Section 12: Amends subdivision 1 of section 312 of the vehicle and traf-
fic law by removing language relating to a certificate of registration
and renewal stub.
Section 13: Sets effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, New York State requires drivers to place a registration
sticker on the inside of their car's windshield. Although some other
states also impose a similar requirement on motor vehicle owners, either
by placing a sticker on their license plate or windshield, more and more
states are moving away from this practice. Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
and Connecticut have all transitioned out from the use of physical
registration stickers. Instead of using a registration sticker, law
enforcement in these states are able to scan license plates and access
the DMV database from their patrol vehicles as a way to confirm regis-
tration status.
With this bill, drivers will still be required to register and re-regis-
ter their vehicles, but they won't be required to affix a sticker to
their windshields. A Penn State research study concluded that eliminat-
ing the registration sticker has no impact on vehicle registration
compliance.
Additionally, this bill will transition the state away from physical
registration certificates and allow drivers to show a digital registra-
tion certificate to law enforcement for proof of registration. The bill
allows a driver to request a physical registration certificate if they
would like one.
Lastly, eliminating the physical registration stickers will help prevent
fraud. Vehicle registration stickers are vulnerable to fraud because
they can be stolen, transferred between vehicles, or counterfeited to
make an unregistered car appear legally registered. Eliminating regis-
tration stickers reduces these opportunities for misuse by removing the
physical item that can be manipulated.
By eliminating registration stickers entirely and incorporating digital
registration cards, New York will save millions of taxpayer dollars in
printing and mailing costs. This transition will additionally make the
process of registering and renewing registration easier for motor vehi-
cle owners and will modernize the process at DMV.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a law;
provided, however, section seven of this act shall take effect on the
same date and in the same manner as section 2 of chapter 500 of the laws
of 2025, takes effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment
and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
completed on or before such effective date.

Statutes affected:
S9456: 404-a vehicle and traffic law, 410 vehicle and traffic law, 410(3) vehicle and traffic law, 1.20 criminal procedure law, 1.20(1) criminal procedure law, 238 vehicle and traffic law, 238(2-a) vehicle and traffic law, 313 vehicle and traffic law, 313(4) vehicle and traffic law, 403-a vehicle and traffic law, 428 vehicle and traffic law, 428(1) vehicle and traffic law, 450.10 penal law, 450.10(4) penal law, 236 vehicle and traffic law, 236(5) vehicle and traffic law