S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    788
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. BERGER -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Transportation
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
   that the distinctive license plate numbers issued to  an  owner  of  a
   registered motor vehicle be updated within seven days of such plate or
   plates being stolen
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 3 of section 401 of the  vehicle
 and  traffic law, as amended by section 1 of part H of chapter 59 of the
 laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   a. (I) Upon filing of such application and  the  payment  of  the  fee
 hereinafter  provided, the commissioner shall assign to such motor vehi-
 cle a distinctive number and, without expense to  the  applicant,  issue
 and deliver in such manner as the commissioner may select to the owner a
 certificate  of  registration,  in  such  form as the commissioner shall
 prescribe, and two number plates at a place within the state of New York
 named by the applicant in [his or her] SUCH APPLICANT'S  application.  A
 number plate, within the meaning of this chapter, may, in the discretion
 of  the  commissioner,  be  a  plate of a permanent nature, treated with
 reflectorized material according to  specifications  prescribed  by  the
 commissioner, and with a date tag attached to such plate or to the vehi-
 cle  as  prescribed  by  regulations  of the commissioner indicating the
 validity of the plate during a certain period and the issuance of such a
 number plate with such date tag to a person  possessing  such  a  number
 plate shall be deemed the issuance of a number plate. An additional fee,
 not  to  exceed  twenty-five  dollars, shall be paid to the commissioner
 whenever a set of reflectorized number plates is issued for any  vehicle
 for  which  a  registration  fee  is  normally charged except that, with
 respect to any number plate  which  is  specifically  requested  by  the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00982-01-5
 A. 788                              2
 
 applicant,  such  fee shall be paid to the commissioner upon approval of
 such request. In the event of the loss, mutilation or destruction of any
 certificate of registration, any number plate or set  of  number  plates
 whether  with  or  without a date tag or tags, or any date tag or set of
 date tags provided for in this article, the owner of a registered  motor
 vehicle  may  file  such statement and proof of the facts as the commis-
 sioner shall require, with a fee of three dollars, in the office of  the
 commissioner,  or,  unless  and  until  the commissioner shall otherwise
 direct, in the office of the agent who issued  the  certificate,  plate,
 plates, tag or tags and the commissioner or [his or her] THE COMMISSION-
 ER'S agent, as the case may be, shall issue a duplicate or substitute.
   (II)  (A)  IN  THE EVENT THAT ANY NUMBER PLATE OR SET OF NUMBER PLATES
 ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR A REGISTERED MOTOR  VEHICLE  PURSUANT  TO
 SUBPARAGRAPH  (I)  OF  THIS PARAGRAPH HAS BEEN STOLEN, THE OWNER OF SUCH
 REGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLE MAY FILE SUCH STATEMENT AND PROOF OF THE  FACTS
 AS  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL REQUIRE, WITH A FEE OF THREE DOLLARS, IN THE
 OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER, OR, UNLESS AND UNTIL THE COMMISSIONER  SHALL
 OTHERWISE DIRECT, IN THE OFFICE OF THE AGENT WHO ISSUED THE CERTIFICATE,
 PLATE, PLATES, TAG OR TAGS FOR SUCH MOTOR VEHICLE.
   (B) NO LATER THAN SEVEN DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF SUCH STATEMENT AND PROOF
 OF  THE  FACTS  PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMIS-
 SIONER, OR THE COMMISSIONER'S AGENT, SHALL:
   (1) CHANGE THE DISTINCTIVE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO  SUCH  REGISTERED  MOTOR
 VEHICLE,  ISSUE A NEW SET OF NUMBER PLATES AND DISASSOCIATE THE PREVIOUS
 DISTINCTIVE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO SUCH REGISTERED MOTOR VEHICLE; AND
   (2) UPDATE THE REGISTRATION RECORD REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS
 SECTION FOR SUCH MOTOR VEHICLE TO REFLECT THE CHANGE  REQUIRED  BY  ITEM
 ONE OF THIS CLAUSE.
   (III)  It  shall  be  the duty of every owner holding a certificate of
 registration to notify the commissioner in  writing  of  any  change  of
 residence  of  such person within ten days after such change occurs, and
 to inscribe on such certificate, in the place provided  by  the  commis-
 sioner, a record of such change of residence.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
 have become a law. 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.