Title 49 — MOTOR VEHICLES

49-501. Titling requirements — Exemptions. (1) The provisions of this chapter shall apply to every vehicle required to be registered with the department in chapter 4, title 49, Idaho Code. (2) In addition, the titling requirements of this chapter shall apply to the following vehi…

49-501A. Application to vessel titling. The procedures provided in this chapter shall apply to all vessel titling programs referenced in chapter 70, title 67, Idaho Code. Unless otherwise provided, any reference to "vehicle" in this chapter shall also mean "vessel."

49-502. Delivery of certificate of title upon sale or disposition — Reassignment by dealers. (1) No person shall sell or otherwise dispose of a vehicle without delivery to the purchaser or transferee a certificate of title with an assignment as necessary to show title in the purc…

49-503. Issuance of certificate of title requisite to acquisition of title — Waiver or estoppel. Except as provided in sections 49-502, 49-510 through 49-512 and 49-514, Idaho Code, no person acquiring a vehicle from the owner, whether the owner is a dealer or otherwise, shall ac…

49-504. Applications to department for certificates — Procedure — Identification numbers. (1) Application for a certificate of title shall be made upon a form furnished by the department and shall contain the owner’s Idaho driver’s license number, Idaho identification card number…

49-504A. Penalty for late filing — Transfer of certificate of title — Disposition of moneys. (1) When a transfer of ownership arises, a penalty of twenty dollars ($20.00) for presentation of a previously issued certificate of title shall be assessed against the new owner when the…

49-505. Issuance of certificates of title by department — Delivery — Electronic file for lienholders. Certificates of title shall be printed by the department. The original copy shall be delivered to the applicant if there are no liens or encumbrances on the certificate. If there…

49-506. Destruction of records. Records pertaining to certificates of title used to record each title transaction shall be retained a minimum of twenty (20) years, after which time they may be destroyed. The records shall be maintained so as to permit the tracing of title of the …

49-507. Departmental regulations for transfer of vehicles — Appointment of deputies and assistants. Procedure for the transfer of vehicles, and the issuance of certificates of title not otherwise expressly provided for by this chapter, may be provided for by regulations issued by…

49-508. Cancellation of certificates of title — Return of registration receipts and license plates. (1) If it appears that a certificate of title has been improperly issued, the department shall, after notice and hearing, cancel the certificate. The notice shall be served in pers…

49-509. Stolen vehicles — Reporting by officers. It shall be the duty of every sheriff, chief of police, officer of the Idaho state police, or officer having taken a report of a stolen vehicle, to immediately enter the information regarding the stolen vehicle into the national cr…

49-510. Liens and encumbrances — Filing — Fee — Notation on certificate — Constructive notice. (1) No lien or encumbrance on any vehicle registered under the laws of this state created subsequent to December 31, 1986, irrespective of whether such registration was effected prior o…

49-511. Cancellation or discharge of lien or encumbrance. When a lien or encumbrance is canceled or discharged, the lienholder shall provide notice of such cancellation or discharge to the department within thirty (30) days. If the lienholder was holding the paper certificate of …

49-512. Security interests — Method of giving constructive notice exclusive. The method provided in this chapter for perfection of a security interest on a vehicle is exclusive, except as to security interests in vehicles held in inventory for sale, which shall be governed by the…

49-512A. Effect of a terminal rental adjustment clause. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a transaction involving a motor vehicle or trailer does not create a sale or security interest merely because the transaction provides that the rental price is permitted …

49-513. Sale of encumbered vehicle — Consent of lienholder — Effect. Sale of any vehicle by the owner with the knowledge and consent of the holder of any lien or encumbrance properly noted upon the certificate of title or upon the electronic records of the department, shall not r…

49-514. Transfer of ownership by operation of law — Liens — Vehicles registered in foreign state — Certificates of title. In the event of the transfer of ownership of a vehicle by operation of law, as upon inheritance, devise or bequest, order in bankruptcy, insolvency, replevin,…

49-515. Lost, mutilated or illegible certificates — Duplicate certificates. In the event any certificate of title is lost, mutilated or becomes illegible, the owner or legal representative of the owner of the vehicle, or the holder of the lien which is prior in date and time as s…

49-516. Junked or changed vehicles — Cancellation of certificate. Each owner of a vehicle and each person mentioned as owner in the last certificate of title when a vehicle is dismantled, destroyed or changed in a manner that it is not the vehicle described in the certificate of …

49-517. Printing and form of certificates. (1) All certificates of title shall be printed upon safety paper to be selected by the department, and shall be in such form as the department shall prescribe. (2) When substantiated by a written agreement as provided in section 49-505, …

49-518. Altering or forging certificate — Stolen cars — Destroying or altering engine or decal number — Use of fictitious name — Fraud. It shall be a felony for any person to: (1) Alter or forge any certificate of title or salvage certificate of ownership to a vehicle, or any ass…

49-519. Operation of vehicle without certificate of title — Failure to surrender certificate — Salvage certificate. It shall be unlawful, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, for a person: (1) To operate a vehicle for which a certificate of title is required, without the…

49-520. Refusal to issue certificate of title or register vehicle — Revocation after issuance or registration. If the department shall determine an applicant for a certificate of title to a vehicle is not entitled to it, it shall refuse to issue a certificate or to register the v…

49-521. Dealers in vehicles — Records of purchases and sales — Possession of certificates of title — Foreign vehicles. (1) Every dealer in vehicles, trailers or semitrailers shall maintain a record in a form as prescribed by the department of every used vehicle, trailer or semitr…

49-522. Endorsement "for junk only" on certificate when vehicle sold or transferred — Operation prohibited. (1) The owner of any vehicle who sells or transfers it to another with the intention or understanding that the vehicle is not to be used as an operating unit shall, at the …

49-523. Procedure when department unsatisfied as to ownership or security interests — Temporary registration procedure. (1) If the department is not satisfied as to the ownership of the vehicle or that there are no undisclosed security interests in it, the department may register…

49-523A. title stop when ownership of vehicle disputed. (1) Whenever a party claims an interest in a vehicle subject to a title, the party may request a title stop be placed upon the title record of the vehicle. (2) The request for title stop shall be provided to the department, …

49-524. Salvage certificate of title or electronic file to replace certificate of title or certificate of origin on vehicles. (1) Every person acquiring a vehicle that has been determined to be a salvage vehicle shall obtain a salvage certificate of title on that vehicle. (2) The…

49-525. Salvage-certified vehicle — Branded certificate of title. (1) The department shall issue a branded certificate of title on any vehicle for which a salvage certificate of title, salvage bill of sale or other documentation showing evidence that the vehicle has been declared…

49-526. Release of liability upon sale of vehicle. (1) The department shall require that a separate release of liability statement be completed by the owner of a motor vehicle upon sale or transfer of the motor vehicle to another party. The statement shall be forwarded to the dep…

49-527. Purpose of transitional ownership document. The purpose of a transitional ownership document is to enable security interest to be perfected in a timely manner when the primary ownership document is not available. The transitional ownership document serves to perfect a lie…

49-528. Circumstances under which transitional ownership document acceptable as evidence of ownership. A transitional ownership document is acceptable as evidence of ownership only if the primary ownership document: (1) Is not in the possession of the selling dealer, new security…

49-529. Mandatory rejection or invalidation of transitional ownership document by department. The transportation department shall reject, return or subsequently invalidate a transitional ownership document if: (1) More than thirty (30) days have elapsed between the date of sale, …

49-530. Discretionary rejection or invalidation of document by department. The transportation department may reject, return or subsequently invalidate a transitional ownership document if it is determined that: (1) Title is to be issued to someone other than the person shown on t…