Title VAT, Vehicle & Traffic

§ 400. Application of this title. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, this title shall be exclusively controlling: a. Upon the registration, numbering and regulation of motor vehicles and motorcycles; and b. On their use of public highways.

§ 400-a. Exceptions to registration provisions. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this chapter or other law or regulation, the commissioner may refuse to register any vehicle or class of vehicles for use on the public highways where he determines that the characteris…

§ 401. Registration of motor vehicles; fees; renewals. 1. Registration\nby owners. a. No motor vehicle shall be operated or driven upon the\npublic highways of this state without first being registered in\naccordance with the provisions of this article, except as otherwise\nexpr…

§ 401-a. In-transit permits. The owner of a vehicle intended to be operated upon a public highway or street only for the purpose of transporting the same to a jurisdiction, within this state or to any other state, where the same is to be registered, may file with the commissione…

§ 401-b. Registration of tow trucks. Every motor vehicle engaged in commercial towing in this state shall be registered and identified as a tow truck, as hereinafter provided. No motor vehicle shall be registered as a tow truck unless it shall have a gross vehicle weight rating …

§ 402. Distinctive number; form of number plates; trailers. 1. (a) No person shall operate, drive or park a motor vehicle on the public highways of this state unless such vehicle shall have a distinctive number assigned to it by the commissioner and a set of number plates issued…

§ 402-a. Facsimile license plates. 1. No person shall manufacture, sell, or offer for sale a decorative or facsimile license plate of a size, shape, color and design which is identical with the size, shape, color and design of license plates issued by the department. 2. Notwiths…

§ 402-b. Obscured and obstructed license plates. 1. If any vehicle is driven or operated on a public highway in violation of subparagraph (ii), (ii-a), or (iii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section four hundred two of this article and is committed in their presence, a …

§ 403. Number plates continued. 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the commissioner, upon registration or reregistration of any vehicle required to be registered under this chapter, may continue the use of number plates for an additional period as may be det…

§ 403-a. Temporary indicia of registration. The commissioner may promulgate regulations to provide for temporary indicia of registration which shall permit a person to operate or park a motor vehicle or trailer on the public highways of this state without number plates issued by…

§ 403-b. Sales of special number or distinctive license plates by certain dealers. 1. A dealer, retail dealer, new motor vehicle dealer or qualified dealer holding a certificate of registration issued pursuant to section four hundred fifteen of this title shall be authorized to …

§ 404. Issuance of special number plates. 1. The commissioner may\nissue special number plates to applicants therefor in the same manner as\nother number plates are issued pursuant to this article. Such special\nnumber plates shall be issued only upon payment of an annual servic…

§ 404-a. Registration of motor vehicles of severely disabled persons.\n1. Legislative intent. It is the sense of the legislature to facilitate\nthe usual and special uses of the highways and other motor vehicle\nfacilities accorded to severely disabled residents of this state. T…

§ 404-aa. Distinctive plates for members of the Catholic War Veterans of America. 1. Any member of the Catholic War Veterans of America residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "Catholic War Veterans of America". Application for sai…

§ 404-b. Distinctive plates for volunteer firefighters. 1. Any member\nof any volunteer fire department or company in this state or the spouse\nof any such member shall, upon request, be issued a license plate\nbearing a Maltese cross and the letters "V.F.". If a distinctive pla…

§ 404-bb. Distinctive Cystic Fibrosis Foundation license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive license plate in support of cystic fibrosis awareness and research bearing the phrase "Cystic Fibrosis Foundation". Application for …

§ 404-c. Distinctive plates for former prisoners of war. 1. Any former\nprisoner of war residing in this state or the spouse of any such former\nprisoner of war shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing\nthe words "former prisoner of war". If a distinctive plate is …

§ 404-cc. Distinctive "Cure Childhood Cancer" plates. 1. Any person\nresiding in this state shall upon request be issued a distinctive plate\nin support of childhood cancer research bearing the words "Cure\nChildhood Cancer". Application for such plates shall be filed with the\n…

§ 404-d. Distinctive plates for members of the organized militia and reserve. 1. Any member of the organized militia of the state of New York and any member of a reserve unit from this state of any branch of the armed forces of the United States or the spouse of any such member …

* § 404-dd. Distinctive plates for members of AMVETS. 1. Any member of AMVETS residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the word "AMVETS". Application for said license plate shall be filed with the commissioner in such form and detail as the c…

* § 404-dd. Mental illness anti-stigma license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive license plate of a design developed and approved by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of the office of mental health in s…

§ 404-e. Distinctive plates for purple heart recipients. 1. Any purple heart recipient residing in this state or the spouse of any such recipient shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "combat wounded" and inscribed the purple heart medal imprint. If a …

* § 404-ee. Distinctive "West Indian American Day Carnival" license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive "West Indian American Day Carnival" license plate of a design approved by the commissioner. Application for said license …

* § 404-ee. Distinctive Down's syndrome awareness license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive license plate in support of Down's syndrome awareness and research bearing the phrase "Down's Syndrome Awareness" and any other phr…

* § 404-ee. Distinctive "September eleventh, two thousand one\nremembrance" license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall,\nupon request, be issued a distinctive "September eleventh, two thousand\none remembrance" license plate. Application for said license plate sh…

* § 404-ee. Distinctive "Jamaican bobsled team" number plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive "Jamaican bobsled team" license plate of a design approved by the commissioner. Application for said license plate shall be filed with…

§ 404-f. Distinctive plates for members of volunteer ambulance services. 1. Any member of any volunteer ambulance service in this state or the spouse of any such member shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the letters "V.A.S." If a distinctive plate is issued t…

§ 404-g. Distinctive plates bearing the words "Birthplace of\nBaseball". 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be\nissued a license plate bearing the words "Birthplace of Baseball" in\nhonor of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York and the one\nh…

§ 404-h. Distinctive plates for members of the Jewish War Veterans of America. 1. Any member of the Jewish War Veterans of America residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "Jewish War Veterans of America". Application for said licen…

§ 404-i. Distinctive plates for gold star mothers. 1. Any gold star\nmother or the spouse of a gold star mother residing in this state shall,\nupon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "gold star\nmother". If a distinctive plate is issued to a gold star mother pu…

§ 404-j. Registration and issuance of special number plates for\nveterans who survived the Pearl Harbor attack. 1. Registration of\nvehicles owned by veterans who survived the Pearl Harbor attack. The\ncommissioner shall assign to motor vehicles, owned by persons who while\non m…

§ 404-k. Distinctive plates for Marine Corps League members. 1. Any member of the Marine Corps League residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the United States Marine Corps emblem and the words "Marine Corps League". Application for said lic…

§ 404-l. Distinctive regional design plates. 1. On or after October first, nineteen hundred ninety-two, any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate with a distinctive regional design approved by the commissioner. The commissioner may also iss…

§ 404-m. Distinctive license plates commemorating the World University\nGames. 1. Any person shall upon request be issued a license plate\ncommemorating the World University Games bearing the name and logo of\nthe World University Games. The arrangement of the name and logo on s…

§ 404-n. Issuance of distinctive conservation plates. 1. On or after\nApril first, nineteen hundred ninety-four, any person residing in this\nstate, upon filing a complete application and paying a fee as provided\nin subdivision two of this section, shall be issued his or her ch…

§ 404-o. Distinctive "Olympic Spirit" license plates. Any person shall\nupon request be issued distinctive "Olympic Spirit" license plates in\nsupport of the Lake Placid olympic training center bearing the "Olympic\nSpirit" logo designed by the United States olympic committee an…

§ 404-oo. Deposit of service charges for distinctive license plates. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this chapter or of any other law, the first six thousand dollars of service charges collected for issuance of distinctive license plates established pursuant to thi…

* § 404-p. Distinctive "Animal Population Control Fund" license\nplates. 1. On or after October first, nineteen hundred ninety-six, any\nperson residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a\ndistinctive "Animal Population Control Fund" license plate of a design\napprov…

* § 404-p. Distinctive plates for congressional medal of honor recipients. 1. Any congressional medal of honor recipient residing in this state or the spouse of any such recipient shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the words "congressional medal of honor". If…

* § 404-q. Distinctive "drive for the cure" license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive "drive for the cure" license plate in support of breast, prostate and testicular cancer research bearing the phrase "drive for the cure".…

* § 404-q. Distinctive plates for the council on the arts. 1. Any\nperson residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a\ndistinctive "Council on the Arts" license plate of a design approved by\nthe commissioner. Application for said license plate shall be filed with\nt…

* § 404-r. Distinctive "foreign organization" license plates. 1. The commissioner may issue special number plates bearing the words "foreign organization" to applicants of a foreign organization recognized by the United States. Applications for said license plate shall be filed …

* § 404-r. Distinctive plates for New York state licensed dentists who are members of the New York State Dental Association. 1. Any New York state licensed dentist residing in this state who is a member of the New York State Dental Association as established pursuant to chapter …

* § 404-s. Issuance of distinctive "I Love New York" plates. 1. Any\nperson residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a\ndistinctive "I Love New York" license plate. The design of such\ndistinctive plate shall be developed by the commissioner in cooperation\nwith the…

* § 404-s. Issuance of distinctive plates for agriculture. 1. On and\nafter April first, two thousand two, any person residing in this state,\nupon filing a complete application and paying a fee as provided in\nsubdivision two of this section, shall be issued his or her choice o…

* § 404-s. Distinctive "drive out diabetes" license plates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall upon request be issued a distinctive "drive out diabetes" license plate in support of diabetes research bearing the phrase "drive out diabetes". Application for said license pl…

* § 404-s. Distinctive plates for the Saratoga national cemetery honor guard association. 1. Any member of the Saratoga national cemetery honor guard association residing in this state shall, upon request, be issued a license plate bearing the logo of such association as illustr…

* § 404-t. Distinctive marine and coastal district of New York license\nplates. 1. Any person residing in this state shall, upon request, be\nissued a distinctive marine and coastal district of New York license\nplate in support of conservation, education, and research projects\…

* § 404-t. Distinctive conserve habitat license plates. 1. Any person\nresiding in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive\n"Conserve Habitat" license plate of a design approved by the\ncommissioner, after consultation with the commissioner of environmental\ncons…

* § 404-t. Distinctive "peace at home" license plates. 1. Any person\nresiding in this state shall, upon request, be issued a distinctive\n"peace at home" license plate of a design approved by the commissioner\nin support of domestic violence awareness and prevention. Applicatio…