Title 9, Vehicle Code

Short Title. This title may be cited as the Vehicle Code. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 101). Commission Comment: PL 3-61 took effect June 16, 1983.

Definitions. In this title, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions apply: (a) “Bicycle” means any motorless contrivance operated with not more than three wheels in contact with the ground and propelled by human power. (b) “Bureau” means the Bureau of Mot…

Further Definitions. In this title, unless the context otherwise requires, the following definitions also apply: (a) “Non-resident” means a person who is not a resident of the Commonwealth. (b) “Odometer” means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor…

Rules of Construction. The following rules of construction govern the administration and enforcement of this title: (a) As used in this title, unless it is otherwise provided or the context requires a different construction, application or meaning: (1) Words in the singular inclu…

Registration: Application. (a) Every owner of a motor vehicle shall, before operating any such motor vehicle on any highway of the Commonwealth, register it with the bureau. The application for registration shall be made on the prescribed form, signed by the owner and contain the…

Registration: Transfer of Motor Vehicle. (a) An owner upon transferring a registered motor vehicle shall endorse the name and address of the transferee and the date of transfer upon the reverse side of the registration card issued for the motor vehicle and immediately forward the…

Registration: Fees. (a) There shall be paid to the Director of Finance for the registration of vehicles the following fees: (1) Bicycles, $3; (2) Mopeds, motor scooters, and motorcycles up to 100cc, $20; (3) Motorcycles and motor scooters over 100cc, $30; (4) Pickups, jeeps, seda…

Registration: Cards. The bureau shall issue to the owner a registration card containing upon its face the date issued, the registration number, the name and address of the owner, and a description of the registered vehicle, including the engine number. The registration card shall…

Registration: Display of Plates. Every owner whose vehicle or bicycle is registered shall display the plates issued by the bureau showing the registration number and year. Each of these plates shall be attached properly to the front and rear of the vehicle or bicycle, at the fact…

Registration: Expiration and Renewal. Every vehicle and bicycle registration under this division shall expire annually at midnight on the last day of the month designated by the bureau. The owner of the vehicle has ten business days, after the last day of the month designated by …

Registration: Exemptions. Upon obtaining a special permit from the chief, a person need not register a vehicle of a type required to be registered under this division for the purpose of: (a) Moving or operating a vehicle not previously registered on arrival of the vehicle in the …

Registration: Government Vehicles. (a) The registration requirements of this division apply to every vehicle owned by the Commonwealth government, except in the following particulars: (1) A license plate issued for any vehicle while publicly owned need not display a distinguishin…

Registration: Lost or Damaged Cards and Plates. If any registration card or registration plate is lost, mutilated or becomes illegible, the owner, legal representative, or successor in interest of the owner of the vehicle or bicycle for which the card or plate was issued as shown…

Registration: Application; Inspection. Upon receipt of an original application for registration the bureau may not register any vehicle until a report of its inspection is made by the bureau. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 211).

Penalties. Any person, business entity, or governmental authority found to be importing motor vehicles in violation of this Chapter (Title 9, Division 2, Chapter 1) shall pay a civil penalty of $500 per motor vehicle to the Commonwealth General Fund. Source: PL 11-54, § 2, modifi…

Transporter’s Liability. Any shipping or transporting company that transports motor vehicles in violation of this Chapter (Title 9, Division 2, Chapter 1) or Title 6, Division 2, Chapter 3, to the Commonwealth shall be strictly liable for immediate return shipment of such motor v…

Veteran or Disabled Veteran License Plates. (a) Definition. (1) For purposes of this Act, the term “veteran” means a person who served in active duty or in a reserve component of any branch of the United States Armed Forces and who was discharged or released under conditions othe…

Registration: CNMI Active Duty Military Personnel. (a) Definition. For purposes of this section, the term “active duty military personnel” means a person who is on full time duty in active military service in the United States military including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coas…

Disposition of 9 CMC § 2202 Fees and Penalties. (a) Distribution of 9 CMC § 2202(b) license fees. Notwithstanding any CNMI law or regulation to the contrary, all fees collected for obtaining a license pursuant to 9 CMC § 2202(b), including the learner's permit fee and the tempora…

Disposition of 9 CMC § 2104 Fees and Penalties. Notwithstanding any CNMI law or regulation to the contrary, all registration fees collected pursuant to 9 CMC § 2104 shall be distributed as follows: 45% for the operations and programs of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 45% for road …

Reporting Requirement. The expenditure authorities listed herein for the funds received pursuant to 9 CMC § 2118 and 2119 shall submit to the presiding officers of the Legislature, 30 days from the end of each quarter, a quarterly fund status report. Source. PL 20-39 § 5, (Jan. 2…

Safety Inspections: Privately-Owned Motor Vehicles. Except as otherwise provided by this division, all privately-owned motor vehicles shall be safety inspected at a certified safety inspection station within 30 days prior to registration or a registration renewal. As provided for…

Safety Inspections: Government-Owned Motor Vehicles. The head of each branch, department and agency of the Commonwealth government shall ensure that each vehicle assigned to that agency passes an annual safety inspection performed by a licensed motor vehicle safety inspection sta…

Safety Inspections: Responsibility of Motor Vehicle Dealer, Salesperson, or Agent. It is the responsibility of each motor vehicle dealer, salesperson, or other person engaged in the business of selling motor vehicles to have each motor vehicle safety inspected prior to transferri…

Safety Inspections: Nature and Purpose of Inspection Required. The purpose of a motor vehicle safety inspection is to determine whether the vehicle inspected meets all lawfully prescribed requirements as to equipment and is in such safe condition as not to endanger the operator o…

Safety Inspections: Suspension of Registration for Noncompliance. The court may order the suspension of the registration of any motor vehicle upon determination that the vehicle does not have a valid certificate of safety inspection, does not display any required sticker or other…

Safety Inspections: On the Road Inspections. Any on-duty policy officer may, when he has reasonable cause to believe that a vehicle is unsafe or not equipped as prescribed by law, order the owner or operator of the vehicle to submit the vehicle to an inspection. If the vehicle do…

Safety Inspection Stations: Definition. For purposes of this division, “safety inspection station” means a person, partnership, or corporation that is authorized and licensed by the Chief of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles having jurisdiction at the station location to conduct vehic…

Safety Inspection Stations: Regulations. Within 90 days after the enactment of this legislation, the Chief of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles shall adopt such regulations and publish such regulations as are necessary to establish, regulate, and administer duly licensed safety inspec…

Government Immunities. The Government of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, its officers, employees or agents shall not be liable for any injury caused in whole or in part by the issuance, denial suspension or revocation of any safety inspection certificate or stic…

Improper Use of Inspection Stickers. Any person who makes, issues, or knowingly uses any imitation, alteration or counterfeit of an official certificate of inspection or any person who displays or causes or permits to be displayed upon any vehicle any certificate of inspection kn…

Issuance of Safety Regulations. The chief shall develop and the director shall, within 90 days from June 16, 1983, issue rules and regulations prescribing the required safety and equipment standards with which all vehicles must comply in order to receive a safety inspection certi…

Prohibited Operation. (a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle upon a highway in the Commonwealth that has not been safety inspected as required in this title. (b) No motor vehicle owner shall give, lend, or permit another person to operate that motor vehicle if it has not bee…

Rules and Regulations. The Department of Public Safety shall adopt rules and regulations prescribing the permissible requirements for motor carriers, motor carrier drivers, equipment and the transportation of hazardous materials and sanctions for their violation which are consist…

Vehicle Lights. (a) Every vehicle driven upon the public highways during the period from sunset to sunrise, or at any other time when there is not sufficient natural light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of 500 feet, shall be operat…

Spot Lights. A motor vehicle, moped or motorcycle shall not be equipped with spot lights, except as authorized by the director. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 402). Commission Comment: With respect to the reference to the “director” of the Department of Public Safety, see Executive Orde…

Emergency Vehicle Lights. No person may operate or move any vehicle upon public highways bearing or displaying a lighted red or blue light, other than a rear light as described in this division, unless the vehicle is an ambulance, a vehicle attached to the department, or to a mil…

Brakes. (a) Every motor vehicle operating upon the public highways shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movements of and to stop and hold the vehicle, including two separate means of applying braking effort, each of which means shall be effective to apply braking…

Horns or Warning Devices. (a) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and be capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet but no horn shall emit an unreasonably lou…

Mirrors. (a) Any motor vehicle which is so constructed or loaded, or when towing any vehicle which is so constructed or loaded, as to obstruct the operator’s view to the rear of the vehicle from the operator’s position, shall be equipped with a mirror so located as to reflect to …

Windshields and Windows. (a) No person may operate any motor vehicle upon a highway with any sign, poster, card, sticker, or other nontransparent material upon the front windshield, side or rear windows of the vehicle, except that such signs, posters, cards, stickers, or other ma…

Safety Belts on Passenger Vehicles. (a) No dealer or person shall sell or offer for sale any used passenger motor vehicle manufactured on or after January 1, 1978, other than a motorcycle or moped unless it is equipped with passenger restraint systems as defined in 9 CMC § 1103(f…

Projecting Loads. Whenever the load on any vehicle, except fire fighting apparatus, extends more than four feet beyond the rear of the chassis bed or body of that load, in a position clearly visible at all times from the rear, a red flag not less than 12 inches in both length and…

Projecting Loads on Passenger Vehicles. No passenger-type vehicle may be operated on any highway with any load or object being carried extending beyond the line of the fenders on the left side of the vehicle nor extending more than six inches beyond the line of the fenders on the…

Vehicle Integrity. No vehicle may be operated upon the public highways unless the vehicle is so constructed or so loaded as to prevent its contents from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping from or falling from the vehicle. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 411).

Mufflers; Prevention of Noise. Every motor vehicle subject to registration and operated on a highway shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excess or unusual noise. No muffler or exhaust system may be e…

Vehicles Transporting Explosives. Any person operating any vehicle transporting any explosive as a cargo upon a highway shall at all times comply with the provisions of this section: (a) The vehicle shall be marked or placarded on each side and the rear with the word “Explosives”…

Metal Tires. No motor vehicle with metal tires may operate on a paved highway without the authorization of the director. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 414). Commission Comment: With respect to the reference to the “director” of the Department of Public Safety, see Executive Order 94-3 …

Flaps on Trucks and Semitrailers. No person shall operate a motor truck, trailer, semitrailer, or any other commercial double rear wheeled vehicle upon a highway in the Commonwealth unless the motor truck, trailer, semitrailer, or commercial double rear wheeled vehicle is equippe…

Required Obedience to Traffic Laws. Unless otherwise declared in this division with respect to particular offenses, it is unlawful and an infraction for any person to do any act forbidden or to fail to perform any act required in this division. Source: PL 3-61, § 1 (§ 501); amend…