Title 31, Title 31 and Other Vehicles

Any evidence of proof of financial responsibility or security shall include the following statement therein in bold face print: “PURSUANT TO RHODE ISLAND LAW, THE CONSUMER HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE REPAIR FACILITY TO COMPLETE REPAIRS TO A MOTOR VEHICLE. AN INSURANCE COMPANY MAY…

(a) A finding by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles or traffic tribunal, or court that a person is covered by financial responsibility in the form of an insurance policy or surety bond is not binding upon the named insurer or surety or any of its officers, employ…

The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall transmit a certified copy of any record of any conviction under this chapter or of any action taken pursuant to this chapter resulting in revocation of a nonresident’s privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state or …

This chapter shall not apply to any motor vehicle for the operation of which security or proof of financial responsibility is required to be furnished under §§ 39-14-18, 39-14-19, 39-13-7, 39-13-8, and 39-13-9, nor to any vehicle for which a permit or certificate is in force purs…

(a) Upon receipt of a signed written request for a suspension from the owner of a registered motor vehicle stating that the vehicle will not be operated upon any highway during a period of not less than thirty (30) consecutive days, the insurer of the vehicle shall suspend, to th…

(a) “Highway,” as used in this section, means all roads as defined in § 31-1-23, except a private road or driveway. (b) Upon receipt of a signed written request for a suspension from the owner of a registered motor vehicle stating that the vehicle will not be operated upon any hi…

After consultation with insurance companies authorized to issue automobile liability policies in this state, the insurance commissioner shall approve a reasonable plan or plans for the equitable apportionment among the insurance companies of applicants for those policies and for …

If there is reason to believe that there has been a noncompliance with any of the provisions of this chapter, every insurance company authorized to issue automobile liability policies shall be required upon request to provide the division of motor vehicles with information suffic…

Any general or public law to the contrary notwithstanding, the commissioner shall, after consulting with all insurers licensed to write automobile liability insurance in this state, promulgate regulations which provide that automobile liability insurance rates shall take into acc…

If any part or parts of this chapter shall be held unconstitutional, the unconstitutionality shall not affect the validity of the remaining parts of this chapter. The legislature declares that it would have passed the remaining parts of this chapter if it had known that any part …

As used in this chapter the term: (1) “Accident” or “motor vehicle accident” means any accident involving a motor vehicle that results in bodily injury to, or death of, any person, or damage to the property of any person in excess of five hundred dollars ($500). (2) “Administrato…

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is authorized to promulgate reasonable regulations to provide effective administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. (b) Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of this or any other law of this state, th…

(a) No motor vehicle shall be registered and no registration renewed in this state unless the application for the registration of a motor vehicle shall contain a statement to be signed by the applicant who does all of the following: (1) States that the applicant will not operate,…

(a) No contract of insurance or renewal of it shall be terminated by cancellation or failure to renew by the insurer until at least thirty (30) days after mailing to the named insured, at the address shown on the policy a notice of termination or cancellation by certificate of ma…

(a) All moneys or securities delivered to the assistant director as a financial security deposit shall be placed by the assistant director in the custody of the general treasurer. These assets shall be subject to execution to satisfy any judgment for damages for bodily injury or …

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles, upon the surrender of the registration and number plates for a motor vehicle for which a financial security bond or deposit was accepted by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles, shall permit the cancellation …

The director of the department of business regulation, in his or her discretion, may upon the application of a person having registered in his or her name in this state more than twenty-five (25) motor vehicles, issue a certificate of self insurance when he or she is reasonably s…

(a) Any owner of a motor vehicle registered or required to be registered in this state who shall knowingly operate the motor vehicle or knowingly permit it to be operated in this state without having in full force and effect the financial security required by the provisions of th…

(a) No person shall knowingly make, sell or otherwise make available any invalid or counterfeit evidence of financial security as defined in this chapter. No person shall alter any invalid evidence of financial security to make it appear valid. (b) Any person convicted of a viola…

This chapter shall be known as the “Motor Vehicle Chop Shop Stolen and Altered Property Act”.

For the purposes of this chapter the following terms mean: (1) “Chop shop” means any building, lot, or other premise where one or more persons are or have been knowingly engaged in altering, destroying, disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or knowingly storing any motor vehi…

(a) Any person who knowingly and with intent: (1) owns, operates, or conducts a chop shop; (2) transports any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part to or from a location knowing it to be a chop shop; or (3) sells, transfers, purchases, or receives any motor vehicle or motor vehicle…

(a) Any tool, implement, or instrumentality, including, but not limited to, a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part, used or possessed in connection with any violation of § 31-48-3 may be seized by a member of a state or local law enforcement agency upon process issued by any court…

(a) The following are subject to forfeiture unless obtained by theft, fraud or conspiracy to defraud and the rightful owner is known or can be identified and located: (1) Any tool, (2) Any implement, or (3) Any instrumentality, including, but not limited to, any motor vehicle or …

(a) The attorney general or any aggrieved person may institute civil proceedings against any person in a court of competent jurisdiction seeking relief from conduct constituting a violation of any provision of this chapter. If the plaintiff in a proceeding proves the alleged viol…

If any provision of this chapter or the application of it to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the p…

For the purposes of this chapter, “ignition interlock system” means a device that: (1) Connects a motor vehicle ignition system to a breath analyzer that measures a driver’s blood alcohol level; and (2) Prevents a motor vehicle ignition from starting if a driver’s blood alcohol l…

The division of motor vehicles shall certify, or cause to be certified, ignition interlock systems for use in the state, and adopt rules and regulations for the certification and requirements for participation of the ignition interlock systems. All costs associated with the insta…

(a) The rules and regulations adopted pursuant to § 31-49-2 shall include requirements that ignition interlock systems: (1) Do not impede the safe operation of the vehicle; (2) Minimize opportunities to be bypassed; (3) Correlate accurately with established measures of blood alco…

The division of motor vehicles shall design and adopt a warning label to be affixed to an ignition interlock system on installation. The warning label shall state that a person tampering with, circumventing, or otherwise misusing the ignition interlock system is guilty of a misde…

(a) The division of motor vehicles shall publish a list of certified ignition interlock systems that shall be included on the division of motor vehicles’ website. (b) A manufacturer of an ignition interlock system that seeks to sell or lease the ignition interlock system to perso…

(a) A person may not sell or lease, or offer to sell or lease, an ignition interlock system to a person subject to the provisions of § 31-27-2.8 unless: (1) The system has been certified by the division of motor vehicles; and (2) A warning label approved by the division of motor …

(a) There is established an office of automobile theft and insurance fraud. (b) The scope and purpose of the office of automobile theft and insurance fraud shall be to investigate and prosecute crimes involving the theft or other unauthorized use of motor vehicles and to investig…

There is created the automobile theft and insurance fraud investigations board, referred to in this chapter as “the board”. The board shall consist of five (5) members one of whom shall be appointed to represent the interests of consumers by the governor; one of whom shall be app…

The board’s duties shall consist of overseeing said office and reviewing its effectiveness, assuring that the funds derived pursuant to § 31-50-4 are devoted to the statutory purposes established in this chapter, and preparing reports and recommendations.

The director of business regulation shall fund the office of automobile theft and insurance fraud annually through those insurers authorized to write automobile insurance in the state, in proportion to their market share, in an amount equal to one dollar ($1.00) per year times th…

On or before the thirty-first day of January the designated assistant or special assistant attorney general and the director shall prepare and submit to the governor and to the board a comprehensive report of all of the activities of the office including, but not limited, to vehi…

The provisions of this chapter are severable, and if any of its provisions shall be held unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, the decision of the court shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions.

The following words and phrases, for the purposes of this chapter, have the following meanings: (1) “Designated family member” means the spouse, child, grandchild, parent, brother, or sister of the owner of a new motor vehicle dealership who, in the case of the owner’s death, is …

Every franchisee shall have the right of free association with other franchisees for any lawful purpose.

In connection with a sale of a motor vehicle or vehicles to the state or to any political subdivision, no manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler shall offer any discounts, refunds, or any other similar type of inducement to any dealer without making the same offer or offers to a…

(a) The department shall enforce compliance with the provisions of this chapter. If the department deems that there has been a violation of this chapter, the department shall hold a show cause hearing for revocation or suspension of a license in accordance with the Administrative…

(a) Notwithstanding the terms, provisions, or conditions of any agreement or franchise or the terms or provisions of any waiver, any consumer who is injured by a violation of this chapter, or any party to a franchise who is so injured in his or her business or property by a viola…

Any contract, part of a contract, or practice under a contract in violation of any provision of this chapter shall be deemed against public policy and shall be void and unenforceable.

Actions arising out of any provision of this chapter shall be commenced within four (4) years next after the cause of action accrues. If a person liable under this chapter conceals the cause of action from the knowledge of the person entitled to bring it, the period prior to the …

Any licensee or other person in interest, who is dissatisfied with the final order of the department, may appeal to the sixth division of the district court pursuant to the procedure established in § 42-35-15.