PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

It is a crime to knowingly remove, destroy, change, or otherwise mess with a vehicle identification number or, if done to help steal a car, to remove or alter certain anti-theft stickers on a vehicle. A person who does this can be fined, put in prison for up to 5 years, or both. People doing certain lawful work are not guilty unless they know the car or part is stolen. That includes scrap processors or demolishers who follow state law; people who must remove or change the number to make a repair; people who restore or replace an ID number under state law; and an owner or someone the owner, state or local law, or Attorney General rules lets remove or alter the anti-theft decal. Short definitions: identification number = the number or symbol used to ID a vehicle under federal vehicle laws; motor vehicle = the term used in 49 U.S.C. 32101; motor vehicle demolisher = a business that turns vehicles into unusable metal scrap; motor vehicle scrap processor = a business that buys and processes vehicles into prepared metal scrap. “Tampers with” also covers hiding a program decal so it can’t be seen.

Title 18, §511

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A person who—

(1)knowingly removes, obliterates, tampers with, or alters an identification number for a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part; or

(2)with intent to further the theft of a motor vehicle, knowingly removes, obliterates, tampers with, or alters a decal or device affixed to a motor vehicle pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act,

shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.

(b)(1)Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to a removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration by a person specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection (unless such person knows that the vehicle or part involved is stolen).

(2)The persons referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection are—

(A)a motor vehicle scrap processor or a motor vehicle demolisher who complies with applicable State law with respect to such vehicle or part;

(B)a person who repairs such vehicle or part, if the removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration is reasonably necessary for the repair;

(C)a person who restores or replaces an identification number for such vehicle or part in accordance with applicable State law; and

(D)a person who removes, obliterates, tampers with, or alters a decal or device affixed to a motor vehicle pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act, if that person is the owner of the motor vehicle, or is authorized to remove, obliterate, tamper with or alter the decal or device by—

(i)the owner or his authorized agent;

(ii)applicable State or local law; or

(iii)regulations promulgated by the Attorney General to implement the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act.

(c)As used in this section, the term—

(1)“identification number” means a number or symbol that is inscribed or affixed for purposes of identification under chapter 301 and part C of subtitle VI of title 49;

(2)“motor vehicle” has the meaning given that term in section 32101 of title 49;

(3)“motor vehicle demolisher” means a person, including any motor vehicle dismantler or motor vehicle recycler, who is engaged in the business of reducing motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts to metallic scrap that is unsuitable for use as either a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part;

(4)“motor vehicle scrap processor” means a person—

(A)who is engaged in the business of purchasing motor vehicles or motor vehicle parts for reduction to metallic scrap for recycling;

(B)who, from a fixed location, uses machinery to process metallic scrap into prepared grades; and

(C)whose principal product is metallic scrap for recycling;

but such term does not include any activity of any such person relating to the recycling of a motor vehicle or a motor vehicle part as a used motor vehicle or a used motor vehicle part.

(d)For purposes of subsection (a) of this section, the term “tampers with” includes covering a program decal or device affixed to a motor vehicle pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act for the purpose of obstructing its visibility.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Act, referred to in subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(2)(D), and (d), is title XXII of Pub. L. 103–322, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2074, which enacted section 511A of this title and section 12611 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law

Enforcement

, amended this section, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 10101 of Title 34. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 1994 Act note set out under section 10101 of Title 34 and Tables. Codification Another section 511 was renumbered section 513 of this title.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (b)(2)(D). Pub. L. 104–294 realigned margins. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–322, § 220003(a), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Whoever knowingly removes, obliterates, tampers with, or alters an identification number for a motor vehicle, or motor vehicle part, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.” Subsec. (b)(2)(D). Pub. L. 103–322, § 220003(b), added subpar. (D). Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(3)(A), substituted “chapter 301 and part C of subtitle VI of title 49” for “the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, or the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(3)(B), substituted “section 32101 of title 49” for “section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–322, § 220003(c), added subsec. (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–294 effective Sept. 13, 1994, see section 604(d) of Pub. L. 104–294, set out as a note under section 13 of this title.

§511 Altering or Removing Motor Vehicle Identification Numbers