§512 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

The United States can seize and keep a motor vehicle or a vehicle part if its identification number has been removed, rubbed out, changed, or messed with. There are exceptions: a part already attached to a vehicle if the vehicle owner did not know the number was altered; a vehicle or part that has a replacement ID number approved by the Secretary of Transportation under chapter 301 of title 49 or that follows state law; damage caused by a crash or fire or as described in section 511(b); or a scrap processor who did not know the number had been altered except by crash, fire, or as in section 511(b). The same rules used for customs seizures and forfeitures apply here, including how items are handled, sold, forgiven, or claims settled and payments to informers. The terms “identification number,” “motor vehicle,” and “motor vehicle scrap processor” are defined in section 511.

Title 18, §512

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)If an identification number for a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part is removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered, such vehicle or part shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture to the United States unless—

(1)in the case of a motor vehicle part, such part is attached to a motor vehicle and the owner of such motor vehicle does not know that the identification number has been removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered;

(2)such motor vehicle or part has a replacement identification number that—

(A)is authorized by the Secretary of Transportation under chapter 301 of title 49; or

(B)conforms to applicable State law;

(3)such removal, obliteration, tampering, or alteration is caused by collision or fire or is carried out as described in section 511(b) of this title; or

(4)such motor vehicle or part is in the possession or control of a motor vehicle scrap processor who does not know that such identification number was removed, obliterated, tampered with, or altered in any manner other than by collision or fire or as described in section 511(b) of this title.

(b)All provisions of law relating to—

(1)the seizure and condemnation of vessels, vehicles, merchandise, and baggage for violation of customs laws, and procedures for summary and judicial forfeiture applicable to such violations;

(2)the disposition of such vessels, vehicles, merchandise, and baggage or the proceeds from such disposition;

(3)the remission or mitigation of such forfeiture; and

(4)the compromise of claims and the award of compensation to informers with respect to such forfeiture;

(c)As used in this section, the terms “identification number”, “motor vehicle”, and “motor vehicle scrap processor” have the meanings given those terms in section 511 of this title.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 103–272 substituted “chapter 301 title 49” for “the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966”.

§512 Forfeiture of Certain Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Parts

Summary

Title 18, §512

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata