S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   510

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M. of A. DINOWITZ, MAISEL, STEVENSON, MILLMAN, HOOPER --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, COOK, GIBSON, SCHIMEL,  WEISEN-
  BERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation

AN  ACT  to  amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
  vehicle identification numbers on the wheels  of  all  motor  vehicles
  sold in this state; and to amend the penal law, in relation to forgery
  of a vehicle identification number

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
section 431-a to read as follows:
  S  431-A. IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ON VEHICLE WHEELS. IN ADDITION TO THE
REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE OF THIS  ARTICLE,  EVERY
MANUFACTURER  OR  ASSEMBLER  OF  A VEHICLE SOLD IN THIS STATE SHALL HAVE
ENGRAVED ON EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS OF SUCH VEHICLE, NOT  INCLUDING  ANY
SPARE  WHEEL, THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER OF THE VEHICLE THEY WERE
SOLD WITH. SUCH IDENTIFICATION NUMBER SHALL BE NO SMALLER IN  SIZE  THAN
IS  REQUIRED BY RULE OR REGULATION FOR THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
REQUIRED UNDER THIS ARTICLE. EACH ENGRAVED WHEEL  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER
SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LIKEWISE ENGRAVED SUFFIX DIGIT, EITHER 1, 2, 3
OR  4,  THAT  UNIQUELY IDENTIFIES EACH OF THE FOUR WHEELS FROM THE OTHER
THREE. EACH ENGRAVED IDENTIFICATION NUMBER SHALL BE IN A LOCATION ON THE
WHEEL THAT FACES OUTWARD FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE WHEEL  IS
MOUNTED  ON  THE  VEHICLE AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE, AND SHALL BE PLAINLY
VISIBLE FROM THE VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR, WITHOUT OBSTRUCTION BY ANY SPOKE OR
OTHER PART OF THE WHEEL. EACH WHEEL VEHICLE  IDENTIFICATION  NUMBER  AND
UNIQUE  SUFFIX  SHALL  BE  ENGRAVED  DIRECTLY INTO THE WHEEL ITSELF IN A
MANNER THAT IS MEANT TO BE PERMANENT FOR THE LIFE OF THE WHEEL AND MEANT
TO EXHIBIT CLEAR EVIDENCE OF AN ATTEMPT TO REMOVE, DEFACE, OR ALTER  THE
ENGRAVING.  THIS ENGRAVING REQUIREMENT SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY WHEEL SOLD

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                           LBD01491-01-3

A. 510                              2

WITH A NEW VEHICLE THAT THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER WILL AGREE, IN WRITING
AT THE TIME OF SALE, TO REPLACE IN THE EVENT OF LOSS, DAMAGE OR THEFT AT
ANY TIME AFTER THE DATE OF ORIGINAL SALE OF  THE  ACCOMPANYING  VEHICLE,
WITH A WHEEL OF IDENTICAL APPEARANCE AND CONSTRUCTION, FOR LESS THAN ONE
HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.
  S  2.  Subdivision 1 of section 170.65 of the penal law, as amended by
chapter 488 of the laws of 1977, is amended to read as follows:
  (1) He knowingly destroys, covers, defaces, alters or otherwise chang-
es the form or appearance of a  vehicle  identification  number  on  any
vehicle  or  component  part thereof[, except tires] INCLUDING THE VEHI-
CLE'S WHEELS BUT NOT THE TIRES MOUNTED THEREON; or
  S 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
1223-b to read as follows:
  S  1223-B.  NO  PERSON  SHALL OPERATE A MOTOR VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE
IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN ENGRAVED ON ANY WHEEL  IN  ACCORD-
ANCE  WITH SECTION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE-A OF THIS CHAPTER ARE COVERED
OR OBSCURED.
  S 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
ing  the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to all
motor vehicles manufactured and sold on or after such date.