RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; AMENDING A SECTION OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE CODE TO PROVIDE THAT NEW MEXICO RESIDENCY IS NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR REGISTRATION OF CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLES IN NEW MEXICO.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 66-3-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 24, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-3-4. APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION AND CERTIFICATE OF TITLE.--

A. Every owner of a vehicle of a type required to be registered in this state shall make application to the division for the registration and issuance of a certificate of title for the vehicle. Applications shall be upon the appropriate forms furnished by the division and shall bear the signature of the owner written with pen and ink. All applications presented to the division shall contain:

(1) for a vehicle other than a recreational vehicle, the name, bona fide New Mexico residence address and mail address of the owner or, if the owner is a firm, association or corporation, the name, bona fide New Mexico business address and mail address of the firm, association or corporation and for a recreational vehicle, the name, bona fide residence address and mail address of the owner and proof of delivery in New Mexico;

(2) a description of the vehicle including, insofar as the hereinafter specified data may exist with respect to a given vehicle, the make, model, type of body, the number of cylinders, type of fuel used, the serial number of the vehicle, the odometer reading, the engine or other identification number provided by the manufacturer of the vehicle, whether new or used and, if a vehicle not previously registered, the date of sale by the manufacturer or dealer to the person intending to operate the vehicle. In the event a vehicle is designed, constructed, converted or rebuilt for the transportation of property, the application shall include a statement of its rated capacity as established by the manufacturer of the chassis or the complete vehicle;

(3) a statement of the applicant's title and of all liens or encumbrances upon the vehicle and the names and addresses of all persons having any interest therein and the nature of every such interest and the name and address of the person to whom the certificate of title shall be delivered by the division;

(4) if the vehicle required to be registered is a house trailer, as defined in the Motor Vehicle Code, a certificate from the treasurer or assessor of the county in which the house trailer is located showing that either:

(a) all property taxes due or to become due on the house trailer for the current tax year or any past tax years have been paid; or

(b) no liability for property taxes on the house trailer exists for the current year or any past tax years; and

(5) further information as may reasonably be required by the division to enable it to determine whether the vehicle is lawfully entitled to registration and the owner entitled to a certificate of title.

B. Any owner of a vehicle subject to registration which has never been registered in this state and which has been registered in another state shall have such vehicle examined and inspected for its identification number or engine number by the division or an officer or designated agent thereof incident to securing registration, reregistration or a certificate of title from the division.

C. When such application refers to a vehicle not previously registered and the vehicle is purchased from a dealer licensed in this state or a dealer licensed or recognized as such in any other state, territory or possession of the United States, the application shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's certificate of origin duly assigned by the dealer to the purchaser. In the event that a vehicle not previously registered is sold by the manufacturer to a dealer in a state not requiring a manufacturer's certificate of origin and in the event that the vehicle is subsequently purchased by a dealer or any person in this state, the application for title shall be accompanied by the evidence of title accepted by the state in which the vehicle was sold by the manufacturer to a dealer in that state together with evidence of subsequent transfers."

Section 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2001.