In any criminal proceeding in which ownership, possession, or use of a motor vehicle is an issue, a copy certified by the department as its record of title on file, or with the official custodian of those documents of another state, shall be admissible as evidence of ownership of the motor vehicle. Upon the introduction of evidence that the legal owner of a motor vehicle is not named in the certificate of title or that use or possession was with the consent or authority of the owner, a reasonable continuance shall be granted any party to enable the owner of the vehicle to be brought into court to testify.

(Added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1247, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 1995.)

Terms Used In California Vehicle Code 6150

  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Department: means the Department of Motor Vehicles except, when used in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 2100) of Division 2 and in Divisions 11 (commencing with Section 21000), 12 (commencing with Section 24000), 13 (commencing with Section 29000), 14 (commencing with Section 31600), 14. See California Vehicle Code 290
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • legal owner: is a person holding a security interest in a vehicle which is subject to the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, or the lessor of a vehicle to the State or to any county, city, district, or political subdivision of the State, or to the United States, under a lease, lease-sale, or rental-purchase agreement which grants possession of the vehicle to the lessee for a period of 30 consecutive days or more. See California Vehicle Code 370
  • motor vehicle: includes a recreational vehicle as that term is defined in subdivision (a) of §. See California Vehicle Code 415
  • owner: is a person having all the incidents of ownership, including the legal title of a vehicle whether or not such person lends, rents, or creates a security interest in the vehicle. See California Vehicle Code 460
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • vehicle: is a device by which any person or property may be propelled, moved, or drawn upon a highway, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See California Vehicle Code 670
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