(a)  A person who transfers the ownership of a registered motor vehicle or trailer owned by him or her to another or who loses possession of it and who intends to transfer the registration of the motor vehicle or trailer to a newly acquired vehicle may, subject to other provisions of this title, operate the newly acquired motor vehicle or trailer for a period of thirty (30) days following the date of transfer within the period of which the transferred vehicle was registered, provided that the number plates issued upon registration of the transferred motor vehicle are attached to the newly acquired vehicle.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-4-10

  • Motor vehicle: means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways;

    (2)  "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation;

    (3)  "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or business trust including, but not limited to, private individuals and motor vehicle dealers, both wholesale and retail, whether the private individual or dealer is a dealer in the ordinary course of business or not;

    (4)  "Repair and replacement" means to restore to a sound working condition by replacing the instrument or any part thereof or by correcting what is inoperative;

    (5)  "Transfer" means to acquire ownership by purchase, gift, bequest, or any other means. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-2

  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6

(b)  During these periods, any operator of a newly acquired vehicle shall carry an original copy of the bill of sale reciting the registration number to be transferred from the former vehicle to the newly acquired vehicle, the date of the sale or transfer, the make and identification number of the vehicle, and the signature and address of the seller.

(c)  This section shall apply only to transfer of registration between vehicles with the same number of wheels.

History of Section.
P.L. 1979, ch. 399, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 249, § 1, effective June 28, 2022; P.L. 2022, ch. 250, § 1, effective June 28, 2022.