Connecticut General Statutes/Title 14/Chapter 246/Section 14-103a

CGS § 14-103a. Inspection of altered, composite, grey-market and salvage vehicles and vehicles made by unlicensed manufacturers.

(a) For the purposes of this section:

(1) “Altered vehicle” means a motor vehicle that has been materially modified from its original construction by the removal, addition or substitution of essential parts, new or used;

(2) “Composite vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is (A) composed or assembled from several parts of other motor vehicles, (B) assembled from a motor vehicle kit, or (C) has been altered, assembled or modified from the original manufacturer's specifications;

(3) “Grey-market vehicle” means a motor vehicle that is manufactured for use outside of, and imported into, the United States and is not certified to meet motor vehicle safety standards promulgated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or emission standards promulgated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency at the time the motor vehicle was manufactured;

(4) “Major component part” has the same meaning as provided in subsection (a) of section 14-149a; and

(5) “Salvage vehicle” means a motor vehicle that has been declared a total loss by any insurance carrier and subsequently reconstructed.

(b) Any motor vehicle that the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles deems to be an altered vehicle, composite vehicle, grey-market vehicle or salvage vehicle shall be inspected by the commissioner to determine whether the vehicle is properly equipped and in good mechanical condition. The model year designation for the purpose of registration of a composite motor vehicle inspected in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be the model year that the body of such composite motor vehicle most closely resembles. Any altered vehicle, composite vehicle or grey-market vehicle shall be presented for inspection at a location of the Department of Motor Vehicles designated by the commissioner. Any salvage vehicle shall be presented for inspection at any motor vehicle dealer or repairer who is licensed in accordance with section 14-52 and authorized by the commissioner to perform such inspection. The commissioner may require the inspection of any other motor vehicle that has not been manufactured by a person, firm or corporation licensed in accordance with the provisions of section 14-67a.

(c) The commissioner may require any person presenting any altered vehicle, composite vehicle, grey-market vehicle or salvage vehicle for inspection to provide proof of lawful purchase of any major component part that was not part of the vehicle when first sold by the manufacturer.

(d) The fee for any inspection required by the provisions of this section shall be eighty-eight dollars. The inspection fee shall be in addition to regular registration fees.

Short History

(February, 1965, P.A. 448, S. 4; 1971, P.A. 527; P.A. 80-292, S. 3; P.A. 84-254, S. 48, 62; P.A. 85-613, S. 30, 154; P.A. 91-355, S. 3; P.A. 94-189, S. 10; P.A. 02-70, S. 57; P.A. 07-167, S. 10, 43; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5, S. 31; P.A. 09-187, S. 31; P.A. 24-20, S. 10.)

Long History

History: 1971 act replaced provision for fees equaling those for inspection of vehicles purchased outside state pursuant to Sec. 14-12 with provision for $25 fee; P.A. 80-292 included reference to vehicles rebuilt after declared total loss by insurer, required inspection to determine whether vehicle is in possession of lawful owner and allowed commissioner to require proof of purchase for major component parts not originally part of vehicle; P.A. 84-254 periodically increased the inspection fee, from $25 to $88 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 85-613 made technical change; P.A. 91-355 required such vehicle to be presented for inspection at any state motor vehicle department office or any authorized official emissions inspection station and required inspection fees collected at such inspection stations to be deposited in separate safety inspection account within emissions inspection fund; P.A. 94-189 amended the section by deleting obsolete language re inspection fee increases and changing the reference to “subsection” in the last sentence to “section”; (Revisor's note: In 1997 references throughout the general statutes to “Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner” and “Motor Vehicle(s) Department” were replaced editorially by the Revisors with “Commissioner of Motor Vehicles” or “Department of Motor Vehicles”, as the case may be, for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 02-70 made a technical change, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 07-167 deleted provisions re inspection at official emissions inspection station and re deposit of fees collected at such station in separate safety inspection account, effective July 1, 2007, and added references to reconstructed vehicles, deleted references to rebuilt vehicles and defined “reconstructed”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-5 made technical changes; P.A. 09-187 added provision re model year designation for registration of composite motor vehicle shall be model year that body of vehicle most closely resembles, and authorized commissioner to require inspection of any other motor vehicle manufactured by person, firm or corporation without a manufacturer's license issued under Sec. 14-67a; P.A. 24-20 added Subsec. (a) re definitions, designated existing provision re inspections as Subsec. (b) and amended same to add provision re salvage vehicle to be presented for inspection at authorized dealer or repairer, designated existing provision re proof of lawful purchase of major component part as Subsec. (c), designated existing provision re inspection fee as Subsec. (d) and amended same to delete definition of “reconstructed” and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2024.