§ 9-32-6-11 — Interim license plates; violation

(a) The secretary may issue an interim license
plate to the following persons licensed under this article:
(1) An automobile auction company.
(2) A converter manufacturer.
(3) A new motor vehicle dealer.
(4) A watercraft dealer.
(5) A manufacturer.
(6) A used motor vehicle dealer.
(b) The secretary shall prescribe the form of an interim license plate
issued under this section. An interim license plate must bear the
assigned registration number and provide sufficient space for the
expiration date as provided in subsection (c).
(c) A dealer may provide a person with not more than one (1)
interim license plate issued by the secretary at the time the dealer:
(1) sells or leases a motor vehicle to the person; or
(2) allows a person that buys a motor vehicle to take delivery of
the motor vehicle before the sale of the motor vehicle is fully
funded;
whichever occurs first. The dealer shall, in the manner provided by the
secretary, affix on the plate in numerals and letters at least three (3)
inches high the date on which the interim license plate expires.
(d) An interim license plate authorizes a person to operate the motor
vehicle until the earlier of the following dates:
(1) Forty-five (45) days after the date of sale or lease of the motor
vehicle to the person.
(2) The date on which a regular license plate is issued.
A person that violates this subsection commits a Class A infraction.
(e) A motor vehicle that is required by law to display license plates
on the front and rear of the motor vehicle is required to display only a
single interim license plate.
(f) An interim license plate shall be displayed:
(1) in the same manner required in IC 9-18-2-26 (before its
expiration) or IC 9-18.1-4-3; or
(2) in a location on the left side of a window facing the rear of the
motor vehicle that is clearly visible and unobstructed. The plate
must be affixed to the window of the motor vehicle.
(g) The dealer must provide an ownership document to the person
at the time of issuance of the interim license plate that must be kept in
the motor vehicle during the period an interim license plate is used.
(h) All interim license plates not issued by the dealer must be
retained in the possession of the dealer at all times.
(i) The fee for an interim dealer license plate is three dollars ($3).
The fee shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Forty percent (40%) to the crossroads 2000 fund established
by IC 8-14-10-9.
(2) Forty-nine percent (49%) to the dealer compliance account
established by IC 9-32-7-1.
(3) Eleven percent (11%) to the motor vehicle highway account
under IC 8-14-1.
(j) The secretary may issue an interim license plate to a person that
purchases a motor vehicle from a dealer if the dealer has not timely
delivered or transmitted the certificate of title for the motor vehicle
under IC 9-32-4-1.
(k) The secretary may design and issue to a dealer a motor driven
cycle decal to be used in conjunction with an interim license plate upon
the sale of a motor driven cycle.
(l) A new motor vehicle dealer may issue an interim license plate for
use on a new motor vehicle that the new motor vehicle dealer delivers
to a purchaser on behalf of a manufacturer or another new motor
vehicle dealer if:
(1) there is a written courtesy agreement between the new motor
vehicle dealer delivering the motor vehicle and the new motor
vehicle dealer or manufacturer that sold the motor vehicle being
delivered; and
(2) the new motor vehicle is transported directly from the
manufacturer to the new motor vehicle dealer delivering the new
motor vehicle to the purchaser.
A person that violates this subsection commits a Class C infraction.
(m) A person that fails to display an interim license plate as
prescribed in subsection (f)(1) or (f)(2) commits a Class C infraction.

Legislative History

As added by P.L.92-2013, SEC.78. Amended by P.L.217-2014, SEC.166; P.L.188-2015, SEC.129; P.L.174-2016, SEC.62; P.L.198-2016, SEC.626; P.L.27-2018, SEC.20; P.L.137-2018, SEC.8; P.L.120-2020, SEC.51; P.L.20-2022, SEC.6.