§ 31-2.1-1. Motor vehicle theft prevention program — Informed consent statement of owner — Issuance
of vehicle decals — Authority to request production of valid driver's license and
registration.
The administrator of the division of motor vehicles, department of administration,
in consultation with the superintendent of state police, shall establish a motor vehicle
theft prevention program which shall include the issuance of official decals to identify
motor vehicles that are not normally operated between the hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00
A.M. Participation in the program shall be voluntary in nature and shall involve the
following:
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§ 31-2.1-1. Motor vehicle theft prevention program — Informed consent statement of owner — Issuance
of vehicle decals — Authority to request production of valid driver's license and
registration.
The administrator of the division of motor vehicles, department of administration,
in consultation with the superintendent of state police, shall establish a motor vehicle
theft prevention program which shall include the issuance of official decals to identify
motor vehicles that are not normally operated between the hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00
A.M. Participation in the program shall be voluntary in nature and shall involve the
following:
(a) In the presence of a duly authorized police officer in any municipality participating
in the program, the registered owner of a motor vehicle shall sign an informed consent
statement indicating that the motor vehicle registered to the owner is not normally
operated between the hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00 A.M. The form of an informed consent
statement shall be promulgated by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles.
(b)(i) Upon signing an informed consent statement, the registered owner shall be issued a
decal approved by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles and the decal
shall be affixed to the owner's vehicle in a conspicuous place as prescribed by the
administrator. The decal shall be issued and affixed by the police officer in the
municipality participating in the program.
(ii) The police officer issuing the decal shall make a record of the decal number issued
to each registered owner. These records shall be maintained by the police department
of any city or town participating in the program and shall be available to the administrator
of the division of motor vehicles, to the superintendent of state police, and to local
law enforcement agencies.
(c) Informed consent statement forms shall be available at all division of motor vehicles
offices, state police headquarters, and city and town police departments.
(d) Whenever any police officer sees a motor vehicle displaying a decal issued pursuant
to the provisions of this section operated on any public highway in the state between
the hours of 1:00 A.M. and 5:00 A.M., the officer is authorized to request the driver
to produce a valid driver's license and motor vehicle registration. Whenever the operator
of the motor vehicle during such hours is unable to produce a driver's license and
registration, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the person operating the
vehicle is not the registered owner and does not have the authorization of the owner
to operate the vehicle.