§ 55-5-202 — Part definitions

As used in this part: (1) "Chop shop" means any building, lot, or other premises where one (1) or more persons knew, or should have known, that they were engaged in altering, destroying, disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or storing any motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part that was obtained by theft, or any other unlawful means to either: (A) Alter, counterfeit, deface, destroy, disguise, falsify, forge, obliterate or remove the identity, including the vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part, or to prevent the identification of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part; or (B) Sell or dispose of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part; (2) "Motor vehicle" includes every device in, upon, or by which any person or property may be transported or drawn upon a highway, that is self-propelled or which may be connected to and towed by a self-propelled device, and shall also include any and all devices which are self-propelled but are not designed for use upon a highway, including, but not limited to, farm machinery, construction equipment, and water craft; (3) "Motor vehicle component part" includes any and all parts installed upon the "motor vehicle," including, but not limited to, engines, transmissions, vehicle bodies, chassis, doors, deck lids, front end clips (fenders and grill), seats, differentials, tires, wheels, steering wheels, air bags, automobile radios, automobile tape players, and bumpers; (4) "Person" includes a natural person, company, corporation, unincorporated association, partnership, professional corporation, and any other legal entity; (5) "Tool, implement, instrumentality" means any tool or device, either electrical, mechanical or electronic that can be and is being used to: (A) Alter, destroy, disassemble, dismantle, or reassemble any stolen motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part, including, but not limited to, hand tools, power tools, wrenches, air guns, and tool boxes; (B) Alter, counterfeit, deface, destroy, disguise, falsify, forge, obliterate, or remove the vehicle identification number on any motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part, to include, but not be limited to, grinders, die stamps, rivet guns, rivets, drills, torches, and welders; or (C) Sell, dispose, or transport a stolen motor vehicle or stolen motor vehicle component part, including, but not limited to, passenger vehicles, towing vehicles (wreckers or rollbacks), shipping containers, cellular telephones and pagers; (6) "Unidentifiable" means that the uniqueness of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part cannot be established by either expert law enforcement investigative personnel specially trained and experienced in motor vehicle theft investigation procedures and motor vehicle theft examination techniques, or by expert employees of not-for-profit motor vehicle theft prevention agencies, specially trained and experienced in motor vehicle theft investigation procedures and motor vehicle theft examination techniques; and (7) "Vehicle identification number" means: (A) A number or numbers, a letter or set of letters, a character or set of characters, a derivative or derivatives, or a combination thereof, used by the manufacturer for the purpose of uniquely identifying a motor vehicle or motor vehicle component part; or (B) Any number, set of numbers, a letter or set of letters, a character or set of characters, a derivative or derivatives, or a combination thereof assigned by the department of revenue in the normal course of its duties in salvage conversion or restoration.

Legislative History

Acts 2000, ch. 941, § 1; 2007, ch. 484, § 73.