New Jersey § 39:3-4

§ 39:3-4.

Except as hereinafter provided, every resident of this State and every nonresident

whose automobile or motorcycle shall be driven in this State shall, before using the

vehicle on the public highways, register the same, and an automobile or motorcycle

shall not be driven unless so registered. Registration shall be made in the following manner: An application in writing, signed

by the applicant or by an agent or officer, in case the applicant is a corporation,

shall be made to the chief administrator or the chief administrator's agent, on forms

prepared and supplied by the chief administrator, containing the name, street address

of the residence or the business of the owner, mailing address, if different from

the street address of the owner's residence or business, and age of the owner, together

with a description of the character of the automobile or motorcycle, including the

name of the maker and the vehicle identification number, or the manufacturer's number

or the number assigned by the chief administrator if the vehicle does not have a vehicle

identification number, and any other statement that may be required by the chief administrator. A post office box shall appear on the application only as part of a mailing address

that is submitted by the owner, agent or officer, as the case may be, in addition

to the street address of the applicant's residence or business; provided, however,

the chief administrator, upon application, shall permit a person who was a victim

of a violation of section 1 of P.L.1992, c. 209 ( C.2C:12-10 ), N.J.S.2C:14-2 , or P.L.1991, c. 261 ( C.2C:25-17 et seq. ), or who the chief administrator otherwise determines to have good cause, to use

as a mailing address a post office box, an address other than the applicant's address

or other contact point. An owner whose last address appears on the records of the commission as a post office

box shall change the owner's address on the owner's application for renewal to the

street address of the owner's residence or business and, if different from the owner's

street address, the owner's mailing address unless the chief administrator has determined,

pursuant to this section, that the owner may use a post office box, an address other

than the owner's address or other contact point as a mailing address. The application shall contain the name of the insurer of the vehicle and the policy

number. If the vehicle is a leased motor vehicle, the application shall make note of that

fact and shall include along with the name and street address of the lessor the name,

street address, and driver license number of the lessee. Thereupon the chief administrator shall have the power to grant a registration certificate

to the owner of any motor vehicle, if over 17 years of age, application for the registration

having been properly made and the fee therefor paid, and the vehicle being of a type

that complies with the requirements of this Title. The form and contents of the registration certificate to be issued shall be determined

by the chief administrator. If the vehicle is a leased motor vehicle, the registration certificate shall, in addition

to containing the name and street address of the lessor, identify the vehicle as a

leased motor vehicle. The chief administrator may send the registration certificate directly to the lessee. The chief administrator shall maintain a record of all registration certificates issued,

and of the contents thereof. Every registration shall expire and the registration certificate thereof become void

on the registrant's numerical calendar day of birth in the 12th calendar month following

the calendar month in which the certificate was issued; except that the registration

shall expire on the last day of the 12th calendar month following the calendar month

in which the certificate was issued if the numerical calendar day of the registrant's

birth does not correspond to a numerical calendar day in that month or if the vehicle

is a leased motor vehicle. The chief administrator may, at the chief administrator's discretion, require registrations

which shall expire, and issue certificates thereof which shall become void, on a date

fixed by him, which date shall not be sooner than three months nor later than 26 months

after the date of issuance of the certificates, and the fees for the registrations,

including any other fees or charges collected in connection with the registration

fee, shall be fixed by the chief administrator in amounts proportionately less or

greater than the fees established by law. The chief administrator may fix the expiration date for registration certificates

at a date other than 12 months if the chief administrator determines that the change

is necessary, appropriate or convenient in order to aid in implementing the vehicle

inspection requirements of chapter 8 of Title 39 or for other good cause. The chief administrator may, for good cause extend a registration beyond the expiration

date that appears upon the registration certificate for periods not to exceed 12 additional

months. The chief administrator may extend the expiration date of a registration without

payment of a proportionate fee when the chief administrator determines that the extension

is necessary for good cause. If any registration is so extended, the owner shall pay upon renewal the full registration

fee for the period fixed by the chief administrator as if no extension had been granted. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, every registration for

new passenger automobiles shall expire and the registration certificate shall become

void on the registrant's numerical calendar day of birth in the 48th calendar month

following the calendar month in which the certificate was initially issued; except

that the registration shall expire on the last day of the 48th calendar month following

the calendar month in which the certificate was initially issued if the numerical

calendar day of the registrant's birth does not correspond to a numerical calendar

day in that month. On and after February 1, 2005, the provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to

new passenger automobiles purchased by a rental company for use as rental passenger

automobiles. As used in this paragraph, “ rental company ” means a person engaged in the business of renting motor vehicles; and “ rental passenger automobile ” means a passenger automobile that is rented without a driver and used in the transportation

of persons or property other than commercial freight. If the new passenger automobile being registered is a leased passenger automobile,

the registration shall expire in accordance with the term of the lease. If the term of the lease extends beyond one or more 12-month periods by one or more

months, the registration period shall be based upon the full year into which one or

more of the months extend; provided, however, the registration period for a leased

automobile shall not exceed 48 months. Following the 48-month period of the initial registration of a new passenger automobile,

the subsequent registration shall expire, and the registration certificate shall become

void, on the registrant's numerical calendar day of birth in the 12th calendar month

following the calendar month in which the certificate was next issued; except that

the registration shall expire on the last day of the 12th calendar month following

the calendar month in which the certificate was next issued if the numerical calendar

day of the registrant's birth does not correspond to a numerical calendar day in that

month. All motorcycles for which registrations have been issued prior to the effective date

of P.L.1989, c. 167 and which are scheduled to expire between November 1 and March 31 shall, upon renewal,

be issued registrations by the chief administrator which shall expire on a date fixed

by him, but in no case shall that expiration date be earlier than April 30 nor later

than October 31. The fees for the renewal of the motorcycle registrations authorized under this paragraph

shall be fixed by the chief administrator in an amount proportionately less or greater

than the fee established by R.S.39:3-21 . Application forms for all renewals of registrations for passenger automobiles shall

be sent to the last addresses of owners of motor vehicles and motorcycles, as they

appear on the records of the commission , except that the application form for a renewal of registration for a leased passenger

automobile shall be sent to the last address of the lessee of the motor vehicle as

it appears on the records of the commission . A person owning or having control over any unregistered vehicle shall not permit the

same to be parked or to stand on a public highway. Any police officer is authorized to remove any unregistered vehicle from the public

highway to a storage space or garage, and the expense involved in the removal and

storing of the vehicle shall be borne by the owner of the vehicle, except that the

expense shall be borne by the lessee of a leased vehicle. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not

exceeding $100, except that for the misstatement of any fact in the application required

to be made to the chief administrator, the person making the statement or omitting

the statement that the motor vehicle is to be used as a leased motor vehicle when

that is the case shall be subject to the penalties provided in R.S.39:3-37 . The chief administrator may extend the expiration date of a registration certificate

without payment of a proportionate fee when the chief administrator determines that

the extension is necessary, appropriate or convenient to the implementation of vehicle

inspection requirements. If any registration certificate is so extended, the owner shall pay upon renewal

the full registration fee for the period fixed by the chief administrator as if no

extension had been granted. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall make a reasonable effort to notify any

lessor whose name and address is on file with the commission, or any other lessor

the commission may determine it is necessary to notify, of the requirements of this

amendatory act. A lessor doing business in this State shall notify in writing the lessee of a motor

vehicle registered pursuant to this Title of any change in its policies or procedures

affecting the registration of the motor vehicle.