49-1418. AUTHORIZING SEIZURE OF VESSELS, MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — PROHIBITING DEFACING, ALTERING OR OBLITERATING NUMBERS — SALES PROHIBITED. (1) Any peace officer or authorized transportation department employee, with or without a warrant, may seize and take possession of any vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, vessel, vessel motor or implement of husbandry, or any part or parts thereof, which the peace officer or authorized employee has probable cause to believe is stolen, or on which any motor number, manufacturer’s number, or identification number has been defaced, altered, removed, covered, destroyed or obliterated. Any peace officer or authorized transportation department employee so seizing a vehicle, vessel, equipment or parts thereof immediately shall notify the department and shall make every reasonable effort to determine ownership of the vehicle, vessel or equipment and to notify the rightful owner that the vehicle has been seized.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, conducting, managing or operating a service station, public garage, paint shop, or other repair shop for vehicles, vessels, or equipment described in subsection (1) of this section, to fail to notify local law enforcement agencies or the department, of any vehicle, vessel, equipment or parts thereof on which any numbers described in subsection (1) of this section, have been defaced, altered, removed, covered, destroyed or obliterated.

(3) Any person who shall deface, alter, remove, cover, destroy or obliterate the motor number, manufacturer’s number, or identification number of any vehicle, vessel, equipment or parts thereof described in subsection (1) of this section, or places or stamps any serial number, engine number, or any other number upon a vehicle, vessel, equipment or parts thereof unless the number is assigned by the department is guilty of a felony and is punishable as provided by section 18-112, Idaho Code.

(4) Any person who knowingly disposes of, sells or offers for sale any vehicle, engine or parts removed from a vehicle, vessel, equipment or parts thereof described in subsection (1) of this section from which the manufacturer’s number, motor number, identification number or any assigned or replacement number issued by the department has been defaced, altered, removed, covered, destroyed or obliterated is guilty of a felony.

History:

[49-1418, added 1988, ch. 265, sec. 354, p. 750; am. 1991, ch. 288, sec. 5, p. 745.]