§ 410. Registration of motorcycles; fees; renewals. 1. Registration by owners. No motorcycles shall be operated or driven upon the public highways of this state without first being registered in accordance with the provisions of this article, except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter.

Every owner of a motorcycle which shall be operated or driven upon the public highways of this state shall, except as otherwise expressly provided, cause to be filed, by mail or otherwise, in the office or a branch office of the commissioner, or with an agent of the commissioner, constituted as provided in this chapter, an application for registration, addressed to the commissioner, and on a blank to be prepared under the direction of and furnished by the commissioner for that purpose, containing: (a) A brief description of the motorcycle to be registered, including the name of the manufacturer and factory number of such vehicle; (b) the name, residence, including county and business address of the owner of such motorcycle.

2. Registration record. Upon the receipt of a sufficient application for registration, as provided in this article, the commissioner or agent receiving it shall register such motorcycle, and maintain a record of the registration of such motorcycle under the distinctive number assigned to such motorcycle, as provided in this section, and the information in such record may be obtained upon payment of the fees specified in section two hundred two of this chapter.

3. Certificate of registration. a. Upon the filing of such application and the payment of the fee hereinafter provided, the commissioner shall assign to such motorcycle a distinctive number and, without expense to the applicant, issue and deliver in such manner as the commissioner may select to the owner a certificate of registration, in such form as the commissioner may prescribe, and a number plate at a place within the state of New York named by the applicant in his application. In the event of the loss, mutilation or destruction of any certificate of registration or number plate, the owner of a registered vehicle may file such statement and proof of the facts as the commissioner shall require, with a fee of three dollars, in the office of the commissioner, or, unless and until the commissioner shall otherwise direct, in the office of the agent who issued the certificate or plate and the commissioner or his agent, as the case may be, shall issue a duplicate or substitute. No application for registration shall be accepted unless the applicant is at least sixteen years of age.

b. Upon the issuance of a certificate of registration, the commissioner shall provide the owner of such vehicle with a notice regarding the laws governing unidentifiable motorcycle parts, in such form and manner as the commissioner may prescribe.

4. Times for registration and reregistration. Registration applied for and certificates issued under any application shall expire on a date determined by the commissioner. Registration shall be renewed periodically in the same manner and upon payment of the same annual fee as provided in this section for registration, to take effect and to expire on dates to be determined by the commissioner. Provided, however, that the commissioner shall have authority to fix the length of time for which any such vehicle which is registered without fee shall be registered. Provided further, however, that renewal of a registration may be used preceding the expiration date of such registration including such expiration date.

5. Registration fees. a. The annual fee for registration or reregistration of a motorcycle shall be eleven dollars and fifty cents. Beginning April first, nineteen hundred ninety-eight the annual fee for registration or reregistration of a motorcycle shall be seventeen dollars and fifty cents.

b. Where a registration is made for a period of more or less than one calendar year, the registration fee shall not be prorated. The provisions hereof with respect to the payment of registration fees shall not apply to motorcycles owned or controlled by the state, a city, county, village or town or any of the departments thereof, or any school district or county extension service association, but in other respects shall be applicable.

6. Fees in lieu of taxes. The registration fees imposed by this article upon such vehicles shall be in lieu of all taxes, general or local, to which motorcycles may be subject.

7. "Motorcycle" as used in this section shall mean a motorcycle as defined by section one hundred twenty-three of this chapter.