(a) Suspension.--The department shall suspend the registration of a motor carrier vehicle for three months if it determines that at the time the registration was renewed by the department the vehicle did not have a currently valid certificate of inspection.

(b) Documentation.--In any proceeding under this section, documents obtained by the department from an official inspection station shall be admissible into evidence to support the department's case. In addition, reports received by the department from police officers, qualified Commonwealth employees or department designees shall be admissible into evidence to support the department's case. In addition, the department may treat the documents and reports as documents of the department and use any of the methods of storage permitted under the provisions of 42 Pa.C.S. § 6109 (relating to photographic copies of business and public records) and may reproduce such documents in accordance with the provisions of 42 Pa.C.S. § 6103 (relating to proof of official records). The department may certify that it has received or obtained documents and reports from inspection stations, police officers, qualified Commonwealth employees and department designees and that certification shall be prima facie proof of the facts contained in the documents and reports.

(c) Presumption.--False, illegible or incomplete information on a renewal application shall create a presumption that the vehicle did not have a currently valid certificate of inspection at the time of renewal.

(d) Restoration.--Whenever the department suspends the registration of a vehicle under this section, the department shall not restore the registration until the registration card and registration plate have been surrendered for three months, the vehicle owner pays a $50 restoration fee and the vehicle owner furnishes proof, satisfactory to the department, that the vehicle is covered by financial responsibility and has a currently valid certificate of inspection.

(Dec. 23, 2002, P.L.1982, No.229, eff. 6 months)

2002 Amendment. Act 229 added section 1378.