Sec. 14-171. Application for certificate. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 14-171. Application for certificate. (a) The application for a certificate of title of a vehicle in this state shall be made by the owner on a form the commissioner prescribes and shall contain: (1) The name, residence and mail address of the owner; (2) a description of the vehicle including, so far as the following data exists, its make, model, identification number, type of body, the number of cylinders and whether new or used; (3) the mileage reading at the time of application; (4) the date of purchase by the applicant, the name and address of the person from whom the vehicle was acquired and the names and addresses of any lienholders in the order of their priority and the dates of their security agreements and, if a new vehicle, the application shall be accompanied by a manufacturer's or importer's certificate of origin; and (5) any further information the commissioner reasonably requires to identify the vehicle and to enable the commissioner to determine whether the owner is entitled to a certificate of title and the existence or nonexistence of security interests in the vehicle. Such application shall be accompanied by the most recent Connecticut certificate of title for such vehicle, if any, unless the owner submits a statement on a form prescribed by the commissioner, that the title is lost or destroyed or, despite reasonable efforts cannot be located or obtained from the person or firm last known to have possession of such certificate or title.

      (b) If the application refers to a vehicle purchased from a dealer, it shall contain the name and address of any lienholder holding a security interest created or reserved at the time of the sale and the date of such security agreement and be signed by the dealer as well as the owner, and the dealer shall promptly mail or deliver the application to the commissioner.

      (c) If the application refers to a vehicle last previously registered in another state or country, or by an Indian tribe recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, the application shall contain or be accompanied by: (1) Any certificate of title issued by such other state, country or Indian tribe; (2) any other information and documents the commissioner reasonably requires to establish the ownership of the vehicle and the existence or nonexistence of security interests in it; and (3) evidence that the manufacturer's identification number of the vehicle was verified, by a means acceptable to the commissioner, or inspected by a licensed dealer in accordance with subsection (d) of section 14-99h.

      (1957, P.A. 607, S. 7; 1967, P.A. 92; P.A. 86-114, S. 3; P.A. 00-169, S. 16; P.A. 02-70, S. 53; P.A. 04-199, S. 3, 38; P.A. 08-150, S. 14.)

      History: 1967 act made provisions of Subsec. (a) applicable to any certificate of title rather than the first and required that application be accompanied by most recent Connecticut certificate of title; P.A. 86-114 added requirement that mileage reading be shown on application; P.A. 00-169 amended Subsec. (a) to allow an owner to submit a statement that the title is lost, destroyed or, despite best efforts, cannot be located or obtained, in lieu of the title, amended Subsec. (c) by replacing the provision requiring a certificate that the identification number of the vehicle has been inspected and found to conform to the description given in the application or any other proof of identity of the vehicle the commissioner reasonably requires with a provision requiring evidence that such number was inspected at the time of registration, or by a licensed dealer in accordance with Sec. 14-99h(c) and made technical changes for the purpose of gender neutrality; P.A. 02-70 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 04-199 amended Subsec. (c) to replace requirement that application for certificate of title for vehicle previously registered in another state or country contain evidence that manufacturer's identification number had been inspected at time of registration with requirement that such number be verified by means acceptable to commissioner and to change reference to Sec. 14-99h(c) to Sec. 14-99h(d), effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (c) to include vehicle previously registered "by an Indian tribe recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs" and add reference to "Indian tribe".

      Failure of dealer to insert information concerning the lien of an installment contract when he filled out application for a purchaser, made him liable for the loss suffered by bank to whom the dealer assigned the contract when the buyer defrauded the bank lienor. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 491.