AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES (Allows any city, town, state and/or agency of a municipality or the state to report unpaid fines of two hundred dollars ($200) or more to the division of motor vehicles as grounds for refusal of registration.)

S3165

2026 -- S 3165
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LC004858
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

Introduced By:
Senators Ciccone, Britto, Burke, Thompson, Felag, and DiPalma

Date Introduced:
March 27, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 31-3-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration of
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Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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31-3-5. Grounds for refusal of registration.
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The division of motor vehicles shall refuse registration or any transfer of registration upon
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any of the following grounds:
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(1) That the application contains any false or fraudulent statement, or that the applicant has
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failed to furnish required information, or reasonable additional information requested by the
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division of motor vehicles, or that the applicant is not entitled to the issuance of registration of the
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vehicle under chapters 3 — 9 of this title;
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(2) That the vehicle is mechanically unfit or unsafe to be operated upon the highways;
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(3) That the division of motor vehicles has reasonable ground to believe that the vehicle is
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a stolen or embezzled vehicle, or that the granting of registration would constitute a fraud against
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the rightful owner;
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(4) That the registration of the vehicle stands suspended or revoked for any reason as
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provided in the motor vehicle laws of this state;
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(5) That the vehicle has been reported by any
city or town

city, town, state and/or agency
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of a municipality or state
to the division of motor vehicles as having unpaid fines in the aggregate
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amount of two hundred dollars ($200) or more, including any and all interest, penalties, or other
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monetary amount that may be imposed for failure to pay the fines by a specified date; provided, the

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registration shall be issued upon presentation of proof of payment of the outstanding fines,
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including any and all interest, penalties, or other monetary amount owed to the cities or towns
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reporting the unpaid fines. When the division of motor vehicles denies a registration to any person
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pursuant to this subsection, the city
,

or
town
or state agency
requesting the denial of registration
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shall add a five-dollar ($5.00) fee to the aggregate value of the sum of the fines and, upon payment,
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shall transmit the fee to the division of motor vehicles. The provisions of this subsection shall not
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apply to any vehicle owned by a rental company, as defined in § 31-34.1-1;
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(6) That the vehicle does not comply with regulations promulgated pursuant to § 23-23-
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5(18);
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(7) That the vehicle does not comply with the provisions of chapter 47.1 of this title and
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any rules and regulations promulgated under that chapter;
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(8) That a commercial motor vehicle is being operated by a commercial motor carrier that
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has been prohibited from operating in interstate commerce by a federal agency with authority to do
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so under federal law;
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(9) That the registered owner of a vehicle failed to pay the required toll amounts,
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administrative fees, and fines as prescribed in § 24-12-37; or
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(10) That the vehicle is a “Kei car” or “Kei truck”. Provided, however, that the registrant
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of any “Kei car” or “Kei truck” which was validly registered prior to June 1, 2024, shall not be
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denied renewal of that registration based solely on the vehicle type; and further, provided that, any
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such registrations shall not be permitted to be transferred. Every person lawfully operating a “Kei
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car” or “Kei truck” shall have the right to use the public highways in the state including any state
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highway, through highway, limited-access highway or public highway or roadway with a posted
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speed limit of thirty-five miles per hour (35 m.p.h.) or less. Nothing in this subsection, however,
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shall be construed to prohibit a “Kei car” or “Kei truck” from crossing a public highway at an
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intersection where the public highway to be crossed has a posted speed limit between thirty-five
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miles per hour (35 m.p.h.) and forty-five miles per hour (45 m.p.h.); provided the public highway
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the “Kei car” or “Kei truck” is traveling on and the public highway the “Kei car” or “Kei truck” is
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crossing the intersection toward both have a speed limit no higher than thirty-five miles per hour
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(35 m.p.h.) and the intersection is controlled by traffic signals or stop signs.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
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This act would allow any city, town, state and/or agency of a municipality or the state to
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report unpaid fines of two hundred dollars ($200) or more to the division of motor vehicles as
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grounds for refusal of registration.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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