New Auto Registration Sticker Requirements to Begin
Governor M. Jodi Rell said motorists should place these new stickers on the inside corner of the windshield rather than on the rear license plate which has previously been the practice in Connecticut.
“The theft of registration stickers has been a particularly challenging law enforcement issue, especially in our cities and this simple, common sense change will go a long way toward resolving this problem,” Rell said.
Because stickers could not be easily removed from license plates, thieves cut off the corner of the plate with the sticker attached and sold them to dishonest car dealers or other individuals.
The Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV, reminds everyone that those using fraudulent registration materials are in violation of the law and will be prosecuted.
“This new windshield sticker, like those used in many other states, will help put a stop to the growing problem of sticker and plate theft around Connecticut, particularly in our cities. It is the long-term solution that helps both the motorists and the police,” Rell said.
All fifty states require motorists to display registration stickers which show a vehicle is properly registered and the expiration date.
According to the DMV, “use of invalid plates deprive the state of fees and may allow individuals to avoid paying municipal property taxes. Although owners whose license plates are stolen or clipped may obtain replacement plates, this can be time consuming and inconvenient for them.”
In July 2005, Rell asked the DMV Commissioner Ralph J. Carpenter to organize representatives of local law enforcement agencies, the state police, and the DMV to find a new and creative solution.
Nearly 26,000 plates have been reported stolen in the state in the last three years, the DMV reports.
“For many years the DMV has wrestled with this issue and it now has a solution to help dramatically reduce these thefts that hinder police work and cause inconveniences for vehicle owners,” Carpenter said.
The new and larger stickers will be phased in over the next two years and motorists will receive them when renewing a registration or buying a vehicle with a new registration.
To prevent theft and fraudulent use, the stickers will partially destruct upon removal.
Starting July 21, DMV mailed windshield stickers with all paid registration stickers.
DMV and licensed car dealers will issue the windshield stickers with new registrations after September 1.
The DMV is advising vehicle owners to remove the old sticker or cover it with a black marker but they are under no obligation to do so.
Vehicle owners who are selling, transferring, or junking a vehicle should remove the windshield sticker from the vehicle and attach the remains of it to the registration certificate and return it to any DMV office.
If the customer fails to return the sticker, the DMV may require a customer to complete a lost plate/sticker form (form E-159).
Those who are transferring plates from one vehicle to another are instructed to keep the current plate and sticker.
Those purchasing a vehicle from a dealer should receive a windshield sticker with new plates.
The DMV has instructed dealers to remove the sticker and issue the purchaser a temporary windshield sticker and a permanent windshield sticker will be mailed by the DMV to the owner within sixty days.
