(a) Any motor vehicle eligible for commercial registration as defined in section
14-1, unless exempted under the provisions of section
14-34, shall be registered in this state if: (1) It is most frequently garaged in this state, or, if not garaged at any fixed location, most frequently leaves from and returns to one or more points within this state in the normal course of operations. In the case of an owner-operator of the vehicle in question, registration hereunder shall be required only if the owner-operator has, within this state, one or more employees, agents or representatives engaged in activities directly related to the physical movement of the vehicle, or if the owner-operator is himself engaged in such activities; or (2) it receives and discharges the same cargo or passengers within this state; provided, for the purposes of this section, the transfer of items of cargo or passengers from one vehicle engaged in an interstate journey to another vehicle engaged in an interstate journey shall not be considered receipt and discharge within this state if the cargo or passengers involved are being transported on a through bill or ticket.
(b) (1) For the purposes of this section, a declaration of the person registering a motor vehicle, made in such form as the Department of Motor Vehicles may prescribe, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts relevant to the application of subsection (a) of this section. (2) Consistent with the provisions of this section, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall have power to enter into agreements with the appropriate authorities of other states pursuant to which uncertainties as to the proper state of registration for motor vehicles may be determined and allocations of vehicles for purposes of registration made.
(c) Residence or domicile of the owner, lessor or lessee of the motor vehicle, or the place where the owner, lessor or lessee is incorporated or organized, shall not be a factor in determining the necessity for registration of the vehicle in this state.
(d) A vehicle registered in this state pursuant to this section shall be registered in the name of the owner; provided, if the vehicle is being operated, or is to be operated, pursuant to a lease or other arrangement by a person other than the owner or his employees, the name of the owner shall appear on the registration followed by the term “lessor”. A copy of any current lease pursuant to which the vehicle is being operated shall be carried in the vehicle at all times. The absence of a current lease in the vehicle shall be considered prima facie evidence that the vehicle is being operated by the owner.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the registration of any motor vehicle in this state, if such vehicle is eligible for registration pursuant to any law of this state, and the person registering the vehicle desires such registration.
(f) A person failing to register a motor vehicle in accordance with this section shall be fined not less than one hundred fifty dollars nor more than three hundred dollars.
(1967, P.A. 684, S. 1–5; 1971, P.A. 612, S. 1; P.A. 75-577, S. 12, 126; P.A. 90-263, S. 2, 74; P.A. 98-33, S. 2; P.A. 10-32, S. 47.)
History: 1971 act substituted “commercial” for “self-propelled” motor vehicle in requirement for registration in Subsec. (a) and deleted references to repealed Secs. 14-30 and 14-32; P.A. 75-577 added Subsec. (f); P.A. 90-263 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute motor vehicle eligible for commercial registration for commercial motor vehicle, other than a private passenger vehicle; (Revisor's note: In 1997 references throughout the general statutes to “Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner” and “Motor Vehicle(s) Department” were replaced editorially by the Revisors with “Commissioner of Motor Vehicles” or “Department of Motor Vehicles”, as the case may be, for consistency with customary statutory usage); P.A. 98-33 amended Subsec. (f) by replacing the penalty of an infraction with a penalty of a fine not less than $150 nor more than $300; P.A. 10-32 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(1), effective May 10, 2010.
Registration of commercial vehicles governed by this statute, not Sec. 14-12(a). 177 C. 588. Cited. 200 C. 102.
Cited. 20 CA 336. Enforcement not prohibited by federal law. 69 CA 482.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
13
cases, 1979–2019 · leading case:
State v. Van Eck, 795 A.2d 582 (Conn. App. Ct. 2002).
State v. Van Eck, 795 A.2d 582 (Conn. App. Ct. 2002).
· cites it 30× “General Statutes § 14-12a provides in relevant part: “(a) Any motor vehicle eligible for commercial registration as defined in section 14-1, unless exempted under the provisions of section 14-34, shall be registered in this state if: (1) It is most frequently garaged in this…”
Budkofsky v. Comm'r of Motor Vehs., 419 A.2d 333 (Conn. 1979).
· cites it 11× “” Although the plaintiff agrees that his residency in this state would otherwise subject him to the registration require *591 ment set forth in § 14-12 (a), he contends that where, as here, a commercial motor vehicle is involved, the specific provisions of § 14-12a are…”
Ventura v. Town of E. Haven, 199 A.3d 1 (Conn. 2019).
· cites it 2× “Trnka was, therefore, further charged with misuse of plates in violation of General Statutes § 14-147, operating an unregistered motor vehicle in violation of General Statutes § 14-12a, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance in violation of General Statutes § 14-213b.”
Gagne v. DeMarco, 281 F. Supp. 2d 390 (D. Conn. 2003).
· cites it 11× “(c) Residence or domicile of the owner, lessor or lessee of the motor vehicle, or the place where the owner, lessor or lessee is incorporated or organized, shall not be a factor in determining the necessity for registration of the vehicle in this state.”
Ventura v. Town of E. Haven, 154 A.3d 1020 (Conn. App. Ct. 2017).
· cites it 2× “Trnka was, therefore, further charged with misuse of plates in violation of General Statutes § 14-147, operating an unregistered motor vehicle in violation of General Statutes § 14-12a, and operating a motor vehicle without insurance in violation of General Statutes § 14-213b.”
State v. Descoteaux, 509 A.2d 1035 (Conn. 1986).
· cites it 2× “On September 29,1984, the defendant, Dorothy Descoteaux, was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor in violation of General Statutes § 14-227a, improper use of number plates in violation of General Statutes § 14-147…”
East v. Labbe, 735 A.2d 371 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1998).
· cites it 2× “General Statutes § 14-12a. The golf cart exception of § 14-1 (47) is even more limited than is the use of such other vehicles, as carts may only use the highway for the limited purpose of traveling from one side of the highway to the other, whereas other such “non-motor…”
State v. Wheeler, 435 A.2d 372 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1981).
· cites it 2× “General Statutes § 14-12a (Rev. to 1979) pertains to the registration of certain commercial motor vehicles in this state.”
State v. Ayala, 106 A.3d 941 (Conn. App. Ct. 2015).
· cites it 6× “On direct examination, Valentukonis testified regarding the registration of the vehicle.”
State v. Wildes, 566 A.2d 1371 (Conn. App. Ct. 1989).
· cites it 4× “Gerovitz then informed the defendant that he was under arrest for operating an unregistered motor vehicle in violation of General Statutes § 14-12a, an infraction, and for misuse of registration plates in violation of General Statutes § 14-147 (c), a misdemeanor.”
State v. David P., 50 Conn. Supp. 383 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2006).
· cites it 2× “The charges include operation of a motor vehicle with intent to harass or intimidate in violation of General Statutes § 14-240a, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license in violation of General Statutes § 14-215, operating an unregistered motor vehicle in violation of…”
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-12a(a): 1 case
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