IC 9-17-2-1: Vehicles requiring certificates of title; proof of residency; violation

Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided in IC 9-17-1-1 and subsection (b), a person must obtain a certificate of title under this article for all vehicles that are:

(1) owned by the person; and

(2) either:

(A) titled under this article by application of IC 9-17-1-0.5 or IC 9-17-1-1(c); or

(B) registered under IC 9-18 (before its expiration) or IC 9-18.1.

(b) A nonresident that owns a vehicle may declare Indiana as the nonresident's base without obtaining a certificate of title for the vehicle if:

(1) the nonresident's state of residence is not a member of the International Registration Plan; and

(2) the nonresident presents to the bureau satisfactory proof of ownership of the vehicle from the originating state.

(c) A person that obtains a certificate of title for a type of vehicle that must be registered under IC 9-18 (before its expiration) or IC 9-18.1 shall register the vehicle in Indiana under IC 9-18 (before its expiration) or IC 9-18.1.

(d) A person must obtain a certificate of title for all vehicles owned by the person not later than sixty (60) days after becoming an Indiana resident. Upon request by the bureau, a person must produce evidence concerning the date on which the person became an Indiana resident.

(e) Except as provided in subsection (b), an individual who operates a vehicle without a certificate of title commits a Class C infraction.