N.Y. Vehicle & Traffic Law § 416: Limited use of dealer's, manufacturer's, and transporter's number plates by vendee or lessee

§ 416. Limited use of dealer's, manufacturer's, and transporter's

number plates by vendee or lessee. Upon the sale or lease of a motor

vehicle or motorcycle the vendee or lessee shall be allowed to operate

the same upon the public highways for the period of five days after

taking possession thereof, without carrying number plates issued upon a

registration under section four hundred one, if a motor vehicle, or

under section four hundred ten, if a motorcycle, provided the motor

vehicle or motorcycle shall have attached thereto and displayed thereon,

in the manner therein provided, a set of dealer's, manufacturer's, or

transporter's number plates issued to the vendor or lessor under section

four hundred fifteen, and if a proper application for registration and

number plates for such vehicle, under the provisions of section four

hundred one or four hundred ten of this title, as the case may be, shall

have been mailed or presented to the commissioner, or agent, accompanied

with the payment of the required fee within twenty-four hours after he

or she has taken possession thereof. If the motor vehicle or motorcycle

is to be registered in a jurisdiction other than the state of New York,

the requirement for filing or presenting such application shall not

apply.

No person shall operate or drive upon the public highways any motor

vehicle or motorcycle on which is fastened or displayed any such

dealer's, manufacturer's, or transporter's number plates after a sale or

lease of such vehicle by the dealer or lessor, except in compliance with

the foregoing provisions.

A vendee or lessee to whom number plates are delivered or by whom they

are held under the provisions of this section shall return the same, and

the accompanying registration certificate, to the dealer or lessor

before the expiration of six days after he or she took possession of the

motor vehicle or motorcycle purchased or leased. If number plates so

delivered or held, or such certificate, are not returned within the time

above limited, the dealer or lessor shall immediately notify the

commissioner of that fact by mail, describing the plates according to

the general and distinctive numbers and characters thereon.

The provisions of this section shall apply also to the sale or lease

of a trailer and to the use by the vendee or lessee of dealer's,

manufacturer's, or transporter's number plates on the trailer sold or

leased, and for the purpose of applying such provisions a trailer shall

be deemed to be a motor vehicle.