Fla. Stat. § 317.0017 — Florida Code / Title XXIII / Chapter 317 / Section 317.0017
317.0017 Offenses involving vehicle identification numbers, applications, certificates, papers; penalty.
Status: in_force

(1) A person may not: (a) Alter or forge any certificate of title to an off-highway vehicle or any assignment thereof or any cancellation of any lien on an off-highway vehicle. (b) Retain or use such certificate, assignment, or cancellation knowing that it has been altered or forged. (c) Procure or attempt to procure a certificate of title to an off-highway vehicle, or pass or attempt to pass a certificate of title or any assignment thereof to an off-highway vehicle, knowing or having reason to believe that the off-highway vehicle has been stolen. (d) Possess, sell or offer for sale, conceal, or dispose of in this state an off-highway vehicle, or major component part thereof, on which any motor number or vehicle identification number affixed by the manufacturer or by a state agency has been destroyed, removed, covered, altered, or defaced, with knowledge of such destruction, removal, covering, alteration, or defacement, except as provided in s. 319.30(4). (e) Use a false or fictitious name, give a false or fictitious address, or make any false statement in any application or affidavit required under this chapter or in a bill of sale or sworn statement of ownership or otherwise commit a fraud in any application.

(2) A person may not knowingly obtain goods, services, credit, or money by means of an invalid, duplicate, fictitious, forged, counterfeit, stolen, or unlawfully obtained certificate of title, registration, bill of sale, or other indicia of ownership of an off-highway vehicle.

(3) A person may not knowingly obtain goods, services, credit, or money by means of a certificate of title to an off-highway vehicle, which certificate is required by law to be surrendered to the department.

(4) A person may not knowingly and with intent to defraud have in his or her possession, sell, offer to sell, counterfeit, or supply a blank, forged, fictitious, counterfeit, stolen, or fraudulently or unlawfully obtained certificate of title, bill of sale, or other indicia of ownership of an off-highway vehicle or conspire to do any of the foregoing.

(5) A person, firm, or corporation may not knowingly possess, manufacture, sell or exchange, offer to sell or exchange, supply in blank, or give away any counterfeit manufacturer’s or state-assigned identification number plates or serial plates or any decal used for the purpose of identifying an off-highway vehicle. An officer, agent, or employee of any person, firm, or corporation, or any person may not authorize, direct, aid in exchange, or give away, or conspire to authorize, direct, aid in exchange, or give away, such counterfeit manufacturer’s or state-assigned identification number plates or serial plates or any decal. However, this subsection does not apply to any approved replacement manufacturer’s or state-assigned identification number plates or serial plates or any decal issued by the department or any state.

(6) A person who violates any provision of this section commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Any off-highway vehicle used in violation of this section constitutes contraband that may be seized by a law enforcement agency and that is subject to forfeiture proceedings pursuant to ss. 932.701-932.704. This section is not exclusive of any other penalties prescribed by any existing or future laws for the larceny or unauthorized taking of off-highway vehicles, but is supplementary thereto.

History: s. 55, ch. 2005-164.