piers109uk/MN-Statutes huggingface dataset:
168.271 INFORMATIONAL LABELS ON PICKUP TRUCKS; PENALTY.
Every manufacturer of new trucks having a gross vehicle weight of 9,000 pounds or less which are sold or offered for sale for use upon the public streets or highways within this state shall, prior to the delivery of the new truck to a Minnesota dealer, or at or prior to the introduction date of new models delivered to a Minnesota dealer prior to introduction date, securely affix to the windshield or side window of the truck a label upon which the manufacturer shall endorse clearly, distinctly and legibly true and correct entries disclosing information identical to and in the same manner as required on new automobiles. The label shall remain affixed to the truck until delivery of the truck to the ultimate purchaser. Any manufacturer who shall willfully fail to affix a proper label required by this section or any person who shall willfully remove, alter or mutilate a label prior to delivery of the truck to the ultimate purchaser is guilty of a misdemeanor. This section shall not apply to trucks for which the annual sales in Minnesota of the previous model year were less than 200.
MS 2022 [Repealed, 2023 c 25 s 190]
168.274 DEFINITIONS.
(a) The following definitions shall apply for the words or terms used in sections 168.274 to 168.276 unless other meaning is clearly apparent from the language or context.
(b) "Motor vehicle" means and includes all vehicles propelled otherwise than by muscular power, excepting such vehicles as run only upon rails or tracks.
(c) "New motor vehicle" means only newly manufactured motor vehicles and includes but is not limited to motorcycles, trailers, trucks, passenger cars and tractors.
(d) "Person" includes natural persons, firms, partnerships, corporations, associations or other artificial bodies, trustees, receiver and officers, employees, agents, and others acting for or on behalf of any person.
(e) "Used motor vehicle" means every motor vehicle, title to, or possession of, which has been transferred from the person who first acquired it from the manufacturer or dealer and has been so used as to become or is commonly known as secondhand within the ordinary meaning thereof, and includes every motor vehicle other than a new motor vehicle, including but not limited to motorcycles, trailers, tractors, trucks and passenger cars.
169.4502 ADDITIONAL MINNESOTA SCHOOL BUS CHASSIS STANDARDS.
The bus chassis standards contained in this section are required in addition to those required by section 169.4501. When a Minnesota standard contained in this section conflicts with a national standard adopted in section 169.4501, the Minnesota standard contained in this section is controlling.
The braking system must meet federal motor vehicle safety standards in effect at the time of manufacture.
A chassis manufacturer shall certify that the product meets Minnesota standards. All buses with a certified manufacturing date prior to April 1, 1977, shall not be recertified as a school bus after January 1, 1996.
Fenders may be painted black. The hood may be painted nonreflective black or nonreflective yellow. The grill may be manufacturer's standard color or chrome.
MS 2016 [Repealed, 1Sp2017 c 3 art 3 s 144]
[Repealed, 1Sp1997 c 4 art 12 s 34]
[Repealed, 2004 c 294 art 2 s 34]
Installation of a trailer hitch is permitted. A hitch shall be flush mounted.
[Repealed, 2004 c 294 art 2 s 34]
A bus shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet.
The use of multipiece rims or tube-type tires is not permitted on school buses manufactured after October 31, 2004. Radial and bias-ply tires shall not be used on the same axle. Front tire tread depth shall not be less than 4/32 inch in any major tire tread groove. Rear tire tread shall not be less than 2/32 inch. Tires must be measured in three locations around the tire, in two adjoining grooves. No recapped tires shall be used on the front wheels. Recapped tires are permitted on the rear wheels.
The transmission shifting pattern must be permanently displayed in the driver's full view.
[Repealed, 2004 c 294 art 2 s 34]
[Repealed, 2004 c 294 art 2 s 34]
[Repealed, 2007 c 146 art 8 s 15]
168.2701 LIABILITY OF LESSORS FOR UNPAID TRAFFIC FINES.
When a motor vehicle lessor, licensed under section 168.27, subdivision 2, 3, or 4, is issued a traffic violation citation for a violation committed by a lessee while operating the leased or rented vehicle, the lessor shall convey to the issuing authority within 15 days of the lessor receiving knowledge of the traffic violation, information to the extent available, including the driver's full name, home address, local address, if any, license number, employer's name and address, post office box, and form of payment. Upon compliance with this section, the lessor is not liable for the amount of fine, penalty assessment, late payment penalty, or cost of warrants issued in connection with the violation. However, action on the part of the issuing authority relieving the lessor of liability does not absolve the person incurring the violation of responsibility for the infraction.
171.51 DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of sections 171.50 to 171.56, with reference to this state, the term "executive head" means the governor of Minnesota.
For purposes of sections 171.50 to 171.56, the term "licensing authority" with reference to this state means the Driver's License Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
168.275 SALE OF MOTOR VEHICLE ON SUNDAY FORBIDDEN.
Any person who shall carry on or engage in the business of buying, selling, exchanging, dealing in or trading in new or used motor vehicles; or who shall open any place of business or lot wherein the person attempts to or does engage in the business of buying, selling, exchanging, dealing or trading in new or used motor vehicles; or who does buy, sell, exchange, deal or trade in new or used motor vehicles as a business on the first day of the week, commonly known and designated as Sunday, is guilty of a misdemeanor for the first offense, and a gross misdemeanor for each succeeding offense. This section does not apply to the sale of (1) trailers designed and used primarily to transport watercraft, as defined in section 86B.005, subdivision 18, (2) trailers designed and used primarily to transport all-terrain vehicles, as defined in section 84.92, subdivision 8, (3) trailers designed and used primarily to transport snowmobiles as defined in section 84.81, subdivision 3, or (4) utility trailers as defined in section 168.27, subdivision 20.
171.52 TRANSFER OF INFORMATION.
The licensing authority shall furnish to the appropriate authorities of any other party state information or documents reasonably necessary to facilitate the administration of section 171.50, articles III, IV, and V.
168.276 SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF DEALER LICENSE.
Every court having jurisdiction over offenses committed in violation of the provisions of section 168.275 hereof shall forward to the registrar of motor vehicles of this state within ten days following a conviction, a record thereof. If a person so convicted holds a license as a dealer for the sale of new or used motor vehicles under the provisions of section 168.27, upon the receipt by the registrar of motor vehicles of a second record of conviction of such dealer, the registrar of motor vehicles shall suspend such dealer's license for a period of 30 days, and upon receipt of a third record of conviction of any such dealer, the registrar of motor vehicles shall permanently revoke such dealer's license.
171.53 COMPACT ADMINISTRATOR.
The compact administrator provided for in section 171.50, article VII, is not entitled to additional compensation on account of service as administrator, but is entitled to expenses incurred in connection with the duties and responsibilities as administrator, in the same manner as for expenses incurred in connection with other duties or responsibilities of employment. The compact administrator shall represent this state or shall appoint a representative for this state in the Driver License Compact Commission, and that commission has the authority to formulate procedures for exchanging information, as provided in section 171.50, article VII.
171.54 REPORTING TO LICENSING AUTHORITY.
A court or other agency or political subdivision of this state, that has jurisdiction to take action regarding the suspension, revocation, cancellation, or other limitation of a license to drive, shall promptly report the action and the circumstances upon which it is based to the licensing authority on forms furnished by the department.
171.55 OUT-OF-STATE CONVICTIONS GIVEN EFFECT.
The commissioner shall give the same effect for driver licensing purposes to conduct reported from a licensing authority or court in another state or province or territory of Canada that the commissioner would give to conduct reported from a court or other agency of this state, whether or not the other state or province or territory of Canada is a party to the Driver License Compact in section 171.50. The conduct to be given effect by the commissioner includes a report of conviction for an offense enumerated in section 171.50, article IV, or an offense described in sections 171.17 and 171.18.
169.4511 SCHOOL BUS ACCIDENT AND SUBSEQUENT OPERATION.
(a) A peace officer responding to an accident involving a school bus or Head Start bus must immediately notify the State Patrol if the accident results in:
(1) a fatality;
(2) bodily injury to a person who, as a result of the injury, immediately receives medical treatment away from the scene of the accident; or
(3) one or more motor vehicles incurring disabling damage as a result of the accident, requiring a motor vehicle to be transported away from the scene by tow truck or other motor vehicle.
(b) No person shall drive or knowingly permit or cause to be driven, for the purpose of transporting students, any school bus or Head Start bus after such an accident unless:
(1) the vehicle has been inspected by the Minnesota State Patrol and the State Patrol has determined that the vehicle may safely be operated; or
(2) a waiver has been granted under subdivision 2.
(c) A violation of this section is a misdemeanor.
A state trooper or designee of the Minnesota State Patrol called to the scene of an accident by a responding peace officer under subdivision 1 may waive the inspection requirement of subdivision 1 if the trooper or State Patrol designee determines that a postcrash inspection is not needed or cannot be accomplished without unreasonable delay. The trooper or State Patrol designee granting a waiver must provide to the driver of the school bus for which the waiver is granted a written statement that the inspection has been waived. The written statement must include the incident report number assigned to the accident by the State Patrol.
168.277 MOTOR VEHICLE PURCHASES; DISCLOSURE.
For the purposes of this section:
(a) The term "seller" means a person selling more than five motor vehicles in a calendar year and in the business of selling or leasing motor vehicles.
(b) The term "contract" means a written agreement between a seller and a purchaser for the sale of a motor vehicle, but not including a conditional sales contract entered into pursuant to a separate purchase agreement that contains the disclosures contained in this section.
A seller of motor vehicles shall include in any contract with a purchaser or prospective purchaser of a motor vehicle a statement in ten-point, boldfaced, all-capital type located by a blank for the purchaser's signature stating: "IMPORTANT: THIS MAY BE A BINDING CONTRACT AND YOU MAY LOSE ANY DEPOSITS IF YOU DO NOT PERFORM ACCORDING TO ITS TERMS." If a forfeiture is not possible that part of the disclosure may be crossed out at the time of the purchaser's signature.
Any contract not meeting the requirements of subdivision 2 is voidable at the option of the purchaser prior to the purchaser taking possession of the motor vehicle.
168.29 REPLACEMENT PLATES.
(a) In the event of the defacement, loss, or destruction of any number plates or validation stickers, the commissioner, upon receiving and filing a sworn statement of the vehicle owner, setting forth the circumstances of the defacement, loss, destruction, or theft of the number plates or validation stickers, together with any defaced plates or stickers and the payment of a fee calculated to cover the cost of replacement, must issue a new set of plates or stickers.
(b) A licensed motor vehicle dealer may only apply for replacement plates upon application for a certificate of title in the name of a new owner or the dealer. The commissioner must issue a new set of plates or validation stickers upon application for title and registration after removal of plates pursuant to section 168A.11, subdivision 2.
(c) Plates issued under this section are subject to section 168.12
(d) The commissioner must note on the commissioner's records the issue of new number plates and must attempt to cancel and call in the original plates so as to insure against their use on another motor vehicle.
(e) Duplicate registration certificates plainly marked as duplicates may be issued in like cases upon the payment of a $1 fee. Fees collected under this section must be deposited in the driver and vehicle services operating account under section 299A.705, subdivision 1.
171.56 FILING OF BYLAWS AND AMENDMENTS.
The Driver License Compact Commission shall file a copy of its bylaws and amendments to the bylaws with the Minnesota secretary of state.
168.301 VEHICLE TRANSFER DEADLINE; FEES; SUSPENSION.
(a) On transferring a motor vehicle, the transferor shall surrender the registration plates and assign the registration tax paid to the credit of the transferee.
(b) As specified in section 115A.908, the commissioner must impose a $10 fee on each transfer of title within the state, other than transfers for resale purposes, of every motor vehicle weighing more than 1,000 pounds.
The transferee's rights to the transferred vehicle's registration plates and credit for taxes paid on the vehicle expire after ten days have elapsed from the date of transfer unless: (1) the transfer has been filed as provided under section 168A.10; or (2) the transferee is a dealer licensed under section 168.27, and is complying with section 168A.11.
In addition to any fee or tax otherwise authorized or imposed upon the transfer of title for a motor vehicle, the commissioner of public safety must impose a $2 additional fee for failure to deliver a title transfer within the period specified under section 168A.10, subdivision 2.
When the commissioner has suspended license plates on a vehicle because the transferee has failed to file the title certificate within 30 days, the transferee shall pay a $10 fee before the registration is reinstated.
A person does not violate this section or section 168.09, subdivision 1, by reason of suspension, if the person provides verification from the registrar that the title transfer with fees and taxes were filed with the registrar prior to being cited for violating this section or the vehicle was purchased from a licensed Minnesota dealer. The verification of compliance must be presented to the appropriate law enforcement agency within seven days after being charged or to the court on or before the date set for appearance.
The commissioner of public safety may suspend the registration of any owner who violates this section.
169.4504 ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR SPECIALLY EQUIPPED BUS.
The specially equipped school bus standards contained in this section are required in addition to those required by section 169.4501. When a Minnesota standard contained in this section conflicts with a national standard adopted in section 169.4501, the Minnesota standard contained in this section is controlling.
All vehicles used to transport disabled students shall be equipped with a two-way communication system.
Special restraining devices such as shoulder harnesses, lap belts, and chest restraint systems may be installed to the seats if the devices do not require the alteration in any form of the seat, seat cushion, framework, or related seat components. The restraints must be for the sole purpose of restraining students with disabilities.
Wheelchair securement devices must comply with all requirements for wheelchair securement systems contained in federal regulation in effect on the later of the date the bus was manufactured or the date that a wheelchair securement system was added to the bus.
All school buses equipped with a power lift shall provide at least a 12-inch aisle leading from wheelchair position to at least one emergency door and the lift area.
The securement and restraint system must be located and installed so that when an occupied wheelchair or other mobility aid is secured, the installation meets the requirements of the applicable federal motor vehicle safety standard.
169.454 TYPE III VEHICLE STANDARDS.
This section applies to type III vehicles used for the transportation of school children when owned and operated by a school district or privately owned and operated. All related equipment provided on the vehicle must comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards where applicable. If no federal standard applies, equipment must be manufacture's standard.
Vehicles model year 2007 or older must not be used as type III vehicles to transport school children, except those vehicles that are manufactured to meet the structural requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard 222, Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, part 571.
Vehicles must be painted a color other than national school bus yellow.
A minimum of one 10BC rated dry chemical type fire extinguisher is required. The extinguisher must be mounted in a bracket, and must be located in the driver's compartment and be readily accessible to the driver and passengers. A pressure indicator is required and must be easily read without removing the extinguisher from its mounted position.
A minimum of a ten-unit first aid kit, and a body fluids cleanup kit is required. They must be contained in removable, moisture- and dust-proof containers mounted in an accessible place within the driver's compartment and must be marked to indicate their identity and location.
The vehicle must not have the words "school bus" in any location on the exterior of the vehicle, or in any interior location visible to a motorist.
Installation and use of the eight-lamp warning system is prohibited.
All lamps on the exterior of the vehicle must conform with and be installed as required by federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108, Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, part 571.
Installation and use of a stop-signal arm is prohibited.
The interior clear rearview mirror must afford a good view of pupils and roadway to the rear. Two exterior clear rearview mirrors must be provided, one to the left and one to the right of the driver. Each mirror must be firmly supported and adjustable to give the driver clear view past the left rear and the right rear of the bus.
[Repealed, 2012 c 137 s 9]
[Repealed, 1Sp1997 c 4 art 12 s 34]
Type III vehicles may carry fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and warning triangles in the trunk or trunk area of the vehicle, if a label in the driver and front passenger area clearly indicates the location of these items.
When a vehicle otherwise qualifying as a type III vehicle under section 169.011, subdivision 71, whether owned and operated by a school district or privately owned and operated, is used to transport school children in a nonscheduled situation, it shall be exempt from the vehicle requirements of this section and the licensing requirements of section 171.321, if the vehicle is properly registered and insured and operated by an employee or agent of a school district with a valid driver's license.
171.60 MOTORCYCLE ROAD GUARD CERTIFICATE.
No person may perform traffic control as a motorcycle road guard as provided under chapter 169 without a valid motorcycle road guard certificate issued by the commissioner.
Through the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center, the commissioner of public safety shall:
(1) establish qualifications and requirements for a person to obtain a motorcycle road guard certificate under this section, which must include:
(i) a minimum 18 years of age;
(ii) possession of a valid driver's license; and
(iii) successful completion of a motorcycle road guard certification course;
(2) develop and offer, whether by the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center or authorized agents, a motorcycle road guard certification course; and
(3) establish safety and equipment standards for a person who operates under a motorcycle road guard certificate, including but not limited to specifying requirements for a reflective safety vest.
The commissioner of public safety shall assess a fee for each applicant for a motorcycle road guard certificate, calculated to cover the commissioner's cost of establishing and administering the program.
A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.
The commissioner of public safety shall adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this section. Notwithstanding section 16A.1283, the rules must specify the fee to be assessed under subdivision 3.
168.28 VEHICLES SUBJECT TO TAX; EXCEPTIONS.
Every motor vehicle (except those exempted in section 168.012, and except those which are being towed upon the streets and highways and which shall not be deemed to be using the streets and highways within the meaning of this section) shall be deemed to be one using the public streets and highways and hence as such subject to taxation under this chapter if such motor vehicle has since April 23, 1921, used such public streets or highways, or shall actually use them, or if it shall come into the possession of an owner other than as a manufacturer, dealer, warehouse operator, mortgagee or pledgee. New and unused motor vehicles in the possession of a dealer solely for the purpose of sale, and used motor vehicles which have not theretofore used the public streets or highways of this state which are in the possession of a dealer solely for the purpose of sale and which are duly listed as herein provided, shall not be deemed to be vehicles using the public streets or highways. The driving or operating of a motor vehicle upon the public streets or highways of this state by a motor vehicle dealer or any employee of such motor vehicle dealer for demonstration purposes or for any purpose incident to the usual and customary conduct and operation of the business in which licensed under section 168.27 to engage, or solely for the purpose of moving it from points outside or within the state to the place of business or storage of a licensed dealer within the state or solely for the purpose of moving it from the place of business of a manufacturer, or licensed dealer within the state to the place of business or residence of a purchaser outside the state, shall not be deemed to be using the public streets or highways in the state within the meaning of this chapter or of the Constitution of the state of Minnesota, article XIV, and shall not be held to make the motor vehicle subject to taxation under this chapter as one using the public streets or highways, if during such driving or moving the dealer's plates herein provided for shall be duly displayed upon such vehicle. Any dealer or distributor may register a motor vehicle prior to its assessment or taxation as personal property, and pay the license fee and tax thereon for the full calendar year as one using the public streets and highways, and thereafter such vehicle shall be deemed to be one using the public streets and highways and shall not be subject to assessment or taxation as personal property during the calendar year for which it is so registered, whether or not such vehicle shall actually have used the streets or highways. Special mobile equipment is subject to a penalty equal to the tax due under this chapter for the full registration year if it is used to transport persons or property at any time using the public streets.
169.4581 CRIMINAL CONDUCT ON SCHOOL BUS.
Each local law enforcement agency shall adopt a written policy regarding procedures for responding to criminal incidents on school buses. In adopting a policy, each law enforcement agency shall consult with local school officials, with representatives of private companies that contract with school districts to provide transportation, and with parents of students. The policy must recognize that responding to reports of criminal conduct on school buses is the responsibility of law enforcement officials.
169.4582 REPORTABLE OFFENSE ON SCHOOL BUS.
"Reportable offense" means misbehavior causing an immediate and substantial danger to self or surrounding persons or property under section 121A.45.
Consistent with the school bus safety policy under section 123B.91, subdivision 1, the school principal, the school transportation safety director, or other designated school official shall immediately report to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction where the misbehavior occurred and to the school superintendent if the reporting school official knows or has reason to believe that a student has committed a reportable offense on a school bus or in a bus loading or unloading area. The reporting school official shall issue a report to the commissioner of public safety concerning the incident upon request of the commissioner.
169.46 HITCHING BEHIND VEHICLE.
No person shall hitch a toboggan, hand sled, bicycle, or other similar device onto any motor vehicle or streetcar while being used on a highway.
168.325 DIVISION OF DRIVER AND VEHICLE SERVICES.
A division in the Department of Public Safety to be known as the Division of Driver and Vehicle Services is hereby created, under the supervision and control of the director. The commissioner may place the director's position in the unclassified service if the position meets the criteria established in section 43A.08, subdivision 1a.
All the functions, powers, and duties now vested in or imposed upon the secretary of state as registrar of motor vehicles as prescribed in Minnesota Statutes 1967, chapter 168, or any other law, relating to the registration of motor vehicles, the issuance of motor vehicle licenses, the licensing of motor vehicle dealers, and other matters therein contained not otherwise provided for in this section, are hereby transferred to, vested in, and imposed upon the commissioner of public safety. The duties of the secretary of state in relation thereto as heretofore constituted are abolished.
MS 1990 [Repealed, 1991 c 199 art 1 s 56]
All the powers and duties now vested in or imposed upon the secretary of state in the issuance of chauffeurs' licenses and school bus drivers' licenses as prescribed in Minnesota Statutes 1967, chapter 168, are hereby transferred to, vested in, and imposed upon the commissioner of public safety. The duties of the secretary of state in connection with the issuance of such licenses are hereby abolished.
169.467 MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS; DEFINITIONS.
As used in sections 169.467 to 169.469, the terms defined in this section have the meanings given them.
"Motor vehicle" means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power manufactured primarily for use on the public streets, roads and highways, except any vehicle operated exclusively on a rail or rails.
"New motor vehicle" or "new vehicle" means a motor vehicle as defined herein heretofore unregistered.
"New item of motor vehicle equipment" or "new equipment" means any option, device, accessory or other equipment in the possession of a retail merchant including an automobile dealer prior to its initial retail sale designed to be attached to a motor vehicle as a part thereof or to be used in conjunction therewith.
"Motor vehicle safety standard" means a minimum standard for motor vehicle performance, or motor vehicle equipment performance which is practicable, which meets the need for motor vehicle safety and which provides objective criteria.
169.469 INJUNCTION.
The district courts of this state have the authority to restrain or enjoin a violation or threatened violation of section 169.468.
Whenever it appears to the satisfaction of the attorney general that any party has sold or offered for sale or is selling or offering for sale any such new motor vehicle or new item of motor vehicle equipment in violation of this section, the attorney general may, in the name of the state, seek injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction against any such violation or threatened violation.
168.326 EXPEDITED DRIVER AND VEHICLE SERVICES; FEE.
(a) When an applicant requests and pays an expedited service fee of $20, in addition to other specified and statutorily mandated fees and taxes, the commissioner shall expedite the processing of an application for a driver's license, driving instruction permit, Minnesota identification card, or vehicle title transaction.
(b) A driver's license agent or deputy registrar may retain $10 of the expedited service fee for each expedited service request processed by the licensing agent or deputy registrar.
(c) When expedited service is requested, materials must be mailed or delivered to the requester within three days of receipt of the expedited service fee excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or the holidays listed in section 645.44, subdivision 5. The requester shall comply with all relevant requirements of the requested document.
(d) The commissioner may decline to accept an expedited service request if it is apparent at the time it is made that the request cannot be granted.
(e) The expedited service fees collected under this section minus any portion retained by a licensing agent or deputy registrar under paragraph (b) must be paid into the driver and vehicle services operating account under section 299A.705.
169.468 VEHICLE SAFETY RULES; FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS.
The commissioner of public safety, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, may adopt and enforce rules in substantial conformity with federal motor vehicle safety standards established by the United States Secretary of Transportation pursuant to the national Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-563) with respect to any new motor vehicle or new item of motor vehicle equipment applicable to the same aspect of performance of such new vehicle or new equipment.
In the absence of a motor vehicle safety standard adopted pursuant to the national Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 or if any such standard is not applicable to new vehicles or new equipment manufactured and first sold in the state of Minnesota, the commissioner of public safety may require new vehicles and specific types of new equipment to be tested and approved for compliance with the requirements of this chapter, or any rule adopted pursuant to this chapter. The commissioner shall approve or disapprove of the vehicle or equipment within a reasonable time after it is submitted. Approval may be based upon a certificate of approval or test report furnished to the commissioner by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. If such new vehicle or new equipment does not conform to the provisions of this chapter, or to such rules adopted by the commissioner of public safety, no person shall sell, offer for sale, or use any such new vehicle or new equipment. The commissioner of public safety is authorized to set and collect a reasonable fee from the manufacturer or distributor for the testing and approval of all new vehicles and specific types of new equipment upon which approval is required under this section. Such fee may be sufficient in amount to reimburse the Department of Public Safety for all costs connected with such test and approval. The commissioner shall waive the fee for any approval based on a certificate of approval or test report furnished by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
A federal motor vehicle safety standard adopted by the commissioner of public safety which conflicts with an equipment provision of this chapter, applicable to the same aspect of performance, shall supersede, on its effective date, the conflicting equipment provision of this chapter, with respect to new motor vehicles.
Any person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
169.47 UNSAFE EQUIPMENT.
(a) It is unlawful and punishable as hereinafter provided for any person to drive or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person, or which does not contain those parts or is not at all times equipped with such lamps and other equipment in proper condition and adjustment as required in this chapter, or which is equipped in any manner in violation of this chapter, or for any person to do any act forbidden or fail to perform any act required under this chapter.
(b) The provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment on vehicles do not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, or road rollers except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(c) For purposes of this section, a specialized vehicle resembling a low-slung trailer having a short bed or platform shall be deemed to be an implement of husbandry when such vehicle is used exclusively to transport implements of husbandry, provided, however, that no such vehicle shall operate on the highway before sunrise or after sunset unless proper lighting is affixed to the implement being drawn.
[Repealed, 1978 c 494 s 6]
168.34 INFORMATION FURNISHED.
The registrar shall maintain in the registrar's office an information bureau to answer questions, through electronic transmission, personal inquiry, telephone, or letter. Registrations shall be completed with the utmost dispatch to render the most efficient service to the public. The registrar, or any deputy or employee, shall not be liable to any person for mistake or negligence in the giving of information not willfully calculated to injure such person. The registration system shall be so conducted, and the requirements thereof so construed, as to furnish to the public immediate, accurate information as to any single car about which the inquiry may be made, and to furnish the registrar a means of checking back during any year to determine that all motor vehicles subject to taxation and licensing have had the proper tax or fee paid thereon.
169.471 TELEVISION; HEADPHONES.
No television screen shall be installed or used in any motor vehicle where images from the screen are visible to the driver while operating the motor vehicle except:
(1) video screens installed in law enforcement vehicles;
(2) closed-circuit video systems used exclusively to aid the driver's visibility to the front, rear, or sides of the vehicle; and
(3) video screens installed as part of a vehicle control system or used in intelligent vehicle highway applications.
(a) No person, while operating a motor vehicle, shall wear headphones or earphones that are used in both ears simultaneously for purposes of receiving or listening to broadcasts or reproductions from radios, tape decks, or other sound-producing or transmitting devices.
(b) Paragraph (a) does not prohibit:
(1) the use of a hearing aid device by a person who needs the device;
(2) the use of a communication headset by a firefighter while operating a fire department emergency vehicle in response to an emergency; or
(3) the use of a communication headset by an emergency medical services person while operating an ambulance subject to section 144E.101.
168.346 PRIVACY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION.
(a) Data on an individual provided to register a vehicle shall be treated as provided by United States Code, title 18, section 2721, as in effect on May 23, 2005, and shall be disclosed as required or permitted by that section. Licensed dealers may obtain data for uses as permitted by United States Code, title 18, section 2721, subsections (b)(2), for use in connection with matters of motor vehicle or driver safety and theft, motor vehicle emissions, or motor vehicle product alterations, recalls, or advisories, (3), and (13). The commissioner shall disclose the data in bulk form to an authorized recipient upon request for any of the permissible uses described in United States Code, title 18, section 2721.
(b) The registered owner of a vehicle who is an individual may consent in writing to the commissioner to disclose the individual's personal information exempted by United States Code, title 18, section 2721, to any person who makes a written request for the personal information. If the registered owner is an individual and so authorizes disclosure, the commissioner shall implement the request.
(c) If authorized by the registered owner as indicated in paragraph (b), the registered owner's personal information may be used, rented, or sold solely for bulk distribution by organizations for business purposes including surveys, marketing, or solicitation.
The commissioner shall disclose personal information when the use is related to the operation or use of a vehicle or to public safety. The use of personal information is related to public safety if it concerns the physical safety or security of drivers, vehicles, pedestrians, or property. The commissioner may refuse to disclose data under this subdivision when the commissioner concludes that the requester is likely to use the data for illegal, improper, or noninvestigative purposes.
The registered owner of a vehicle who is an individual may request, in writing, that the registered owner's residence address or name and residence address be classified as "private data on individuals," as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12. The commissioner shall grant the classification on receipt of a signed statement by the registered owner that the classification is required for the safety of the registered owner or the registered owner's family, if the statement also provides a valid, existing address where the registered owner consents to receive service of process. The commissioner shall use the service of process mailing address in place of the registered owner's residence address in all documents and notices pertaining to the vehicle. The residence address or name and residence address and any information provided in the classification request, other than the individual's service for process mailing address, are private data on individuals but may be provided to requesting law enforcement agencies, probation and parole agencies, and public authorities, as defined in section 518A.26, subdivision 18.
168.345 USE OF VEHICLE REGISTRATION INFORMATION.
MS 2022 [Repealed, 2023 c 68 art 6 s 17]
(a) The commissioner may not furnish information about registered owners of motor vehicle lessees under a lease for a term of 180 days or more to any person except:
(1) the owner of the vehicle;
(2) the lessee;
(3) personnel of law enforcement agencies;
(4) trade associations performing a member service under section 604.15, subdivision 4a;
(5) licensed dealers in connection with a vehicle sale or lease;
(6) federal, state, and local governmental units; and
(7) at the commissioner's discretion, to persons who use the information to notify lessees of automobile recalls.
(b) The commissioner may release information about motor vehicle lessees in the form of summary data, as defined in section 13.02, to persons who use the information in conducting statistical analysis and market research.
MS 2004 [Repealed, 1Sp2005 c 6 art 2 s 48]
MS 2004 [Repealed, 1Sp2005 c 6 art 2 s 48]
168.35 INTENT TO ESCAPE TAX; GROSS MISDEMEANOR.
Any person who shall, with intent to escape payment of any tax on a motor vehicle, as herein provided, delay or neglect to properly list and apply to register the same, or, with intent to prevent the payment or collection of the proper tax, fee, or lien thereon, violate or neglect to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter, shall be guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
168.321 NEW VEHICLE MANUFACTURER'S STATEMENT.
(a) The registrar may refuse to register any new vehicle unless the manufacturer thereof has filed the sworn statement herein provided for the model of the motor vehicle offered for registration. The registrar shall have authority to determine the weight of any vehicle on which the record of the manufacturer's shipping weight is not available in the office.
(b) Every manufacturer of a motor vehicle sold or offered for sale within this state shall each year file with the registrar a sworn statement showing the various models manufactured, the manufacturer's shipping weights including the weight of automatic transmissions where such equipment is offered as optional equipment and not included in the shipping weight, the beginning serial or identification number of each model or series if manufactured on a yearly model basis, or if not manufactured on a yearly model basis, the formula or method used to determine the year of model, and such other information as the registrar deems necessary. Upon the introduction of any new models during the year, the manufacturer shall in like manner file a new statement setting forth the required information for each new model.
(c) The information furnished in the manufacturer's statement may be considered by the registrar as prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein.
169.48 VEHICLE LIGHTING.
(a) Every vehicle upon a highway within this state:
(1) at any time from sunset to sunrise;
(2) at any time when it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing; and
(3) at any other time when visibility is impaired by weather, smoke, fog or other conditions or there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of 500 feet ahead;
shall display lighted headlamps, lighted tail lamps, and illuminating devices, as hereinafter, respectively, required for different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions with respect to parked vehicles and law enforcement vehicles, as hereinafter stated. In addition to the other requirements of this paragraph, every school bus transporting children upon a highway within this state, at any time from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, shall display lighted headlamps, lighted tail lamps, and illuminating devices as required by this paragraph, except that the operator shall use the lowermost distribution of light specified in section 169.60 unless conditions warrant otherwise.
(b) When requirement is hereinafter declared as to the distance from which certain lamps and devices shall render objects visible or within which such lamps or devices shall be visible, these provisions shall apply during the time stated in this section upon a straight level unlighted highway under normal atmospheric conditions unless a different time or condition is expressly stated and unless otherwise specified the location of lamps and devices shall refer to the center of such lamps or devices. Parking lamps shall not be used in lieu of headlamps to satisfy the requirements of this section.
Notwithstanding section 169.96, a violation of subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), is not negligence per se or prima facie evidence of negligence.
169.49 HEADLAMPS.
(a) Every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle must be equipped with at least two headlamps, including at least one on each side of the front of the motor vehicle. Headlamps must comply with the requirements and limitations set forth in sections 169.47 to 169.66.
(b) Every motorcycle must be equipped with at least one and not more than four headlamps, which must comply with the requirements and limitations of sections 169.47 to 169.66.
169.50 REAR LAMPS.
(a) Every motor vehicle and every vehicle that is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles must be equipped with at least one tail lamp, exhibiting a red light plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear.
(b) Every motor vehicle, other than a truck-tractor, and every vehicle that is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles, registered in this state and manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1960, must be equipped with at least two tail lamps mounted on the rear and on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable. When lighted, the tail lamps must comply with the provisions of this section.
(c) An implement of husbandry being towed by a motor vehicle at a speed of not more than 30 miles per hour, displaying a slow-moving vehicle emblem, and complying with section 169.55, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (4), is not subject to the requirements of this section.
Either such rear lamp or separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate and render it legible from a distance of 50 feet to the rear. Any rear lamp or rear lamps, together with any separate lamp for illuminating the rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be lighted whenever the headlamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
On and after January 1, 1960, each new motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, hereafter sold and each such vehicle hereafter operated on a highway, shall carry at the rear either as a part of the rear lamp, or separately, at least two reflectors. The reflectors shall be of a type approved by the commissioner of public safety and shall be mounted as close as is practicable to the extreme edges of the vehicle at a height not more than 60, nor less than 20 inches above the surface upon which the vehicle stands. Each such reflector shall be so designed and maintained as to be visible at night from all distances within 300 to 50 feet from the vehicle, except that on a commercial vehicle the reflectors shall be visible from all distances within 500 to 50 feet from the vehicle, when directly in front of a motor vehicle displaying lawfully lighted headlamps.
168.37 PLATE TABS OR STICKERS; MONTHLY REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
MS 1971 [Repealed, 1973 c 6 s 7]
MS 1971 [Repealed, 1973 c 6 s 7]
The registrar may rearrange the words and figures on plates issued for vehicles under the monthly series system of registration to provide space on the plates for tabs or stickers which the registrar shall issue to indicate the period of registration.
168.36 UNLAWFUL USE OF UNREGISTERED VEHICLE CERTIFICATE, PLATES.
Any person who shall use or cause any motor vehicle to be used or operated in violation of the provisions of this chapter or while a certificate of registration of a motor vehicle issued to the person is suspended or revoked, or who shall knowingly deliver a motor vehicle to another to be used or operated in violation of this chapter, or who shall violate any of the provisions thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Any person who shall loan or use any number plate or registration certificate upon or in connection with any motor vehicle except the one for which the same was duly issued, or upon any such motor vehicle after such certificate or plates, or the right to use the same, have expired, or any person who shall retain in possession or shall fail to surrender, as herein provided, any such number plate or registration certificate shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Any person who manufactures, buys, sells, uses or displays motor vehicle license number plates, motor vehicle registration certificates, or tax receipts issued by this state or any other state, territory or district in the United States, without proper authority from such state, territory or district of the United States, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Any person who shall deface or alter any registration certificate or number plate or retain the same in possession after it has been defaced or altered shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
If a peace officer stops a motor vehicle and determines, through a check of the motor vehicle registration record system, that the vehicle is being operated while the certificate of registration for the vehicle is revoked, the officer may immediately seize the vehicle's registration plates and destroy the plates or return them to the commissioner of public safety.