Before any vehicles may be assessed, the revenue commissioner shall be furnished a bona fide bill of sale or title or title application in the present owner’s name, also, if applicable, tag number and decal number presently on the vehicle, unless vehicle is new, in which case the revenue commissioner shall be furnished a bona fide bill of sale or title from the dealer showing when the vehicle was bought new. In the case of a used car brought into the state from a state which provides that upon sale or transfer of the motor vehicle the tags are either surrendered to an appropriate authority or subsequently reissued by the seller, the revenue commissioner shall be furnished a bona fide certificate of title properly assigned which shows when the car was sold to an individual, firm, corporation, or association, living or operating in this state. In the case of a used car purchased from an individual, a bona fide bill of sale or properly assigned title shall be furnished to the revenue commissioner, and, also, if the vehicle has a license tag that is still in effect, a certified copy of the tag receipt shall be furnished to the revenue commissioner or, if the tag on the vehicle has expired, the tag number and decal number or the license tag shall be furnished to the revenue commissioner. If such tag number and decal number, or tag receipt or bill of sale or certificate of title is not furnished, the vehicle shall be presumed to have been in the state the entire year for which taxes are being assessed. Those motor vehicles brought into the state during any tax year and new motor vehicles for which license tags have never been issued that have been sold from the stock of a dealer during any tax year, shall be subject to taxation as if they had been held or owned in the state on the first day of October.
Last modified: May 3, 2021