Possession and sale of vehicles and equipment with altered identification numbers prohibited, penalties

301.390. Possession and sale of vehicles and equipment with altered identification numbers prohibited, penalties — duty of officers — procedure. — 1. No person shall sell, or offer for sale, or shall knowingly have the custody or possession of a motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment on which the original manufacturer's number or other distinguishing number has been destroyed, removed, covered, altered or defaced, and no person shall sell, offer for sale, or knowingly have the custody or possession of a motor vehicle or trailer having no manufacturer's number or other original number, or distinguishing number. Every motor vehicle and trailer shall have an original manufacturer's number or other distinguishing number assigned by the manufacturer.

2. Every peace officer who has probable cause to believe and has knowledge of a motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment, the number of which has been removed, covered, altered, destroyed or defaced, and for which no special number has been issued, shall be authorized to immediately seize and take possession of such motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment, and may arrest the supposed owner or custodian thereof and cause prosecution to be begun in a court of competent jurisdiction.

3. The law enforcement authority having seized it shall retain custody of the motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment pending the prosecution of the person arrested. If the person arrested should be found guilty, such motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment shall be transferred to the custody of the court until the fine and costs of prosecution are paid. No property shall be released from the custody of the court until a special number shall have been issued by the director of revenue on an application of the supposed owner, approved by the court.

4. In case such fine and costs not be paid within thirty days from the date of judgment, the court shall advertise and sell such motor vehicle, boat, outboard motor, vehicle part, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment in the manner provided by law for the sale of personal property under execution. The advertisement shall contain a description of the motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment and a copy thereof shall be mailed to the director of revenue. The proceeds of such sale shall be applied, first, to the payment of the fine and costs of the prosecution and sale, and any sum remaining shall be paid by the court to the owner, and the motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment shall not be delivered to the purchaser thereof until he shall first have secured a special number from the director of revenue, on the application of the purchaser, approved by the court.

5. If at any time while such motor vehicle, vehicle part, boat, outboard motor, trailer, motor vehicle tire, piece of farm machinery, farm implement, or piece of construction equipment remains in the custody of the court or law enforcement authority having seized it, the true owner thereof shall appear and prove to the satisfaction of the court or law enforcement authority proper ownership of and entitlement to said item, it shall be returned to the owner after he or she has obtained from the director of revenue a special number, on application made by the owner.

6. Violation of any provision of this section is a class E felony.

(RSMo 1939 § 8396, A. 1949 S.B. 1110, A.L. 1953 p. 567, A.L. 1982 H.B. 1454, et al., A.L. 1986 H.B. 1190 merged with H.B. 1153, A.L. 2004 S.B. 824, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491)

Effective 1-01-17