New York Laws
Article 17 - Other Provisions Relating to Registration and Possession
421 - Sale of Motor Vehicle, Trailer or Part Thereof With Changed Identification Number.

§ 421. Sale of motor vehicle, trailer or part thereof with changed
identification number. 1. Any person engaged in the business of buying
or selling motor vehicles, trailers, or parts thereof, shall be presumed
to have determined and to know the original vehicle identification
numbers and special identification numbers on any motor vehicle,
trailers or parts thereof purchased or sold by such person, both at the
time of purchase and sale.

2. Any person engaged in the business of buying or selling motor
vehicles, trailers, or parts thereof, who sells or offers for sale a
motor vehicle, trailer, or part thereof, the original vehicle
identification number or special identification number of which shall
have been destroyed, removed, altered, defaced or so covered as to be
effectually concealed, without having complied with regulations
promulgated by the commissioner, shall be guilty of a class E felony.

3. Any person, other than a person engaged in the business of buying
or selling motor vehicles, trailers, or parts thereof, who knowingly
sells or offers for sale a motor vehicle, trailer, or part thereof, the
original vehicle identification number or special identification number
of which shall have been destroyed, removed, altered, defaced or so
covered as to be effectually concealed shall be guilty of a class E
felony. In any prosecution under this subdivision, the purchase of the
motor vehicle, trailer or part from a dealer registered pursuant to
section four hundred fifteen of this chapter, a vehicle dismantler
registered pursuant to section four hundred fifteen-a of this chapter,
or a motor vehicle repair shop registered pursuant to section three
hundred ninety-eight-c of this chapter shall be presumptive evidence
that the purchaser did not have knowledge of the destruction, removal,
alteration, defacing or covering of the original vehicle identification
number or special identification number.

4. For the purposes of this article, the term "original identification
number" shall mean any number embossed, engraved, etched, affixed to a
label, sticker or plate or similarly marked on any part of a motor
vehicle, trailer or vehicle part which is assigned by the manufacturer
for the purpose of identification of that particular motor vehicle,
trailer or vehicle part and the location of which number is made
available to the public.