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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>56760</law_id><section_number>46.2-1000</section_number><catch_line>Department to suspend registration of vehicles lacking certain equipment; officer to take possession of registration card, license plates and decals when observing defect in motor vehicle; when to be returned</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-69.48:1</reference><reference>46.2-325</reference><reference>46.2-730</reference><reference>46.2-730.1</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Vehicle and Equipment Safety, Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">Department</span> shall <span class="dictionary">suspend</span> the registration of any <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> which the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> or the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police determines is not equipped with proper (i) brakes, (ii) <span class="dictionary">lights</span>, (iii) horn or warning device, (iv) turn signals, (v) safety glass when required by <span class="dictionary">law</span>, (vi) mirror, (vii) muffler, (viii) windshield wiper, (ix) steering gear adequate to ensure the safe movement of the vehicle as required by this title or when such vehicle is equipped with a smoke screen device or cutout or when such <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> is otherwise unsafe to be operated.
		Any <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer</span> shall, when he observes any defect in a <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> as described above, take <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the registration card, <span class="dictionary">license plates</span>, and <span class="dictionary">decals</span> of any such vehicle and retain the same in his <span class="dictionary">possession</span> for a period of 15 days unless the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> of the vehicle corrects the defects or obtains a new safety inspection sticker from an authorized safety inspection station. When the defect or defects are corrected as indicated above the registration card, <span class="dictionary">license plates</span>, and <span class="dictionary">decals</span> shall be returned to the <span class="dictionary">owner</span>.
		For any <span class="dictionary">summons</span> issued for a violation of this section, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> may, in its discretion, dismiss the <span class="dictionary">summons</span>, where proof of compliance with this section is provided to the <span class="dictionary">court</span> on or before the <span class="dictionary">court</span> date.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 46-56; 1958, c. 541, &#xA7; 46.1-58; 1960, c. 119; 1964, c. 414; 1972, c. 609; 1989, c. 727; 2017, c. 670.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
