New York Consolidated Laws, Vehicle and Traffic Law - VAT § 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.