Sec. 11. (a) The secretary may issue an interim license plate to a dealer that is licensed and has been issued a license plate under section 2 of this chapter.

(b) The secretary shall prescribe the form of an interim license plate issued under this section. However, an interim license plate must bear the assigned registration number and provide sufficient space for the expiration date as provided in subsection (c).

(c) A dealer may provide a person with an interim license plate issued by the secretary when the dealer:

(1) sells or leases a motor vehicle to the person; or

(2) allows a person that buys a motor vehicle to take delivery of the motor vehicle before the sale of the motor vehicle is fully funded;

whichever occurs first. The dealer shall, in the manner provided by the secretary, affix on the plate in numerals and letters at least three (3) inches high the date on which the interim license plate expires.

(d) An interim license plate authorizes a person to operate the motor vehicle until the earlier of the following dates:

(1) Forty-five (45) days after the date of sale or lease of the motor vehicle to the person.

(2) The date on which a regular license plate is issued.

A person that violates this subsection commits a Class A infraction.

(e) A motor vehicle that is required by law to display license plates on the front and rear of the motor vehicle is required to display only a single interim license plate.

(f) An interim license plate shall be displayed:

(1) in the same manner required in IC 9-18-2-26 (before its expiration) or IC 9-18.1-4-3; or

(2) in a location on the left side of a window facing the rear of the motor vehicle that is clearly visible and unobstructed. The plate must be affixed to the window of the motor vehicle.

(g) The dealer must provide an ownership document to the person at the time of issuance of the interim license plate that must be kept in the motor vehicle during the period an interim license plate is used.

(h) All interim license plates not issued by the dealer must be retained in the possession of the dealer at all times.

(i) The fee for an interim dealer license plate is three dollars ($3). The fee shall be distributed as follows:

(1) Forty percent (40%) to the crossroads 2000 fund established by IC 8-14-10-9.

(2) Forty-nine percent (49%) to the dealer compliance account established by IC 9-32-7-1.

(3) Eleven percent (11%) to the motor vehicle highway account under IC 8-14-1.

(j) The secretary may issue an interim license plate to a person that purchases a motor vehicle from a dealer if the dealer has not timely delivered or transmitted the certificate of title for the motor vehicle under IC 9-32-4-1.

(k) The secretary may design and issue to a dealer a motor driven cycle decal to be used in conjunction with an interim license plate upon the sale of a motor driven cycle.

(l) A new motor vehicle dealer may issue an interim license plate for use on a motor vehicle that the new motor vehicle dealer delivers to a purchaser under a written courtesy agreement between the new motor vehicle dealer and another new motor vehicle dealer or manufacturer with whom the new motor vehicle dealer has a franchise agreement. A person that violates this subsection commits a Class C infraction.

(m) A person that fails to display an interim license plate as prescribed in subsection (f)(1) or (f)(2) commits a Class C infraction.

As added by P.L.92-2013, SEC.78. Amended by P.L.217-2014, SEC.166; P.L.188-2015, SEC.129; P.L.174-2016, SEC.62; P.L.198-2016, SEC.626; P.L.27-2018, SEC.20; P.L.137-2018, SEC.8.