(a) Any person or persons who shall destroy, remove, cover, alter or deface, or cause to be destroyed, removed, covered, altered or defaced, the engine number or other distinguishing number of any vehicle in this state, without first giving notice of such act to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, upon such form as the Commission may prescribe, or any person who shall give a wrong description in any application for the registration of any vehicle in this state for the purpose of concealing or hiding the identity of such vehicle, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years.

(b) A person who buys, receives, possesses, sells or disposes of a vehicle or an engine for a vehicle, knowing that the identification number of the vehicle or engine has been removed or falsified, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(c) A person who buys, receives, possesses, sells or disposes of a vehicle or an engine for a vehicle, with knowledge that the identification number of the vehicle or engine has been removed or falsified and with intent to conceal or misrepresent the identity of the vehicle or engine, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony.

(d) A person who removes a license plate from a vehicle or affixes to a vehicle a license plate not authorized by law for use on said vehicle with intent to conceal or misrepresent the identity of the vehicle or its owner shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(e) As used in this section:

1. “Identification number” includes an identifying number, serial number, engine number or other distinguishing number or mark, placed on a vehicle or engine by its manufacturer or by authority of the Oklahoma Tax Commission or in accordance with the laws of another state or country;

2. “Remove” includes deface, cover and destroy;

3. “Falsify” includes alter and forge.

(f) An identification number may be placed on a vehicle or engine by its manufacturer in the regular course of business or placed or restored on a vehicle or engine by authority of the Oklahoma Tax Commission without violating this section; an identification number so placed or restored is not falsified.

Added by Laws 1961, p. 337, § 4-107, eff. Sept. 1, 1961. Amended by Laws 1981, c. 118, § 5; Laws 1984, c. 253, § 1, operative July 1, 1984; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 473, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 341, eff. July 1, 1999.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 473 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.