§536.  Violations of registration provisions

Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, no person shall do, omit to do, permit, or cause to be done or omitted, any of the things required or prohibited by this Chapter, or to commit any of the following acts:

(1)  To operate, or for the owner thereof knowingly to permit the operation of any motor or other vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer, which is not registered or which does not have attached thereto and displayed thereon, in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 47:507, the number plates assigned to it for the current year, subject to the exemptions provided in this Chapter.

(2)  To display or cause or permit to be displayed or have in possession any registration certificate, or registration number plate, knowing the same to be fictitious or to have become cancelled, revoked, suspended or altered.  

(3)  To lend to or knowingly permit the use of by any one not entitled thereto, any registration number plate issued to the person so lending or permitting the use thereof.  

(4)  To fail or refuse to surrender to the commissioner or officers of the Division of State Police, upon demand, any registration certificate or registration number plate which has been suspended, cancelled or revoked, as provided in this Chapter.  

(5)  To use a false or fictitious name or address in any application for the registration of any vehicle or for any renewal or duplicate thereof, or to make a false statement or knowingly to conceal a material fact or otherwise commit a fraud in any such application.  

(6)  For the owner, purchaser, assignee or transferee of a vehicle formerly registered in the name of another, to neglect, fail or refuse to surrender to the commissioner or officer of the Division of State Police the registration certificate of the former owner, or to fail or refuse to furnish the commissioner with satisfactory proof as to the transfer thereof and his ownership of the vehicle.  

(7)  To use or operate, or permit to be used or operated, any vehicle on the highways of the state carrying a net load in excess of that for which it is registered and the tax thereon paid.  Each use of said vehicle shall constitute a separate offense.  

Whoever violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both.  

For the purposes of paragraph (7) of this Section and of R.S. 47:516, where the weight of a vehicle does not exceed by ten per centum the weight for which it is licensed or registered, and where such overloading is bona fide, such overloading shall not constitute a violation and shall not subject the owner or operator of the vehicle to the penalties and requirements therein provided.  

(8)  To obtain or use an improper registration certificate, license or license plates, or to make improper use of a properly obtained registration license or license plate, or to use upon one vehicle the license plates issued for another vehicle, or to register and attach license plates to and use on the highways of this State a vehicle unsafe or unfit to be operated, or one that is not equipped as required by law, or for a manufacturer or dealer to make or permit to be made any unlawful use of the same or permit the use thereof by a person not entitled thereto.