23-2-612. Transfer of interest. (1) Except as provided in subsection (3), upon a transfer of any certificate of ownership to a snowmobile registered as required under the provisions of 23-2-601 through 23-2-644, the person whose title or interest is to be transferred shall write his signature with pen and ink upon the certificate of ownership issued for the snowmobile in the appropriate space provided upon the reverse side of the certificate, and the signature shall be acknowledged before the county treasurer, a deputy county treasurer, or a notary public.
     (2) Within 20 calendar days after endorsement, the transferee shall make application for transfer of the certificate of ownership with the county treasurer of the county in which the transferee resides and also make application for registration of the snowmobile. The county treasurer shall forward the application to the department of justice, which shall file the application upon receipt. A certificate of ownership may not be issued by the department of justice until the outstanding certificates are surrendered to that office or their loss is established to its reasonable satisfaction. The county treasurer shall collect a fee of $5 for each application for transfer of ownership, of which $3.50 must be forwarded to the department of justice for deposit in the general fund.
     (3) A purchaser of a new or used snowmobile from a licensed snowmobile dealer has a grace period of 20 calendar days from the date of purchase to register the snowmobile, make application for a certificate of ownership, and obtain a decal indicating that the fee in lieu of property tax has been paid on the snowmobile for the current year. It is not a violation of 23-2-601 through 23-2-644 or any other law for the purchaser to operate a newly acquired snowmobile without a certificate of ownership, certificate of registration, and a decal during the 20-day period. During this period the sticker provided for in subsection (4) shall remain affixed to the snowmobile.
     (4) Prior to the delivery of the snowmobile to the purchaser, the dealer shall issue and affix to the snowmobile a sticker (in a form to be prescribed by the department of justice). The sticker shall contain the name and address of the purchaser, the date of sale, the name and address of the dealer, and a description of the snowmobile, including its serial number. The dealer shall keep a copy of the sticker for his records and shall send a copy of the sticker to the department of justice.
     (5) The provisions of subsection (2) do not apply in the event of the transfer of a snowmobile to a duly licensed snowmobile dealer intending to resell the snowmobile and who operates it only for demonstration purposes, but every dealer, upon transferring his interest, shall deliver the certificate of ownership with an application for a new certificate executed by the new owner in accordance with the provisions of 23-2-601 through 23-2-644. The department of justice, upon receipt of the certificate of ownership and application for a new certificate containing notice of a security interest, if any, shall issue a new certificate of ownership, together with a statement of any conditional sales contract, mortgage, or other lien.
     (6) When the names and addresses of more than one owner who are members of the same immediate family are listed on the certificate of ownership, joint ownership with right of survivorship, and not as tenants in common, is presumed.
     (7) The provisions of 61-3-201(3) through (7) that apply to motor vehicles also apply to any certificate of ownership transferred under this section.

     History: (1), (2), (5)En. Sec. 3, Ch. 434, L. 1971; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 124, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 402, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 421, L. 1977; Sec. 53-1014, R.C.M. 1947; (3), (4)En. 53-1013.1 by Sec. 1, Ch. 402, L. 1977; Sec. 53-1013.1, R.C.M 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 53-1013.1, 53-1014; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 363, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 712, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 277, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 341, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 363, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 375, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 398, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 535, L. 1989.