§17C-16-9. Operation without certificate or failure to produce certificate; penalty for misdemeanor.
It is a misdemeanor for any owner or operator, or both owner and operator, of any vehicle required to be inspected under subsection (a), section four of this article, to operate or permit to be operated such vehicle without having displayed thereon a current and valid certificate of inspection and approval or fail to produce same upon demand of any authorized person as designated under said subsection: Provided, That a dealer licensed to sell new vehicles under the provision of article six, chapter seventeen-a of this code shall not be required to display a certificate of inspection and approval upon any new vehicle if the vehicle is driven for an operational purpose including all activities associated with dealer preparation for sale of a motor vehicle belonging to such dealer when such vehicle has not been titled or delivered to a purchaser, and when such car is not to be used in the demonstrator fleet or otherwise routinely driven on the highways or roads of this state.
Unless another penalty is by the laws of this state provided, every person convicted of a misdemeanor for operating a vehicle without having displayed thereon a current and valid certificate of inspection and approval or for failure to produce such certificate upon demand of an authorized person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $100: Provided, That any person who obtains an inspection and a current and valid certificate of inspection and who, within five days of the issuance of a citation for a violation of the provisions of this section, provides a receipt of inspection to and makes the vehicle so operated available for examination by a court of competent jurisdiction, shall not be guilty of a violation of the provisions of this section: Provided, however, That the misdemeanor penalty shall be imposed if the certificate of inspection has not been valid for a period exceeding three months prior to the date of the issuance of a citation.
