West Virginia Code 17A-4-3 – New owner must secure registration and certificate of title
The transferee before operating or permitting the operation of such vehicle upon a highway shall apply for and obtain the registration thereof, as upon an original registration, except as otherwise permitted in sections thirteen and fifteen, article six, or by any other provisions of this chapter: Provided, That such transferee may operate such vehicle under the registration of its previous owner for a period of not more than ten days as provided in section one, article three of this chapter.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17A-4-3
- highway: means the entire width between boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Owner: means a person who holds the legal title to a vehicle, or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be considered the owner for the purpose of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
A transferee shall at the same time present the certificate of title endorsed and assigned as hereinbefore provided to the department and make application for and obtain a new certificate of title for such vehicle, except as otherwise permitted in sections four and five of this article.