49 U.S.C. § 33101
Verified against govinfo.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on govinfo.gov ↗
In this chapter—
- (1)“chop shop” means a building, lot, facility, or other structure or premise at which at least one person engages in receiving, concealing, destroying, disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or storing a passenger motor vehicle or passenger motor vehicle part that has been unlawfully obtained—
- (2)“covered major part” means a major part selected under section 33104 of this title for coverage by the vehicle theft prevention standard prescribed under section 33102 or 33103 of this title.
- (3)“existing line” means a line introduced into commerce before January 1, 1990.
- (4)“first purchaser” means the person making the first purchase other than for resale.
- (5)“line” means a name that a manufacturer of motor vehicles applies to a group of motor vehicle models of the same make that have the same body or chassis, or otherwise are similar in construction or design.
- (6)“major part” means—
- (A)the engine;
- (B)the transmission;
- (C)each door to the passenger compartment;
- (D)the hood;
- (E)the grille;
- (F)each bumper;
- (G)each front fender;
- (H)the deck lid, tailgate, or hatchback;
- (I)each rear quarter panel;
- (J)the trunk floor pan;
- (K)the frame or, for a unitized body, the supporting structure serving as the frame; and
- (L)any other part of a passenger motor vehicle that the Secretary of Transportation by regulation specifies as comparable in design or function to any of the parts listed in subclauses (A)–(K) of this clause.
- (7)“major replacement part” means a major part that is—
- (A)an original major part in or on a completed motor vehicle and customized or modified after manufacture of the vehicle but before the time of its delivery to the first purchaser; or
- (B)not installed in or on a motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to the first purchaser and the equitable or legal title to the vehicle has not been transferred to a first purchaser.
- (8)“model year” has the same meaning given that term in section 32901(a) of this title.
- (9)“new line” means a line introduced into commerce after December 31, 1989.
- (10)“passenger motor vehicle” includes a multipurpose passenger vehicle or light duty truck when that vehicle or truck is rated at not more than 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.
- (11)“vehicle theft prevention standard” means a minimum performance standard for identifying major parts of new motor vehicles and major replacement parts by inscribing or affixing numbers or symbols on those parts.