N.Y. VAT Law § 2129

§ 2129. Stolen, converted, recovered and unclaimed vehicles. (a)\nPolice or peace officer's report. A peace officer, when acting pursuant\nto his special duties, or police officer who learns of the theft of a\nvehicle not since recovered, or of the recovery of a vehicle whose theft\nor conversion he knows or has reason to believe has been reported to the\ncommissioner, shall forthwith report the theft or recovery to the\ncommissioner. Such report shall be in addition to any other reports\nrequired by law.\n (b) Owner's or lienholder's report. An owner or a lienholder may\nreport the theft of a vehicle, or its conversion if a crime, to the\ncommissioner, but the commissioner may disregard the report of a\nconversion unless a warrant has been issued for the arrest of a person\ncharged with the conversion. A person who has so reported the theft or\nconversion of a vehicle shall, forthwith after learning of its recovery,\nreport the recovery to the commissioner.\n (c) Garage operator's report. An operator of a place of business for\ngaraging, parking or storing vehicles for the public, in which a vehicle\nremains unclaimed for a period of thirty days, shall, within five days\nafter the expiration of that period, report the vehicle as unclaimed to\nthe commissioner. A vehicle left by its owner whose name and address are\nknown to the operator or his employee is not considered unclaimed. A\nperson who fails to report a vehicle as unclaimed in accordance with\nthis subdivision forfeits all claims and liens for its garaging, parking\nor storing.\n (d) Commissioner's record. The commissioner shall maintain, and\nappropriately index appropriate public records of stolen, converted,\nrecovered and unclaimed vehicles reported to him pursuant to this\nsection. The commissioner may make and distribute copies of any such\nrecords so maintained to peace officers, when acting pursuant to their\nspecial duties, or police officers upon request without fee and to\nothers for the fee, if any, the commissioner prescribes.\n (e) Commissioner's action. The commissioner may suspend the\nregistration of a vehicle whose theft or conversion is reported to him\npursuant to this section; until the commissioner learns of its recovery\nor that the report of its theft or conversion was erroneous, he shall\nnot issue a certificate of title for the vehicle.\n