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![handle is hein.leghis/legdcmtr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: PUBLIC LAW 94-526-OCF. 17, 1976
Public Law 94-526
94th Congress
An Act
To amend the Act establishing a code of law for the District of Columbia to
prohibit the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle obtained under a written
rental or other agreement.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative8 of the
United States of America in Conqress as8embled, That section 826b
of the Act entitled An Act to establish a code of law for the District
of Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 (D.C. Code, sec. 22-2204), is
amended to read as follows:
SEC. 826b. UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A VEHIICLE.-(a) Any person
who, without the consent of the owner, shall take, use, operate, or
remove or cause to be taken, used, operated, or removed, from a garage,
stable, or other building, or from any place or locality on a public
or private highway, park, parkway, street, lot, field, enclosure, or
space, a motor vehicle, and operate or drive or cause the same to be
operated or driven for his own profit, use, or purpose shall be punished
by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisoned not exceeding five years,
or both such fine and imprisonment.
(b) (1) It shall be a violation of this subsection for any person,
after renting, leasing, or using a motor vehicle under a written agree-
ment which provides for the return of the vehicle to a particular place
at a specified time, to knowingly fail to return the vehicle to such place
(or to any authorized agent of the party from whom the vehicle was
obtained under the agreement), within eighteen days after written
demand is made for its return, if the conditions set forth in para-
graph (2) are met. Any person who violates this subsection shall be
ed not more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more than three years,
or both.
(2) The conditions referred to in paragraph (1) are as follows:
(A) The written agreement under which the motor vehicle
is obtained contains the following statement: 'WARNING-
failure to return this vehicle in accordance with the terms of this
rental agreement may result in a criminal penalty of up to three
years in jail'. Such statement shall be clearly and conspicuously
printed in a contrasting color, set off in a box, and signed by the
person obtaining the motor vehicle in a space specially provided.
(B) There is clearly and conspicuously displayed on the dash-
board of the motor vehicle the following notice: 'NOTICE-
failure to return this vehicle on time may result in serious criminal
penalties.'.
(C) The party from whom the motor vehicle was obtained
under the agreement makes a written demand for the return of the
vehicle, either by actual delivery to the person who obtained the
vehicle, or by deposit in the United States mails of a postpaid
registered or certified letter, return receipt requested, addressed
to such person at each address set forth in the written agreement
or otherwise provided by such person. Such written demand shall
clearly state that failure to return the vehicle may result in prose-
cution for violation of the criminal law of the District of Colum-
bia punishable by up to three years in jail. Such written demand
shall not be made prior to the date specified in the agreement for
Oct. 17, 1976
[H.R. 10826]
District of
Columbia, motor
vehicle
unauthorized use.
89-139 (432) 0 - 76
90 STAT. 2479](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.leghis/legdcmtr0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)