SECTION 33. Theft, conversion or recovery of a vehicle, report; dealers' charge for certificates procured

A police officer, as defined in section one of chapter ninety C, who learns of the theft of a vehicle not since recovered, or of the recovery of a vehicle whose theft or conversion he knows or has reason to believe has been reported to the registrar, shall forthwith report the theft or recovery to the registrar. The registrar shall maintain a record of stolen, converted, recovered and unclaimed vehicles reported to it under this section.

An owner or a lienholder may report the theft of a vehicle or its conversion if a crime, to the registrar, but the registrar may disregard the report of a conversion unless a warrant has been issued for the arrest of a person charged with the conversion. A person who has so reported the theft or conversion of a vehicle shall, forthwith after learning of its recovery, report the recovery to the registrar.

Dealers who procure, or assist purchasers to procure, certificates of title for vehicles sold by them, may charge the purchasers for such services not more than five dollars for each transaction.