A. A dealer may apply to the department on the appropriate form for one or more dealer plates. The applicant shall submit proof of being a bona fide dealer as may reasonably be required by the department.
B. The maximum number of dealer plates for which a dealer of new or used motor vehicles or motorcycles may apply pursuant to this section shall be:
(1) for a dealer who sold in the previous calendar year five or more but fewer than fifty vehicles, one plate;
(2) for a dealer who sold in the previous calendar year more than fifty but fewer than one hundred vehicles, three plates;
(3) for a dealer who sold in the previous calendar year more than one hundred but fewer than five hundred vehicles, five plates; and
(4) for a dealer who sold in the previous calendar year five hundred or more vehicles, ten plates.
C. A dealer shall be entitled to five plates in the first calendar year in which it begins business. A dealer who is licensed pursuant to the provisions of Section 66-4-1 NMSA 1978 on or after August 1 of any calendar year shall also be entitled to five plates in the calendar year following the year in which it is first licensed to do business.
D. The department upon granting application shall issue to the applicant a certificate containing the applicant's name and address and the numbers of the dealer plates assigned to the applicant.
History: 1953 Comp., § 64-3-402, enacted by Laws 1978, ch. 35, § 81; 1998, ch. 48, § 10; 2005, ch. 324, § 10; 2007, ch. 319, § 30.
ANNOTATIONSCross references. — For general definitions applicable to this section, see 66-1-4 to 66-1-4.20 NMSA 1978.
For suspension or revocation of temporary permits for misuse by dealer, see 66-3-6 NMSA 1978.
The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, eliminated the references to "special dealer plates" and deleted former Subsection C that provided maximum numbers of special dealer plates for auto recyclers.
The 2005 amendment, effective January 1, 2006, changed "wrecker of vehicles", "wrecker or dismantler of new or used motor vehicles or motorcycles", "wrecker or dismantler" and "wrecker" to "auto recycler".
The 1998 amendment, effective July 1, 1998, in the section heading, deleted "and issuance of certificate and" preceding "special", and inserted "dealer"; in Subsection A, deleted "manufacturer" following "Any", substituted "apply" for "make application", substituted "department" for "division", deleted "for a certificate containing a general 'vehicle business number' and" following "form", inserted "dealer", deleted "also" preceding "submit", deleted "manufacturer" following "fide", and substituted "department" for "division"; added present Subsections B through D and redesignated the remaining Subsections accordingly; in present Subsection E, substituted "department" for "division", substituted "the numbers of the special dealer plates" for "general vehicle business number"; and deleted former Subsection C.
When temporary permits available to manufacturers. — Upon issuance of a motor vehicle dealers' license to a qualified manufacturer, the division may thereafter extend the use of temporary transportation permits to vehicle manufacturers. 1979 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 79-31.
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 60 C.J.S. Motor Vehicles § 101.