(A) The Department of Motor Vehicles or its designated agent may allow licensed motor vehicle dealers to issue first time motor vehicle registrations and license plates directly from the dealership. A dealership shall apply to the department upon forms approved and provided by the department. The department may request information necessary to ensure the integrity of the current licensing system. The department may allow or refuse a dealership the right to issue motor vehicle registrations or license plates based upon criteria established by the department. If a dealership previously is denied the privilege to issue registrations and license plates, upon meeting the established criteria, the dealership may be allowed to issue registrations or license plates. If in the opinion of the department a bond is necessary to ensure the payment of fees associated with the registering and licensing of a vehicle, the department may require a bond not to exceed the estimated value of new license plates and validation stickers held by the dealership or the department's designated agent.
(B) The department may certify third-party providers to process titles, temporary license plates as provided in Section 56-3-210, license plates, and vehicle registration transactions on behalf of the department. The department shall develop program standards and specifications that would be required for certification. Third parties requesting certification must agree to the program terms, conditions, standards, and specifications in order to participate.
(C) The department is authorized to collect a transaction fee from entities who either transmit or retrieve data from the department pursuant to this section. The fee must not exceed the fee authorized in Section 56-19-265(B) for each transaction. These fees must be placed by the Comptroller General into the State Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20, to be distributed as provided in Section 11-43-167.
HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 121B; 1996 Act No. 459, Section 166; 2014 Act No. 201 (H.3904), Section 1, eff June 2, 2014; 2016 Act No. 275 (S.1258), Section 35, eff July 1, 2016.