(A) Upon application being made and the required fee being paid to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the department may issue antique dealer license plates to a licensed motor vehicle dealer. The license plates, notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter to the contrary, may be used exclusively on antique motor vehicles owned by, assigned, or loaned for test driving purposes to the dealer when operated on the highways of this State by the dealer, its corporate officers, its employees, or a prospective purchaser of the antique motor vehicle. The use by a prospective purchaser is limited to seven days, and the dealer shall provide the prospective purchaser with a dated demonstration certificate. The certificate must be approved by the department. Antique dealer plates must not be used to operate wreckers or service vehicles in use by the dealer nor to operate vehicles owned by the dealer that are leased or rented by the public. No antique dealer plates may be issued by the department unless the dealer furnishes proof in a form acceptable to the department that he has a retail business license as required by Chapter 36 of Title 12 and has made at least five sales of antique motor vehicles in the twelve months preceding his application for a dealer plate. The sales requirement may be waived by the department if the dealer has been licensed for less than one year. For purposes of this section, the transfer of ownership of an antique motor vehicle between the same individual or corporation more than one time is considered as only one sale. Multiple transfer of antique motor vehicles between licensed dealers for the purpose of meeting eligibility requirements for antique motor vehicle dealer plates is prohibited.
(B) For good cause shown, the department may issue extra plates. If a dealer has been licensed less than one year, the department shall issue a number of license plates based on an estimated number of sales for the coming year. The department may increase or decrease the number of plates issued based on actual sales made.
(C) The cost of each plate is twenty dollars.
(D) For purposes of this section, "antique motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle which is over thirty years old.
HISTORY: 1996 Act No. 385, Section 1.