Current Status Bill Number:360 Type of Legislation:General Bill GB Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19950112 Primary Sponsor:Elliott All Sponsors:Elliott and Reese Drafted Document Number:council\legis\bills\dka\3578cm.95 Companion Bill Number:3111 Residing Body:Senate Current Committee:Transportation Committee 15 ST Subject:Motor vehicle dealer license plates
Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved
______ ________ _______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate 19950112 Introduced, read first time, 15 ST
referred to Committee
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-2320, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO REVISE THE NUMBER OF PLATES ISSUED AND THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR SUCH PLATES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 56-3-2320 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Section 4, Act 423 of 1994 and Sections 37 and 121(J), Part II, Act 497 of 1994, is further amended to read:
"Section 56-3-2320. (A) Upon application being made and the required fee being paid to the department, the department may issue 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 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 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. 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 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 twenty sales of 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 a motor vehicle between the same individual or corporation more than one time is considered as only one sale. Multiple transfer of motor vehicles between licensed dealers for the purpose of meeting eligibility requirements for motor vehicle dealer plates is prohibited.
A dealer may be issued one plate for fewer than twelve vehicles sold during the preceding year, two plates for the first twenty vehicles sold during the preceding year, and one additional plate for each fifteen vehicles sold beyond the initial twenty during the preceding year.
For good cause shown, the department in its discretion may issue extra plates. If the 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.
The cost of each dealer plate issued is twenty dollars.
Upon application to the department, a public or private school, college, or university may be issued an education license plate to be used on vehicles loaned or rented to the school, college, or university by a licensed motor vehicle dealer. The plate must be a personalized plate designed by the department. The cost of each plate issued is two hundred dollars, of which one hundred sixty dollars must be remitted by the department to the county in which the school, college, or university is located. Each plate is valid for two years, and there is no limit on the number of plates which may be issued.
A dealer license plate is allowed on a motor vehicle which the dealer lends to a public or private school for use in a driver education program. A plate used for this purpose may be obtained without fee and without regard to the limit on plates issued pursuant to this section. When the motor vehicle is no longer used for driver education, the dealer shall surrender the plate to the department.
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a dealer exclusively selling heavy duty trucks at retail is eligible to obtain dealer license plates for exclusive use on the heavy duty trucks regardless of the number of trucks sold by him during the preceding required number of months. These dealer license plates for trucks must be noted with a distinct and separate identification and used only on heavy duty trucks. For purposes of this section, heavy duty trucks include trucks having a gross vehicle weight of sixteen thousand pounds or greater.
(B) For purposes of this section, the testing or demonstration of a truck as defined in Section 56-3-20(10) includes permitting a prospective buyer to use the truck for carrying merchandise or cargo for not more than three days upon the dealer providing the buyer with a special demonstration certificate for this purpose. The form and content of the demonstration certificate must be as prescribed by regulation of the department which also shall provide certificates to dealers upon their request. The original certificate must be kept by the buyer in the cab of the truck during the three-day demonstration period, and the dealer shall retain a copy of the certificate and mail a copy of the certificate to the department within twenty-four hours after it is issued to the buyer."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.