§17A-6B-10. Temporary registration plates or markers.

(a) In order to permit a vehicle which is to be titled and registered to be operated on the streets and highways pending receipt of the annual registration plate from the division for such vehicle, the commissioner may, subject to the limitations and conditions hereinafter set forth, deliver temporary vehicle registration plates or markers to persons engaged in license service businesses who in turn may, subject to the limitations and conditions hereinafter set forth, issue the same to applicants for title and registration of vehicles, but such applicants must comply with the pertinent provisions of this section.

(b) Application by a license service business to the commissioner for such temporary registration plates or markers shall be made on the form prescribed and furnished by the commissioner for such purpose and shall be accompanied by a fee of $3 for each such temporary registration plate or marker. No refund or credit of fees paid by license services to the commissioner for temporary registration plates or markers shall be allowed, except that in the event the commissioner discontinues the issuance of such temporary plates or markers, license services returning temporary registration plates or markers to the commissioner may petition for and be entitled to a refund or a credit thereof.

(c) Every license service who has made application for and received temporary registration plates or markers shall maintain in permanent form a record of all temporary registration plates or markers delivered to the licensee, a record of all temporary registration plates or markers issued, and a record of any other information pertaining to the receipt or the issuance of temporary registration plates or markers which the commissioner may require. Each such record shall be kept for a period of at least three years from the date of the making thereof.

Every licensee who issues a temporary registration plate or marker shall, within five working days after the issuance of such plate or marker, send to the division a copy of the temporary registration plate or marker certificate properly executed by the license service and the purchaser.

No temporary registration plates or markers may be delivered to any license service until such license service has fully accounted to the commissioner for the temporary registration plates or markers last delivered to such license service, by showing the number issued to purchasers by such license service and any on hand.

(d) A license service shall not issue, assign, or deliver a temporary registration plate or marker to anyone other than the bona fide applicant for title and registration of the vehicle to be registered. Not more than one temporary registration plate or marker shall be issued to the same bona fide applicant for the same vehicle. A license service shall not issue a temporary registration plate or marker to anyone possessing an annual registration plate for a vehicle which has been sold or exchanged, except a license service may issue a temporary registration plate or marker to the bona fide applicant of a vehicle to be registered who possesses an annual registration plate of a different class and makes application to the division to exchange such annual registration plate of a different class in accordance with the provisions of §17A-4-1 of this code. A license service shall not lend to anyone, or use on any vehicle which he or she may own, a temporary registration plate or marker.

It is unlawful for any license service to issue any temporary registration plate or marker which contains a misstatement of fact or false information.

No license service shall issue, assign, or deliver a temporary registration plate or marker to anyone unless and until the license service has physical possession of the application and appropriate fees and taxes of the vehicle to be titled and registered. Such application, fees, and taxes shall be postmarked to the issuing agency or submitted to the Division of Motor Vehicles within 48 hours after issuance of the temporary plate or marker.

(e) Every license service who issues temporary registration plates or markers shall affix or insert clearly and indelibly on the face of each temporary registration plate or marker the date of issuance and expiration thereof, and the make, model, and serial number of the vehicle for which issued.

(f) If the commissioner finds that the provisions of this section or his or her directions are not being complied with by a license service, he or she may suspend the right of such license service to issue temporary registration plates or markers.

(g) A temporary registration plate or marker shall expire upon the receipt of the annual registration plate from the division, or upon the rescission of the contract to purchase the vehicle in question, or upon the expiration of 90 days from the date of issuance, depending upon which event occurs first.

(h) A license service may charge a fee not to exceed $5 for issuing a temporary registration plate or marker.