§17A-9-7. Surrender of evidence of registration, etc., upon cancellation, suspension or revocation; willful failure or refusal to surrender; fee for reinstatement.

(a) Whenever the registration of a vehicle, a certificate of title, a registration card, registration plate or plates, a temporary registration plate or marker, the right to issue temporary registration plates or markers, any nonresident or other permit or any license certificate or dealer special plates issued under the provisions of article six of this chapter is canceled, suspended or revoked as authorized in this chapter, the owner, holder or other person in possession of the evidences of the registration, title, permit or license or any special dealer plates shall, except as otherwise provided in article six of this chapter, immediately return the evidences of the registration, title, permit or license that was canceled, suspended or revoked, together with any dealer special plates relating to any license certificate, or any dealer special plate or plates if only the dealer special plate is suspended, to the division: Provided, That the owner or holder shall, before reinstatement, pay a fee of $10 in addition to all other fees, which shall be collected by the division and credited to a special revolving fund in the state Treasury to be appropriated to the division for use in enforcement of the provisions of this code: Provided, however, That on and after July 1, 2007, any balance in the special revolving fund and all fees collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund created in section twenty-one, article two of this chapter.

(b) If any person willfully fails or refuses to return to the division the evidences of the registration, title, permit or license that have been canceled, suspended or revoked, or any dealer special plates, when obligated so to do as provided in this section, the commissioner shall immediately notify the superintendent of the State Police who shall, as soon as possible, secure possession of the evidence of registration, title, permit or license or any special dealer plates and return it to the division. The Superintendent of the State Police shall make a report in writing to the commissioner, within two weeks after being notified by the commissioner, as to the result of his or her efforts to secure the possession and return of the evidences of registration, title, permit or license, or any dealer special plates.

(c) If any commercial motor carrier willfully fails or refuses to return to the division the evidences of the registration that have been suspended or revoked as provided in this section, the commissioner shall immediately notify the Public Service Commission which shall, as soon as possible, secure possession of the evidence of registration and return it to the division. The Public Service Commission shall make a report in writing to the commissioner, within two weeks after being notified by the commissioner, as to the result of its efforts to secure the possession and return of the evidences of registration.

(d) For each registration, certificate of title, registration card, registration plate or plates, temporary registration plate or marker, permit, license certificate or dealer special plate, which the owner, holder or other person in possession of the registration, title, permit or license or any special dealer plates shall have willfully failed or refused, as provided in this section, to return to the division within ten days from the time that the cancellation, suspension or revocation becomes effective, and which has been certified to the superintendent of the State Police as specified in this section, the owner or holder shall, before the registration, title, permit or license or any special dealer plates may be reinstated, if reinstatement is permitted, in addition to all other fees and charges, pay a fee of $15, which shall be collected by the Division of Motor Vehicles, paid into the state Treasury and credited to the General Fund to be appropriated to the State Police for application in the enforcement of the road laws.

A total of $25 may be collected on each reinstatement for each vehicle to which any cancellation, suspension or revocation relates.

(e) When any motor vehicle registration is suspended for failure to maintain motor vehicle liability insurance the reinstatement fee is $100, and if the vehicle owner fails to surrender the vehicle registration and the orders go to the State Police, an additional fee of $50 shall be required before the motor vehicle registration may be reinstated. A total of $150 may be collected on each reinstatement of any motor vehicle registration canceled, suspended or revoked for failure to maintain motor vehicle liability insurance.