Bill Text: MO HB2307 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Changes the laws regarding driveaway license plates, motor vehicles, motor vehicle dealers, and driver's licenses
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-05-14 - Referred: Transportation (H) [HB2307 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2010-HB2307-Introduced.html
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE COOPER.
5312L.02I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal sections 301.069, 301.196, 301.200, 301.218, 301.280, 301.560, 301.562, 301.567, 301.570, 302.220, and 302.230, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof thirteen new sections relating to regulation of motor vehicles and drivers licensing, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 301.069, 301.196, 301.200, 301.218, 301.280, 301.560, 301.562, 301.567, 301.570, 302.220, and 302.230, RSMo, are repealed and thirteen new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 301.069, 301.196, 301.200, 301.218, 301.280, 301.427, 301.560, 301.562, 301.567, 301.570, 301.574, 302.220, and 302.230, to read as follows:
301.069. 1. A driveaway license plate may not be used on a vehicle used or operated on a highway except for the purpose of transporting vehicles in transit. Driveaway license plates may not be used by tow truck operators transporting wrecked, disabled, abandoned, improperly parked, or burned vehicles. Driveaway license plates shall only be used by owners, corporate officers, or employees of a business to which the plate is issued. For each driveaway license there shall be paid an annual license fee of forty-four dollars and fifty cents for one set of plates or such insignia as the director may issue which shall be attached to the motor vehicle as prescribed in this chapter. Applicants may choose to obtain biennial driveaway licenses. The fee for biennial driveaway licenses shall be eighty-nine dollars. For single trips the fee shall be four dollars, and descriptive insignia shall be prepared and issued at the discretion of the director who shall also prescribe the type of equipment used to attach such vehicles in combinations.
2. No driveaway license plate shall be issued by the director of revenue unless the applicant therefor shall make application for such plate and shall therein include:
(1) The business name, business street address, and business telephone number of the applicant;
(2) The business owner's full name, date of birth, driver license number or nondriver license number, residence street address, and residence telephone number;
(3) The signature and printed name of the business owner or authorized representative of the business presenting such application; and
(4) A statement explaining what the driveaway license plates will be used for.
The applicant shall provide certification of proof of financial responsibility, as defined in section 303.020, sufficient to cover each motor vehicle the applicant shall operate or otherwise move on the streets or highways, through use of the driveaway license plate, during the period of registration. The applicant shall provide such certification by affixing a copy of said certification to the application. The application shall include a photograph, not to exceed eight inches by ten inches, but no less than five inches by seven inches, showing the business building and sign of the applicant's business. The applicant shall maintain a working, landline telephone at the applicant's place of business throughout the registration period. The applicant shall maintain certification of proof of financial responsibility as described herein throughout the registration period.
3. If any of the information required by this section to be reported by the applicant changes during the registration period, the applicant shall report said changes to the department of revenue within ten days of the date of the change.
4. Any violation of this section shall result in the revocation of the applicant's driveaway license.
5. Any person who knowingly uses a revoked driveaway license plate shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
301.196. 1. Beginning January 1, 2006, except as otherwise provided in this section, the transferor of an interest in a motor vehicle or trailer listed on the face of a Missouri title, excluding [salvage titles and] junking certificates, shall notify the department of revenue of the transfer within thirty days of the date of transfer. The notice shall be in a form determined by the department by rule and shall contain:
(1) A description of the motor vehicle or trailer sufficient to identify it;
(2) The vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle or trailer;
(3) The name and address of the transferee;
(4) The date of birth of the transferee, unless the transferee is not a natural person;
(5) The date of the transfer or sale;
(6) The purchase price of the motor vehicle or trailer, if applicable;
(7) The number of the transferee's drivers license, unless the transferee does not have a drivers license;
(8) The printed name and signature of the transferee;
(9) Any other information required by the department by rule.
2. For purposes of giving notice under this section, if the transfer occurs by operation of law, the personal representative, receiver, trustee, sheriff, or other representative or successor in interest of the person whose interest is transferred shall be considered the transferor. Repossession by a creditor shall not be considered a transfer of ownership requiring such notice.
3. The requirements of this section shall not apply to transfers when there is no complete change of ownership interest or upon award of ownership of a motor vehicle or trailer made by court order, or transfers of ownership of a motor vehicle or trailer to or between vehicle dealers, or transfers of ownership of a motor vehicle or trailer to an insurance company due to a theft or casualty loss, or transfers of beneficial ownership of a motor vehicle owned by a trust.
4. Notification under this section is only required for transfers of ownership that would otherwise require [registration and] an application for certificate of title in this state under section 301.190, and is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an assignment or release of any interest in the vehicle.
5. Retail sales made by licensed dealers including sales of new vehicles shall be reported pursuant to the provisions of section 301.280.
301.200. 1. In the case of dealers, a certificate of ownership or proof that a dealer has applied for a certificate of ownership or that a prior lien has been satisfied by the dealer shall be required in the case of each motor vehicle in his possession, and the director of revenue shall determine the form in which application for such certificates of ownership and assignments shall be made, in case forms differing from those used for individuals are, in his judgment, reasonably required; provided, however, that no such certificates shall be required in the case of new motor vehicles or trailers sold by manufacturers to dealers.
2. Dealers shall execute and deliver manufacturer's statements of origin in accordance with forms prescribed by the director of revenue for all new cars sold by them. On the presentation of a manufacturer's statement of origin, executed in the form prescribed by the director of revenue, by a manufacturer or a dealer for a new car sold in this state, a certificate of ownership shall be issued.
3. Each certificate of ownership issued by the department of revenue shall contain space for four assignments. On all certificates of ownership containing fewer than four assignment spaces, the director shall prescribe a secure document for use in making a fourth assignment by a dealer. All secure documents for assignments which are spoiled shall be marked "void" and shall be returned by the dealer to the department of revenue at the end of each month.
4. No entity that finances or establishes a line of credit that enables a motor vehicle dealer to purchase a motor vehicle shall hold, or preclude a motor vehicle dealer from holding, any certificate of ownership to a motor vehicle as part of that financing or line of credit. Any entity that finances or establishes a line of credit that enables a motor vehicle dealer to purchase vehicles, and who holds or prohibits a motor vehicle dealer from holding, any certificate of ownership as part of that financing or line of credit shall upon conviction be guilty of a class A misdemeanor, provided that a second or subsequent offense shall be a class D felony.
301.218. 1. No person shall, except as an incident to the sale, repair, rebuilding or servicing of vehicles by a licensed franchised motor vehicle dealer, carry on or conduct the following business unless licensed to do so by the department of revenue under sections 301.217 to 301.229:
(1) Selling used parts of or used accessories for vehicles as a used parts dealer, as defined in section 301.010;
(2) Salvaging, wrecking or dismantling vehicles for resale of the parts thereof as a salvage dealer or dismantler, as defined in section 301.010;
(3) Rebuilding and repairing four or more wrecked or dismantled vehicles in a calendar year as a rebuilder or body shop, as defined in section 301.010;
(4) Processing scrapped vehicles or vehicle parts as a [mobile] scrap processor, as defined in section 301.010.
2. Sales at a salvage pool or a salvage disposal sale shall be open only to and made to persons actually engaged in and holding a current license under sections 301.217 to 301.221 and 301.550 to 301.573 or any person from another state or jurisdiction who is legally allowed in his or her state of domicile to purchase for resale, rebuild, dismantle, crush, or scrap either motor vehicles or salvage vehicles, and to persons who reside in a foreign country that are purchasing salvage vehicles for export outside of the United States. Operators of salvage pools or salvage disposal sales shall keep a record, for three years, of sales of salvage vehicles with the purchasers' name and address, and the year, make, and vehicle identification number for each vehicle. These records shall be open for inspection as provided in section 301.225. Such records shall be submitted to the department on a quarterly basis.
3. The operator of a salvage pool or salvage disposal sale, or subsequent purchaser, who sells a nonrepairable motor vehicle or a salvage motor vehicle to a person who is not a resident of the United States at a salvage pool or a salvage disposal sale shall:
(1) Stamp on the face of the title so as not to obscure any name, date, or mileage statement on the title the words "FOR EXPORT ONLY" in capital letters that are black; and
(2) Stamp in each unused reassignment space on the back of the title the words "FOR EXPORT ONLY" and print the number of the dealer's salvage vehicle license, name of the salvage pool, or the name of the governmental entity, as applicable. The words "FOR EXPORT ONLY" required under subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be at least two inches wide and clearly legible. Copies of the stamped titles shall be forwarded to the department.
4. The director of revenue shall issue a separate license for each kind of business described in subsection 1 of this section, to be entitled and designated as either "used parts dealer"; "salvage dealer or dismantler"; "rebuilder or body shop"; or "[mobile] scrap processor" license.
301.280. 1. Every motor vehicle dealer and boat dealer shall make a monthly report to the department of revenue, on blanks to be prescribed by the department of revenue, giving the following information: date of the sale of each motor vehicle, boat, trailer and all-terrain vehicle sold; the name and address of the buyer; the name of the manufacturer; year of manufacture; model of vehicle; vehicle identification number; style of vehicle; odometer setting; and it shall also state whether the motor vehicle, boat, trailer or all-terrain vehicle is new or secondhand. Each monthly sales report filed by a motor vehicle dealer who collects sales tax under subsection 8 of section 144.070, RSMo, shall also include the amount of state and local sales tax collected for each motor vehicle sold if sales tax was due. The odometer reading is not required when reporting the sale of any motor vehicle that is ten years old or older, any motor vehicle having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than sixteen thousand pounds, new vehicles that are transferred on a manufacturer's statement of origin between one franchised motor vehicle dealer and another, or boats, all-terrain vehicles or trailers. The sale of all thirty-day temporary permits, without exception, shall be recorded in the appropriate space on the dealer's monthly sales report by recording the complete permit number issued on the motor vehicle or trailer sale listed. The monthly sales report shall be completed in full and signed by an officer, partner, or owner of the dealership, and actually received by the department of revenue on or before the fifteenth day of the month succeeding the month for which the sales are being reported. If no sales occur in any given month, a report shall be submitted for that month indicating no sales. Any vehicle dealer who fails to file a monthly report or who fails to file a timely report shall be subject to disciplinary action as prescribed in section 301.562 or a penalty assessed by the director not to exceed three hundred dollars per violation. Every motor vehicle and boat dealer shall retain copies of the monthly sales report as part of the records to be maintained at the dealership location and shall hold them available for inspection by appropriate law enforcement officials and officials of the department of revenue. Every vehicle dealer selling twenty or more vehicles a month shall file the monthly sales report with the department in an electronic format. Any dealer filing a monthly sales report in an electronic format shall be exempt from filing the notice of transfer required by section 301.196. For any dealer not filing electronically, the notice of transfer required by section 301.196 shall be submitted with the monthly sales report as prescribed by the director.
2. Every dealer and every person operating a public garage shall keep a correct record of the vehicle identification number, odometer setting, manufacturer's name of all motor vehicles or trailers accepted by him for the purpose of sale, rental, storage, repair or repainting, together with the name and address of the person delivering such motor vehicle or trailer to the dealer or public garage keeper, and the person delivering such motor vehicle or trailer shall record such information in a file kept by the dealer or garage keeper. The record shall be kept for [three] five years and be open for inspection by law enforcement officials, members or authorized or designated employees of the Missouri highway patrol, and persons, agencies and officials designated by the director of revenue.
3. Every dealer and every person operating a public garage in which a motor vehicle remains unclaimed for a period of fifteen days shall, within five days after the expiration of that period, report the motor vehicle as unclaimed to the director of revenue. Such report shall be on a form prescribed by the director of revenue. A motor vehicle left by its owner whose name and address are known to the dealer or his employee or person operating a public garage or his employee is not considered unclaimed. Any dealer or person operating a public garage who fails to report a motor vehicle as unclaimed as herein required forfeits all claims and liens for its garaging, parking or storing.
4. The director of revenue shall maintain appropriately indexed cumulative records of unclaimed vehicles reported to the director. Such records shall be kept open to public inspection during reasonable business hours.
5. The alteration or obliteration of the vehicle identification number on any such motor vehicle shall be prima facie evidence of larceny, and the dealer or person operating such public garage shall upon the discovery of such obliteration or alteration immediately notify the highway patrol, sheriff, marshal, constable or chief of police of the municipality where the dealer or garage keeper has his place of business, and shall hold such motor vehicle or trailer for a period of forty-eight hours for the purpose of an investigation by the officer so notified.
6. Any person who knowingly makes a false statement or omission of a material fact in a monthly sales report to the department of revenue, as described in subsection 1 of this section, shall be deemed guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
301.427. If the director of revenue or his or her designated representative reasonably believes that a certificate of ownership, a license plate, or a license plate tab was obtained fraudulently, any person in possession of said item shall surrender same to the director of revenue or his or her designated representative upon request. Any person failing to do so shall be deemed guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
301.560. 1. In addition to the application forms prescribed by the department, each applicant shall submit the following to the department:
(1) Every application other than a renewal application for a motor vehicle franchise dealer shall include a certification that the applicant has a bona fide established place of business. Such application shall include an annual certification that the applicant has a bona fide established place of business [for the first three years and only for every other year thereafter]. The certification shall be performed by a uniformed member of the Missouri state highway patrol or authorized or designated employee stationed in the troop area in which the applicant's place of business is located; except that in counties of the first classification, certification may be performed by an officer of a metropolitan police department when the applicant's established place of business of distributing or selling motor vehicles or trailers is in the metropolitan area where the certifying metropolitan police officer is employed. When the application is being made for licensure as a boat manufacturer or boat dealer, certification shall be performed by a uniformed member of the Missouri state water patrol stationed in the district area in which the applicant's place of business is located or by a uniformed member of the Missouri state highway patrol stationed in the troop area in which the applicant's place of business is located or, if the applicant's place of business is located within the jurisdiction of a metropolitan police department in a first class county, by an officer of such metropolitan police department. A bona fide established place of business for any new motor vehicle franchise dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, boat dealer, powersport dealer, wholesale motor vehicle dealer, trailer dealer, or wholesale or public auction shall be a permanent enclosed building or structure, either owned in fee or leased and actually occupied as a place of business by the applicant for the selling, bartering, trading, servicing, or exchanging of motor vehicles, boats, personal watercraft, or trailers and wherein the public may contact the owner or operator at any reasonable time, and wherein shall be kept and maintained the books, records, files and other matters required and necessary to conduct the business. The applicant's place of business shall contain a working telephone which shall be maintained during the entire registration year. In order to qualify as a bona fide established place of business for all applicants licensed pursuant to this section there shall be an exterior sign displayed carrying the name of the business set forth in letters at least six inches in height and clearly visible to the public and there shall be an area or lot which shall not be a public street on which multiple vehicles, boats, personal watercraft, or trailers may be displayed. The sign shall contain the name of the dealership by which it is known to the public through advertising or otherwise, which need not be identical to the name appearing on the dealership's license so long as such name is registered as a fictitious name with the secretary of state, has been approved by its line-make manufacturer in writing in the case of a new motor vehicle franchise dealer and a copy of such fictitious name registration has been provided to the department. Dealers who sell only emergency vehicles as defined in section 301.550 are exempt from maintaining a bona fide place of business, including the related law enforcement certification requirements, and from meeting the minimum yearly sales;
(2) The initial application for licensure shall include a photograph, not to exceed eight inches by ten inches but no less than five inches by seven inches, showing the business building, lot, and sign. A new motor vehicle franchise dealer applicant who has purchased a currently licensed new motor vehicle franchised dealership shall be allowed to submit a photograph of the existing dealership building, lot and sign but shall be required to submit a new photograph upon the installation of the new dealership sign as required by sections 301.550 to 301.573. Applicants shall not be required to submit a photograph annually unless the business has moved from its previously licensed location, or unless the name of the business or address has changed, or unless the class of business has changed;
(3) Every applicant as a new motor vehicle franchise dealer, a used motor vehicle dealer, a powersport dealer, a wholesale motor vehicle dealer, trailer dealer, or boat dealer shall furnish with the application a corporate surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit as defined in section 400.5-103, RSMo, issued by any state or federal financial institution in the penal sum of twenty-five thousand dollars on a form approved by the department. The bond or irrevocable letter of credit shall be conditioned upon the dealer complying with the provisions of the statutes applicable to new motor vehicle franchise dealers, used motor vehicle dealers, powersport dealers, wholesale motor vehicle dealers, trailer dealers, and boat dealers, and the bond shall be an indemnity for any loss sustained by reason of the acts of the person bonded when such acts constitute grounds for the suspension or revocation of the dealer's license. The bond shall be executed in the name of the state of Missouri for the benefit of all aggrieved parties or the irrevocable letter of credit shall name the state of Missouri as the beneficiary; except, that the aggregate liability of the surety or financial institution to the aggrieved parties shall, in no event, exceed the amount of the bond or irrevocable letter of credit. The proceeds of the bond or irrevocable letter of credit shall be paid upon receipt by the department of a final judgment from a Missouri court of competent jurisdiction against the principal and in favor of an aggrieved party. Additionally, every applicant as a new motor vehicle franchise dealer, a used motor vehicle dealer, a powersport dealer, a wholesale motor vehicle dealer, trailer dealer, or boat dealer shall furnish with the application a copy of a current dealer garage policy bearing the policy number and name of the insurer and the insured;
(4) Payment of all necessary license fees as established by the department. In establishing the amount of the annual license fees, the department shall, as near as possible, produce sufficient total income to offset operational expenses of the department relating to the administration of sections 301.550 to 301.573. All fees payable pursuant to the provisions of sections 301.550 to 301.573, other than those fees collected for the issuance of dealer plates or certificates of number collected pursuant to subsection 6 of this section, shall be collected by the department for deposit in the state treasury to the credit of the "Motor Vehicle Commission Fund", which is hereby created. The motor vehicle commission fund shall be administered by the Missouri department of revenue. The provisions of section 33.080, RSMo, to the contrary notwithstanding, money in such fund shall not be transferred and placed to the credit of the general revenue fund until the amount in the motor vehicle commission fund at the end of the biennium exceeds two times the amount of the appropriation from such fund for the preceding fiscal year or, if the department requires permit renewal less frequently than yearly, then three times the appropriation from such fund for the preceding fiscal year. The amount, if any, in the fund which shall lapse is that amount in the fund which exceeds the multiple of the appropriation from such fund for the preceding fiscal year.
2. In the event a new vehicle manufacturer, boat manufacturer, motor vehicle dealer, wholesale motor vehicle dealer, boat dealer, powersport dealer, wholesale motor vehicle auction, trailer dealer, or a public motor vehicle auction submits an application for a license for a new business and the applicant has complied with all the provisions of this section, the department shall make a decision to grant or deny the license to the applicant within eight working hours after receipt of the dealer's application, notwithstanding any rule of the department.
3. Upon the initial issuance of a license by the department, the department shall assign a distinctive dealer license number or certificate of number to the applicant and the department shall issue one number plate or certificate bearing the distinctive dealer license number or certificate of number and two additional number plates or certificates of number within eight working hours after presentment of the application. Upon renewal, the department shall issue the distinctive dealer license number or certificate of number as quickly as possible. The issuance of such distinctive dealer license number or certificate of number shall be in lieu of registering each motor vehicle, trailer, vessel or vessel trailer dealt with by a boat dealer, boat manufacturer, manufacturer, public motor vehicle auction, wholesale motor vehicle dealer, wholesale motor vehicle auction or new or used motor vehicle dealer.
4. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary, the department shall assign the following distinctive dealer license numbers to:
New motor vehicle franchise dealers D-0 through D-999
New powersport dealers and motorcycle franchise
dealers D-1000 through D-1999
Used motor vehicle, used powersport, and used motorcycle
dealers D-2000 through D-9999
Wholesale motor vehicle dealers W-0 through W-1999
Wholesale motor vehicle auctions WA-0 through WA-999
New and used trailer dealers T-0 through T-9999
Motor vehicle, trailer, and boat
manufacturers DM-0 through DM-999
Public motor vehicle auctions A-0 through A-1999
Boat dealers M-0 through M-9999
New and used recreational motor vehicle
dealers RV-0 through RV-999
For purposes of this subsection, qualified transactions shall include the purchase of salvage titled vehicles by a licensed salvage dealer. A used motor vehicle dealer who also holds a salvage dealer's license shall be allowed one additional plate or certificate number per fifty-unit qualified transactions annually. In order for salvage dealers to obtain number plates or certificates under this section, dealers shall submit to the department of revenue on August first of each year a statement certifying, under penalty of perjury, the dealer's number of purchases during the reporting period of July first of the immediately preceding year to June thirtieth of the present year. The provisions of this subsection shall become effective on the date the director of the department of revenue begins to reissue new license plates under section 301.130, or on December 1, 2008, whichever occurs first. If the director of revenue begins reissuing new license plates under the authority granted under section 301.130 prior to December 1, 2008, the director of the department of revenue shall notify the revisor of statutes of such fact.
5. Upon the sale of a currently licensed new motor vehicle franchise dealership the department shall, upon request, authorize the new approved dealer applicant to retain the selling dealer's license number and shall cause the new dealer's records to indicate such transfer.
6. In the case of new motor vehicle manufacturers, motor vehicle dealers, powersport dealers, recreational motor vehicle dealers, and trailer dealers, the department shall issue one number plate bearing the distinctive dealer license number and may issue two additional number plates to the applicant upon payment by the manufacturer or dealer of a fifty dollar fee for the number plate bearing the distinctive dealer license number and ten dollars and fifty cents for each additional number plate. Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130. Boat dealers and boat manufacturers shall be entitled to one certificate of number bearing such number upon the payment of a fifty dollar fee. Additional number plates and as many additional certificates of number may be obtained upon payment of a fee of ten dollars and fifty cents for each additional plate or certificate. New motor vehicle manufacturers shall not be issued or possess more than three hundred forty-seven additional number plates or certificates of number annually. New and used motor vehicle dealers, powersport dealers, wholesale motor vehicle dealers, boat dealers, and trailer dealers are limited to one additional plate or certificate of number per ten-unit qualified transactions annually. New and used recreational motor vehicle dealers are limited to two additional plates or certificate of number per ten-unit qualified transactions annually for their first fifty transactions and one additional plate or certificate of number per ten-unit qualified transactions thereafter. An applicant seeking the issuance of an initial license shall indicate on his or her initial application the applicant's proposed annual number of sales in order for the director to issue the appropriate number of additional plates or certificates of number. A motor vehicle dealer, trailer dealer, boat dealer, powersport dealer, recreational motor vehicle dealer, motor vehicle manufacturer, boat manufacturer, or wholesale motor vehicle dealer obtaining a distinctive dealer license plate or certificate of number or additional license plate or additional certificate of number, throughout the calendar year, shall be required to pay a fee for such license plates or certificates of number computed on the basis of one-twelfth of the full fee prescribed for the original and duplicate number plates or certificates of number for such dealers' licenses, multiplied by the number of months remaining in the licensing period for which the dealer or manufacturers shall be required to be licensed. In the event of a renewing dealer, the fee due at the time of renewal shall not be prorated. Wholesale and public auctions shall be issued a certificate of dealer registration in lieu of a dealer number plate. In order for dealers to obtain number plates or certificates under this section, dealers shall submit to the department of revenue on August first of each year a statement certifying, under penalty of perjury, the dealer's number of sales during the reporting period of July first of the immediately preceding year to June thirtieth of the present year.
7. The plates issued pursuant to subsection 3 or 6 of this section may be displayed on any motor vehicle owned by a new motor vehicle manufacturer. The plates issued pursuant to subsection 3 or 6 of this section may be displayed on any motor vehicle or trailer owned and held for resale by a motor vehicle dealer for use by a customer who is test driving the motor vehicle, for use and display purposes during, but not limited to, parades, private events, charitable events, or for use by an employee or officer, but shall not be displayed on any motor vehicle or trailer hired or loaned to others or upon any regularly used service or wrecker vehicle. Motor vehicle dealers may display their dealer plates on a tractor, truck or trailer to demonstrate a vehicle under a loaded condition. Trailer dealers may display their dealer license plates in like manner, except such plates may only be displayed on trailers owned and held for resale by the trailer dealer.
8. The certificates of number issued pursuant to subsection 3 or 6 of this section may be displayed on any vessel or vessel trailer owned and held for resale by a boat manufacturer or a boat dealer, and used by a customer who is test driving the vessel or vessel trailer, or is used by an employee or officer on a vessel or vessel trailer only, but shall not be displayed on any motor vehicle owned by a boat manufacturer, boat dealer, or trailer dealer, or vessel or vessel trailer hired or loaned to others or upon any regularly used service vessel or vessel trailer. Boat dealers and boat manufacturers may display their certificate of number on a vessel or vessel trailer when transporting a vessel or vessels to an exhibit or show.
9. (1) Every application for the issuance of a used motor vehicle dealer's license shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant, within the last twelve months, has completed an educational seminar course approved by the department as prescribed by subdivision (2) of this subsection. Wholesale and public auto auctions and applicants currently holding a new or used license for a separate dealership shall be exempt from the requirements of this subsection. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to current new motor vehicle franchise dealers or motor vehicle leasing agencies or applicants for a new motor vehicle franchise or a motor vehicle leasing agency. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to used motor vehicle dealers who were licensed prior to August 28, 2006.
(2) The educational seminar shall include, but is not limited to, the dealer requirements of sections 301.550 to 301.573, the rules promulgated to implement, enforce, and administer sections 301.550 to 301.570, and any other rules and regulations promulgated by the department.
301.562. 1. The department may refuse to issue or renew any license required pursuant to sections 301.550 to 301.573 for any one or any combination of causes stated in subsection 2 of this section. The department shall notify the applicant or licensee in writing at his or her last known address of the reasons for the refusal to issue or renew the license and shall advise the applicant or licensee of his or her right to file a complaint with the administrative hearing commission as provided by chapter 621, RSMo.
2. The department may cause a complaint to be filed with the administrative hearing commission as provided by chapter 621, RSMo, against any holder of any license issued under sections 301.550 to 301.573 for any one or any combination of the following causes:
(1) The applicant or license holder was previously the holder of a license issued under sections 301.550 to 301.573, which license was revoked for cause and never reissued by the department, or which license was suspended for cause and the terms of suspension have not been fulfilled;
(2) The applicant or license holder was previously a partner, stockholder, director or officer controlling or managing a partnership or corporation whose license issued under sections 301.550 to 301.573 was revoked for cause and never reissued or was suspended for cause and the terms of suspension have not been fulfilled;
(3) The applicant or license holder has, within ten years prior to the date of the application, been finally adjudicated and found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in a prosecution under the laws of any state or of the United States, for any offense reasonably related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of any business licensed under sections 301.550 to 301.573; for any offense, an essential element of which is fraud, dishonesty, or an act of violence; or for any offense involving moral turpitude, whether or not sentence is imposed;
(4) Use of fraud, deception, misrepresentation, or bribery in securing any license issued pursuant to sections 301.550 to 301.573;
(5) Obtaining or attempting to obtain any money, commission, fee, barter, exchange, or other compensation by fraud, deception, or misrepresentation;
(6) Violation of, or assisting or enabling any person to violate any provisions of this chapter and chapters 144, 306, 307, 407, 578, and 643, RSMo, or of any lawful rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this chapter and chapters 144, 306, 307, 407, 578, and 643, RSMo;
(7) The applicant or license holder has filed an application for a license which, as of its effective date, was incomplete in any material respect or contained any statement which was, in light of the circumstances under which it was made, false or misleading with respect to any material fact;
(8) The applicant or license holder has failed to pay the proper application or license fee or other fees required pursuant to this chapter or chapter 306, RSMo, or fails to establish or maintain a bona fide place of business;
(9) Uses or permits the use of any special license or license plate assigned to the license holder for any purpose other than those permitted by law;
(10) The applicant or license holder is finally adjudged insane or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction;
(11) Use of any advertisement or solicitation which is false;
(12) Violations of sections 407.511 to 407.556, RSMo, section 578.120, RSMo, which resulted in a conviction or finding of guilt or violation of any federal motor vehicle laws which result in a conviction or finding of guilt.
3. Any such complaint shall be filed within one year of the date upon which the department receives notice of an alleged violation of an applicable statute or regulation. After the filing of such complaint, the proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 621, RSMo. Upon a finding by the administrative hearing commission that the grounds, provided in subsection 2 of this section, for disciplinary action are met, the department may, singly or in combination, refuse to issue the person a license, issue a private reprimand, place the person on probation on such terms and conditions as the department deems appropriate for a period of one day to five years, suspend the person's license from one day to six days, or revoke the person's license for such period as the department deems appropriate. The applicant or licensee shall have the right to appeal the decision of the administrative hearing commission and department in the manner provided in chapter 536, RSMo.
4. Upon the suspension or revocation of any person's license issued under sections 301.550 to 301.573, the department shall recall any distinctive number plates that were issued to that licensee.
301.567. 1. For purposes of this section, a violation of any of the following advertising standards shall be deemed an attempt by the advertising dealer to obtain a fee or other compensation by fraud, deception or misrepresentation in violation of section 301.562:
(1) A motor vehicle shall not be advertised as new, either by express terms or implication, unless it is a new motor vehicle as defined in section 301.550;
(2) When advertising any motor vehicle which is not a new motor vehicle, such advertisement must expressly identify that the motor vehicle is a used motor vehicle by express use of the term "used", or by such other term as is commonly understood to mean that the vehicle is used;
(3) Any terms, conditions, and disclaimers relating to the advertised motor vehicle's price or financing options shall be stated clearly and conspicuously. An asterisk or other reference symbol may be used to point to a disclaimer or other information, but not be used as a means of contradicting or changing the meaning of an advertised statement;
(4) The expiration date, if any, of an advertised sale or vehicle price shall be clearly and conspicuously disclosed. In the absence of such disclosure, the advertised sale or vehicle price shall be deemed effective so long as such vehicles remain in the advertising dealership's inventory;
(5) The terms "list price", "sticker price", or "suggested retail price" shall be used only in reference to the manufacturer's suggested retail price for new motor vehicles, and, if used, shall be accompanied by a clear and conspicuous disclosure that such terms represent the manufacturer's suggested retail price of the advertised vehicle;
(6) Terms such as "at cost", "$....... above cost", "invoice price", and "$ ..... below/over invoice" shall not be used in advertisements because of the difficulty in determining a dealer's actual net cost at the time of the sale;
(7) When the price or financing terms of a motor vehicle are advertised, the vehicle shall be fully identified as to year, make, and model. In addition, in advertisements placed by individual dealers and not line-make marketing groups, the advertised price or credit terms shall include all charges which the buyer must pay to the dealer, except buyer-selected options and state and local taxes. If a processing fee or freight or destination charges are not included in the advertised price, the amount of any such processing fee and freight or destination charge must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed within the advertisement;
(8) Advertisements of dealer rebates shall not be used, however, this shall not be deemed to prohibit the advertising of manufacturer rebates, so long as all material terms of such rebates are clearly and conspicuously disclosed;
(9) "Free", "at no cost" shall not be used if any purchase is required to qualify for the free item, merchandise, or service;
(10) Bait advertising, in which an advertiser may have no intention to sell at the prices or terms advertised, shall not be used. Bait advertising shall include, but not be limited to, the following examples:
(a) Not having available for sale the advertised motor vehicles at the advertised prices. If a specific vehicle is advertised, the dealer shall be in possession of a reasonable supply of such vehicles, and they shall be available at the advertised price. If the advertised vehicle is available only in limited numbers or only by order, such limitations shall be stated in the advertisement;
(b) Advertising a motor vehicle at a specified price, including such terms as "as low as $.......", but having available for sale only vehicles equipped with dealer-added cost options which increase the selling price above the advertised price;
(11) Any reference to monthly payments, down payments, or other reference to financing or leasing information shall be accompanied by a clear and conspicuous disclosure of the following:
(a) Whether the payment or other information relates to a financing or a lease transaction;
(b) If the payment or other information relates to a financing transaction, the minimum down payment, annual percentage interest rate, and number of payments necessary to obtain the advertised payment amount must be disclosed, in addition to any special qualifications required for obtaining the advertised terms including, but not limited to, first-time buyer discounts, college graduate discounts, and a statement concerning whether the advertised terms are subject to credit approval;
(c) If the payment or other information relates to a lease transaction, the total amount due from the purchaser at signing with such costs broken down and identified by category, lease term expressed in number of months, whether the lease is closed-end or open-end, and total cost to the lessee over the lease term in dollars;
(12) Any advertisement which states or implies that the advertising dealer has a special arrangement or relationship with the distributor or manufacturer, as compared to similarly situated dealers, shall not be used;
(13) Any advertisement which, in the circumstances under which it is made or applied, is false, deceptive, or misleading shall not be used;
(14) No abbreviations for industry words or phrases shall be used in any advertisement unless such abbreviations are accompanied by the fully spelled or spoken words or phrases.
2. The requirements of this section shall apply regardless of whether a dealer advertises by means of print, broadcast, or electronic media, or direct mail. If the advertisement is by means of a broadcast or print media, a dealer may provide the disclaimers and disclosures required under subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section by reference to an Internet web page or toll-free telephone number containing the information required to be disclosed.
3. Dealers shall clearly and conspicuously identify themselves in each advertisement by use of a dealership name which complies with subsection [6] 1 of section 301.560.
301.570. 1. It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, corporation, company or association, unless the seller is a financial institution, or is selling repossessed motor vehicles or is disposing of vehicles used and titled solely in its ordinary course of business or is a collector of antique motor vehicles, to sell or display with an intent to sell six or more motor vehicles in a calendar year, except when such motor vehicles are registered in the name of the seller, unless such person, partnership, corporation, company or association is:
(1) Licensed as a motor vehicle dealer by the department under the provisions of sections 301.550 to 301.573;
(2) Exempt from licensure as a motor vehicle dealer pursuant to subsection 4 of section 301.559;
(3) Selling commercial motor vehicles with a gross weight of at least nineteen thousand five hundred pounds, but only with respect to such commercial motor vehicles;
(4) An auctioneer, acting at the request of the owner at an auction, when such auction is not a public motor vehicle auction.
2. Any person, partnership, corporation, company or association that has reason to believe that the provisions of this section are being violated shall file a complaint with the prosecuting attorney in the county in which the violation occurred. The prosecuting attorney shall investigate the complaint and take appropriate action.
3. For the purposes of sections 301.550 to 301.573, the sale, barter, exchange, lease or rental with option to purchase of six or more motor vehicles in a calendar year by any person, partnership, corporation, company or association, whether or not the motor vehicles are owned by them, shall be prima facie evidence of intent to make a profit or gain of money and such person, partnership, corporation, company or association shall be deemed to be acting as a motor vehicle dealer without a license.
4. Any person, partnership, corporation, company or association who violates subsection 1 of this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor. A second or subsequent conviction shall be deemed a class D felony.
5. The provisions of this section shall not apply to liquidation of an estate.
301.574. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the director of revenue or his or her designated representative determines through reasonable means that the place of business of a motor vehicle dealer, boat dealer, manufacturer, boat manufacturer, public motor vehicle auction, wholesale motor vehicle auction, or wholesale motor vehicle dealer licensed under the provisions of sections 301.550 to 301.573 is uninhabited, abandoned, or otherwise not inhabited by the licensee, the license of such business shall be immediately revoked and ownership of all dealer license plates and all unused temporary permits previously issued to the licensee by the department of revenue shall immediately revert back to the department of revenue.
302.220. It shall be unlawful for any person to display or to permit to be displayed, or to have in his possession, any license or nondriver identification card knowing the same to be fictitious or to have been canceled, suspended, revoked, disqualified or altered; to lend to or knowingly permit the use of by another any license or nondriver identification card issued to the person so lending or permitting the use thereof; to display or to represent as one's own any license or nondriver identification card not issued to the person so displaying the same, or fail or refuse to surrender to the clerk of any division of the circuit court [or] , the director or his or her designee, any license or nondriver identification card which has been suspended, canceled, disqualified or revoked, as provided by law or that the director or his or her designee has reasonable suspicion to believe is fictitious; to use a false or fictitious name or give a false or fictitious address on any application for a license or nondriver identification card, or any renewal or duplicate thereof, or knowingly to make a false statement, or knowingly to conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit a fraud in any such application; to authorize or consent to any motor vehicle owned by him or under his control to be driven by any person, when he has knowledge that such person has no legal right to do so, or for any person to drive any motor vehicle in violation of any of the provisions of sections 302.010 to 302.780; to employ a person to operate a motor vehicle in the transportation of persons or property, with knowledge that such person has not complied with the provisions of sections 302.010 to 302.780, or whose license has been revoked, suspended, canceled or disqualified; or who fails to produce his or her license upon demand of any person or persons authorized to make such demand.
302.230. Any person who makes a false unsworn statement or affidavit or knowingly swears or affirms falsely as to any matter or thing required by sections 302.010 to 302.540 shall be deemed guilty of a class A misdemeanor. No person who pleads guilty or nolo contendere, or is found guilty of making a false statement or affidavit shall be licensed to operate a motor vehicle for a period of one year after such plea, finding or conviction. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a prosecution under this section may be commenced within one year after the director first discovers the falsity of any statement or affidavit required under sections 302.010 to 302.540, provided that no prosecution shall commence more than six years after such statement or affidavit was made.
•
