Section 40-11-2. Duty of person removing or storing motor vehicle

   (a) Any person who removes a motor vehicle from public property at the request of a law enforcement officer or stores such vehicle shall, if the owner of the vehicle or some person acting for the owner is not present, seek the identity of and address of all known owners of such vehicle from the law enforcement officer requesting removal of such, from such officer's agency, from a local law enforcement agency for the jurisdiction in which the remover's or storer's place of business is located, or from the State of Georgia by direct electronic access as provided through its agencies and authorities within three business days of removal. The local law enforcement agency shall furnish such information to the person removing such vehicle within three business days after receipt of such request.

(b) Any person who removes a motor vehicle from private property at the request of the property owner or stores such vehicle shall, if the owner of the vehicle or some person acting for the owner is not present, notify in writing a local law enforcement agency of the location of the vehicle, the manufacturer's vehicle identification number, license number, model, year, and make of the vehicle within three business days of the removal of such vehicle and shall seek from the local law enforcement agency or from the State of Georgia by direct electronic access as provided through its agencies and authorities the identity and address of all known owners of such vehicle and any information indicating that such vehicle is a stolen motor vehicle. The local law enforcement agency shall furnish such information to the person removing such vehicle within three business days after receipt of such request.

(c) If any motor vehicle removed under conditions set forth in subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section is determined to be a stolen motor vehicle, the local law enforcement officer or agency shall notify the Georgia Crime Information Center of the location of such motor vehicle within 72 hours after receiving notice that such motor vehicle is a stolen vehicle.

(d) If any motor vehicle removed under conditions set forth in subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section is determined not to be a stolen vehicle or is not a vehicle being repaired by a repair facility or is not being stored by an insurance company providing insurance to cover damages to the vehicle, the person removing or storing such motor vehicle shall, within seven calendar days of the day such motor vehicle was removed or one business day after the information is furnished to the remover or storer pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this Code section, whichever is later, notify all owners, if known, by written acknowledgment signed thereby or by certified or registered mail or statutory overnight delivery, of the location of such motor vehicle, the fees connected with removal and storage of such motor vehicle, and the fact that such motor vehicle will be deemed abandoned under this chapter unless the owner, security interest holder, or lienholder redeems such motor vehicle within 30 days of the day such vehicle was removed.

(e) If none of the owners redeems such motor vehicle as described in subsection (d) of this Code section, or if a vehicle being repaired by a repair facility or being stored by an insurance company providing insurance to cover damages to the vehicle becomes abandoned, the person removing or storing such motor vehicle shall, within seven calendar days of the day such vehicle became an abandoned motor vehicle, give notice by electronic means as provided by the State of Georgia through its agencies and authorities, in writing, or by sworn statement, on the form prescribed by the state revenue commissioner, to the Department of Revenue with a research fee as fixed by rule or regulation payable to the Department of Revenue, stating the manufacturer's vehicle identification number, the license number, the fact that such vehicle is an abandoned motor vehicle, the model, year, and make of the vehicle, the date the vehicle became an abandoned motor vehicle, the date the vehicle was removed, and the present location of such vehicle and requesting the name and address of all owners of such vehicle. If the form submitted is rejected because of inaccurate or missing information, the person removing or storing the vehicle shall resubmit, within seven calendar days of the date of the rejection, a corrected notice form together with an additional research fee as fixed by rule or regulation payable to the Department of Revenue. Each subsequent corrected notice, if required, shall be submitted with an additional research fee as fixed by rule or regulation payable to the Department of Revenue. If a person removing or storing the vehicle has knowledge of facts which reasonably indicate that the vehicle is registered or titled in a certain other state, such person shall check the motor vehicle records of that other state in the attempt to ascertain the identity of the owner of the vehicle. Research requests may be submitted and research fees made payable to the office of the tax commissioner and deposited in the general fund for the county in which the remover's or storer's place of business is located in lieu of the Department of Revenue, but in like manner, if such office processes motor vehicle records of the Department of Revenue.

(f) Upon ascertaining the owners of such motor vehicle, the person removing or storing such vehicle shall, within five calendar days, by certified or registered mail or statutory overnight delivery, notify all known owners of the vehicle of the location of such vehicle and of the fact that such vehicle is deemed abandoned and shall be disposed of if not redeemed.

(g) If the identity of the owners of such motor vehicle cannot be ascertained, the person removing or storing such vehicle shall place an advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where such vehicle was obtained or, if there is no newspaper in such county, shall post such advertisement at the county courthouse in such place where other public notices are posted. Such advertisement shall run in the newspaper once a week for two consecutive weeks or shall remain posted at the courthouse for two consecutive weeks. The advertisement shall contain a complete description of the motor vehicle, its license and manufacturer's vehicle identification numbers, the location from where such vehicle was initially removed, the present location of such vehicle, and the fact that such vehicle is deemed abandoned and shall be disposed of if not redeemed.

(h) The Department of Revenue shall provide to the Georgia Crime Information Center all relevant information from sworn statements described in subsection (e) of this Code section for a determination of whether the vehicles removed have been entered into the criminal justice information system as stolen vehicles. The results of the determination shall be provided electronically to the Department of Revenue.

(i) Any person storing a vehicle under the provisions of this Code section shall notify the Department of Revenue if the vehicle is recovered, is claimed by the owner, is determined to be stolen, or for any reason is no longer an abandoned motor vehicle. Such notice shall be provided within seven calendar days of such event.

(j) If vehicle information on the abandoned motor vehicle is not in the files of the Department of Revenue, the department may require such other information or confirmation as it determines is necessary or appropriate to determine the identity of the vehicle.

(k) Any person who does not provide the notice and information required by this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor, shall not be entitled to any storage fees, shall not be eligible to contract with or serve on a rotation list providing wrecker services for this state or any political subdivision thereof, and shall not be licensed by any municipal authority to provide removal of improperly parked cars under Code Section 44-1-13.

(l) Any person who knowingly provides false or misleading information when providing any notice or information as required by this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as for a misdemeanor.

Ga. L. 1972, p. 342, § 2; Ga. L. 1977, p. 253, § 2; Ga. L. 1980, p. 995, § 2; Ga. L. 1981, p. 469, § 2; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 40; Ga. L. 1985, p. 1265, § 2; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1750, § 1; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1657, § 6; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2978, § 10; Ga. L. 1993, p. 772, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 663, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 6, § 40; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1305, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 951, § 7-1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1589, § 4; Ga. L. 2002, p. 563, § 2; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 21-2/HB 501; Ga. L. 2008, p. 803, § 3/HB 945.