Section 40-2-39. Registration and licensing of new motor vehicle dealers; temporary site permits

   (a) As used in this Code section, the term:

   (1) "Dealer" means any person engaged in the business of selling or leasing or offering to sell or lease new motor vehicles and who is licensed or otherwise authorized to utilize trademarks or service marks associated with one or more makes of motor vehicles in connection with such sales or leases. The term "dealer" shall not mean any person engaged solely in the business of selling used motor vehicles and shall not mean any person engaged in the solicitation, advertising, or financing of the sale of new motor vehicles and shall not mean any person engaged solely in activities as a manufacturer or distributor of new motor vehicles.

   (2) "Distributor" means any person who, pursuant to a contract with a manufacturer, sells or offers to sell new motor vehicles to new motor vehicle dealers.

   (3) "Established place of business" means a permanent salesroom or sales office of a new motor vehicle dealer, which permanent salesroom or sales office is located in a permanent building on an open lot and which is marked by an appropriate sign and at which a permanent business of bartering, trading, or selling of new motor vehicles is carried on in good faith.

   (4) "Manufacturer" means any person who makes or assembles new motor vehicles.

   (5) "Motor vehicle" means every self-propelled vehicle intended primarily for use and operation on the public highways, except farm tractors and other machines and tools used in the production, harvesting, and care of farm products and except construction equipment.

   (6) "New motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle which has been sold to a dealer and on which the original motor vehicle title has not been issued.

   (7) "Person" means every natural person, partnership, corporation, association, trust, estate, or any other legal entity.

   (8) "Temporary site" means a location at which new or used motor vehicles are sold or offered for sale for which a temporary site permit has been issued by the department in accordance with paragraph (4) of subsection (b) of this Code section and which location is:

      (A) Used for a period not to exceed 96 hours in any 30 day period of time;

      (B) Used not more than three times in any calendar year; and

      (C) Located in the county in which the established place of business of the new motor vehicle dealer using the temporary site is located or an adjoining county.

   (9) "Trade shows" means the display or solicitation for sale of new motor vehicles at a location other than the established place of business at which the sales transaction is accomplished or at which delivery of the new motor vehicle is completed.

(b) (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in any activity as a new motor vehicle dealer unless and until such person has registered with the commissioner and obtained a dealer's number license plate under Code Section 40-2-38 for each established place of business at which the person engages in such activity. The commissioner shall not accept such application for registration and shall not issue a dealer's number license plate unless and until the applicant establishes to the satisfaction of the commissioner, under criteria established by rules or regulations promulgated by the commissioner, that the applicant shall not engage in any activity of a new motor vehicle dealer except at an established place of business, a temporary site, or a properly licensed auto auction or licensed facility. This paragraph shall not be construed to prohibit a new motor vehicle dealer from delivering a vehicle off site if the transaction is initiated at an established place of business under this chapter.

   (2) It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in any activity as a new motor vehicle dealer except at an established place of business which has been registered as such under this Code section and Code Section 40-2-38 or at a temporary site.

   (3) This subsection shall not apply to new motor vehicle trade shows and shall not be construed to prohibit new motor vehicle trade shows or properly licensed auctions.

   (4) (A) At least 60 days prior to the opening of a sale at a temporary site, a new motor vehicle dealer must make application to the department for a temporary site permit.

      (B) To be eligible for a temporary site permit, a new motor vehicle dealer must be registered with the department as required by Code Section 40-2-38. In order to obtain a temporary site permit, a new motor vehicle dealer must provide, on a form promulgated by the department, the following:

         (i) The address, including county, of the new motor vehicle dealer's established place of business;

         (ii) The address, including county, of the temporary site location;

         (iii) The dates and hours of the temporary site sale;

         (iv) The number of temporary site sales already conducted by the new motor vehicle dealer during the calendar year in which the requested temporary site sale is to occur; and

         (v) The name, address, and contact person of any sponsors, promoters, and lending institutions involved in or to be represented at the temporary site sale.

      (C) As part of the application, a new motor vehicle dealer must submit written documentation demonstrating that the new motor vehicle dealer has complied with any licensing requirements applicable in the local jurisdiction in which the temporary site sale will occur and a copy of a written agreement with the owner of the real property where the sale is to occur.

      (D) A temporary site permit issued pursuant to this paragraph shall be valid only for the dates and hours of the sale as indicated in the application submitted to the department and must be prominently displayed at the temporary site at all times during the sale. No new motor vehicle dealer may purchase more than three temporary site permits within a calendar year. A temporary site permit is not transferable to any other dealer or location.

      (E) The filing fee for each application for a temporary site permit shall be $100.00.

(c) As an alternative to criminal or other civil enforcement, the commissioner, in order to enforce this Code section or any orders, rules, and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, may issue an administrative fine not to exceed $1,000.00 for each violation, whenever the commissioner, after a hearing, determines that any person has violated any provisions of this Code section or any regulations or orders promulgated thereunder. If, after a hearing, the commissioner determines that any person has violated this Code section more than once, the commissioner may suspend a dealer's registration for a period not to exceed ten days. Any hearing and any administrative review held pursuant to this Code section shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure for contested cases under Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act." Any person who has exhausted all administrative remedies available and who is aggrieved or adversely affected by a final order or action of the commissioner shall have the right of judicial review thereof in accordance with Chapter 13 of Title 50. All fines recovered under this subsection shall be paid into the state treasury. The commissioner may file, in the superior court (1) wherein the person under order resides; (2) if such person is a corporation, in the county wherein the corporation maintains its established place of business; or (3) in the county wherein the violation occurred, a certified copy of a final order of the commissioner, whether unappealed from or affirmed upon appeal, whereupon the court shall render judgment in accordance therewith and notify the parties. Such judgment shall have the same effect and proceedings in relation thereto shall thereafter be the same as though the judgment had been rendered in an action duly heard and determined by the court. The penalty prescribed in this Code section shall be concurrent, alternative, and cumulative with any and all other civil, criminal, or alternative rights, remedies, forfeitures, or penalties provided, allowed, or available to the commissioner with respect to any violation of this Code section or any order, rules, or regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. For purposes of this subsection, the sale of each motor vehicle while not in compliance with temporary site permit requirements shall constitute a separate violation.

(d) Any person who violates any provision of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $1,000.00 or imprisonment for a period not to exceed 12 months, or both.

Code 1981, § 40-2-36.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1988, p. 854, § 1; Code 1981, § 40-2-39, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 2; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1179, § 6; Ga. L. 2005, p. 321, § 3/HB 455; Ga. L. 2006, p. 72, § 40/SB 465.