Section 43-47-21. Civil penalty; civil actions; right of private action; persons already licensed to make changes at time of renewal of license

   (a) Any person, regardless of whether that person is a licensee or not, who commits or causes to be done any act that violates this chapter or fails to do any act or causes to be omitted any act that is required by this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $3,000.00 for each violation. A violation of this chapter shall, for the purposes of this Code section, constitute a separate offense as to any motor vehicle or motor vehicle part; and each day during which any person offers for sale, sells, trades, transfers, or disposes of used motor vehicles or used motor vehicle parts without being licensed pursuant to this chapter shall constitute a separate offense.

(b) The penalty provided in subsection (a) of this Code section and any restitution due to specifically named consumers for violations of this chapter shall be recoverable by a civil action brought by the division, the board, the Attorney General, or any district attorney, solicitor-general, or municipal or county attorney in any superior or state court having proper jurisdiction. The proceeds of any civil penalty shall be remitted to the board by the clerk of the court in which such case is filed; provided, however, that in an action brought on behalf of a county or municipality one-half of the proceeds of such civil penalty shall be paid into the treasury of such county or municipality. The court shall order any restitution recovered on behalf of any consumer to be paid over directly to the consumer by the defendant.

(c) Any person damaged by a violation of this chapter may bring an action against the person committing the violation, regardless of whether that person is a licensee, in any superior court of competent jurisdiction to recover actual, consequential, and punitive damages, attorneys' fees, and court costs.

(d) Any person who is already licensed under this chapter or its predecessor or under former Chapter 48 of this title who will be required as a result of this chapter to make changes in his or her business operations will not be required to make such changes until such time as he or she is required to renew his or her license. Any such changes shall have been completed prior to the granting of any renewal license.

Code 1981, § 43-47-21, enacted by Ga. L. 1995, p. 441, § 1; Ga. L. 1996, p. 748, § 24.