Relating to motor vehicles, including the surrender or transfer of registration plates and cards to a county treasurer, documentary fees charged by motor vehicle dealers, and motor vehicle franchise obligations

This bill allows a person who receives a written notice of an adjustment of the renewal or expiration of the person’s motor vehicle registration to surrender their registration card and registration plates to a county treasurer of any county in the state rather than the county treasurer of the county where the vehicle is registered.47(1) to be removed and forwarded to any county treasurer in the state rather than to the county treasurer of the county where the vehicle is registered.134, which allows an owner of a motor vehicle who surrenders the registration plates of a vehicle prior to the plates becoming delinquent to the county treasurer of the county where the vehicle is registered to register the vehicle any time thereafter without penalty. Under current law, a motor vehicle dealer may charge a documentary fee to a customer for the preparation of documents related to an application for motor vehicle registration and an application for issuance of a certificate of title, and the performance of other related services for the customer, which must not exceed $180 for each motor vehicle sold in a transaction. The bill provides that on and after January 1, 2021, the maximum permitted documentary fee is subject to an annual rate adjustment equal to the most recent percentage change in the consumer price index published by the United States department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, as of September of the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year in which that annual rate adjustment is set to take effect, rounded to the nearest whole cent. The department must calculate and publish on the department’s internet site the annual maximum documentary fee for the following calendar year on or before December of each year. Under the bill, a motor vehicle franchiser must provide a franchisee a list of time allowances for the performance of warranty services, which must be reasonable and adequate for the services to be performed.