(a) No person shall engage in the business as or serve in the capacity of, or act as a motor vehicle dealer, salesperson, auction, manufacturer, or distributor in this State, or otherwise engage in the business of selling or negotiating for the purchase of motor vehicles in this State without being licensed as provided in this chapter. A license issued under this chapter shall authorize the holder to engage in the business or activities permitted by the license, only in the county for which the license is issued.
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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 437-2

  • Auction: means any person engaged in the business of selling only motor vehicles by means of bidding at a public or private sale, but excludes an auctioneer and any person referred to in paragraph (1), (2), (4), or (5) in the definition of ["dealer"], or any person auctioning motor vehicles incidental to an auction of other assets, when the auctioneer or person acts in the respective capacity described in this section. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 437-1.1
  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Board: means the motor vehicle industry licensing board created by this chapter. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 437-1.1
  • Business: includes any activities regularly engaged in by any person or regularly caused to be engaged in by the person for the object of gain, benefit, or advantage, either direct or indirect. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 437-1.1
  • county: includes the city and county of Honolulu. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-22
  • Dealer: includes "auction" as defined in this section or any person or entity not expressly excluded by this chapter who sells three or more vehicles within a calendar year, or who is engaged in the business of selling, soliciting, offering, or attempting to negotiate sales, purchases, or exchanges of motor vehicles or any interest therein, including options to purchase motor vehicles. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 437-1.1
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Salesperson: means any person who for gain or compensation of any kind, directly or indirectly, by any form of agreement or arrangement, sells, solicits, offers for sale, exchanges, or otherwise deals in, motor vehicles or any interest therein on behalf of any motor vehicle dealer. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 437-1.1
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(b) A license issued under this chapter shall authorize the holder to engage in the same business at:

(1) Branch locations in the same county for which the license is issued during the term thereof; provided that each branch location of a motor vehicle dealer is approved by the board; or
(2) Other motor vehicle dealer locations located in the same county and affiliated by common ownership with the location for which the license is issued during the term thereof; provided that each motor vehicle dealer location affiliated by common ownership shall obtain prior approval from the board before transferring salespersons between dealer locations.

For purposes of this subsection, “common ownership” shall include entities that have the same exact ownership, whether through individuals, corporations, trusts, or other entities.

(c) A dealer’s license issued to a sole proprietorship or partnership shall authorize the sole proprietor or general partner to engage in the business of a salesperson without a license therefor, only for and in the business of the holder of the dealer’s license and only for the county in which the license is issued.
(d) In the event of the dissolution of a partnership, holding a current license issued under this chapter, due to the death of one or more partners, the surviving partners may operate the business under the license for the remaining effective term of the license but not to exceed sixty days. In the event of the death or bankruptcy of the holder of a current license issued under this chapter, the duly appointed personal representative or receiver or trustee in bankruptcy, whichever the case may be, may operate the business under the license for the remaining effective term of the license.
(e) Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter, the authority of any state or county agency to purchase motor vehicles for state or county use from any dealer licensed under this chapter shall not be limited or conditioned. Any dealer licensed under this chapter may sell vehicles to any state or county agency.

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