West Virginia Code 17A-6-3 – License certificate required; engaging in more than one business; established place of business required; civil penalties
(a) No person shall engage or represent or advertise that he or she is engaged or intends to engage in the business of new motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, house trailer dealer, trailer dealer, recreational vehicle dealer, motorcycle dealer, used parts dealer or wrecker or dismantler in this state unless and until he or she first obtains a license certificate therefor as provided in this article, which license certificate remains unexpired, unsuspended and unrevoked. Any person desiring to engage in more than one such business must, subject to the provisions of section five of this article, apply for and obtain a separate license certificate for each such business.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17A-6-3
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles of this state. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Established place of business: means , in the case of a new motor vehicle dealer, a permanent location, not a temporary stand or other temporary quarters, owned or leased by the licensee or applicant and actually occupied or to be occupied by him or her, as the case may be, which is or is to be used exclusively for the purpose of selling new motor vehicles or new and used motor vehicles, which shall have space under roof for the display of at least one new motor vehicle and facilities and space therewith for the servicing and repair of at least one motor vehicle, which servicing and repair facilities and space is adequate and suitable to carry out servicing and to make repairs necessary to keep and carry out all representations, warranties, and agreements made or to be made by the dealer with respect to motor vehicles sold by him or her, which is easily accessible to the public, which conforms to all applicable laws of this state and the ordinances of the municipality in which it is located, if any, which displays thereon at least one permanent sign, clearly visible from the principal public street or highway nearest the location and clearly stating the business which is or shall be conducted thereat, and which has adequate facilities to keep, maintain and preserve records, papers and documents necessary to carry on the business and to make the business available to inspection by the commissioner at all reasonable times: Provided, That each established place of business shall have a display area which may be outside or inside or a combination thereof of at least 1,200 square feet which is to be used exclusively for the display of vehicles which are offered for sale by the dealer, office space of at least 144 square feet and a telephone listed in the name of the dealership. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- House trailer dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling new or used house trailers, or both, or new or used, or both, house trailers and trailers or new or used, or both, manufactured homes, and mobile homes. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Motorcycle: means every motor vehicle, including motor-driven cycles and mopeds as defined in §. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Motorcycle dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling new or used motorcycles. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- New motor vehicle dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling five or more new motor vehicles or new and used motor vehicles in any fiscal year of a type required to be registered under the provisions of this chapter, except, for the purposes of this article only, motorcycles. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- Person: means every natural person, firm, copartnership, association, or corporation. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Recreational vehicle: means a motorboat, motorboat trailer, all-terrain vehicle, travel trailer, fold-down camping trailer, motor home, snowmobile, or utility-terrain vehicle. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- Recreational vehicle dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling new or used recreational vehicles, or both. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Trailer: means every vehicle with or without motive power designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and constructed so that no part of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle but excluding recreational vehicles. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Trailer dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling new or used trailers. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- Used motor vehicle dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling 10 or more used motor vehicles, and projecting to sell 10 or more used motor vehicles, in any fiscal year of a type required to be registered under the provisions of this chapter, except, for the purposes of this article only, motorcycles. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
- Used parts dealer: means every person (other than agents and employees, if any, while acting within the scope of their authority or employment), engaged in, or held out to the public to be engaged in, the business in this state of selling any used appliance, accessory, member, portion, or other part of any vehicle. See West Virginia Code 17A-6-1
(b) A person in business as a new motor vehicle or recreational vehicle dealer may sell low-speed vehicles as defined in section one, article one of this chapter.
(c) Except for the qualification contained in subdivision (17), subsection (a), section one of this article with respect to a new motor vehicle dealer, each place of business of a new motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, house trailer dealer, trailer dealer, recreational vehicle dealer, motorcycle dealer, used parts dealer and wrecker or dismantler must be an established place of business as defined for such business in said section one.
(d) Any person who violates this section shall, in addition to any other penalty prescribed by law, be subject to a civil penalty levied by the commissioner in an amount not to exceed $1,000 for the first violation, $2,000 for the second violation and $5,000 for every subsequent violation.
(e) The commissioner shall promulgate rules, in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, establishing procedures whereby persons against whom such civil penalties are to be assessed shall be afforded all due process required pursuant to the provisions of the West Virginia Constitution.