1722 AMH WALJ CLOD 046

HB 1722 - H AMD 226

By Representative Walsh, J.

NOT ADOPTED 03/03/2017

On page 9, after line 39, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 46.70 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) The department shall issue a license to a person, firm, association, corporation, or trust to act as a retail vehicle dealer, as defined in RCW 46.70.011, if the person, firm, association, corporation, or trust meets the requirements of this section.

(b) This section is an alternative to the license application process and requirements that otherwise apply to applicants for a motor vehicle dealer license under this chapter, and is available only for applicants that meet the requirements of this section.

(2) To be eligible for a license as a retail vehicle dealer under this section, a person, firm, association, corporation, or trust must:

(a) Have been licensed as a wholesale vehicle dealer by the department for at least five years preceding the effective date of this section;

(b) Have maintained a physical presence in this state for the entire five-year period in (a) of this subsection; and

(c) Have purchased and sold a majority of the vehicles that the person, firm, association, corporation, or trust has purchased and sold within the five-year period in (a) of this subsection from and to other Washington licensed vehicle dealers.

(3) To be eligible for a license under this section, a person, firm, association, corporation, or trust must:

(a) Submit an application to the department in accordance with RCW 46.70.031; and

(b) Meet the qualifications for a motor vehicle dealer license under this chapter, except that the applicant is not required to be open during normal business hours as otherwise required under RCW 46.70.023(9).

(4)(a) A license issued under this section is subject to all requirements of this chapter that apply to motor vehicle dealers, except as otherwise provided in this section.

(b) The fee for a retail vehicle dealer license issued under this section is the amount of the license renewal fee in RCW 46.70.061(2).

(5) As used in this section, "wholesale vehicle dealer" means a vehicle dealer who buys vehicles from or sells vehicles to other Washington licensed vehicle dealers."

Renumber the remaining sections consecutively and correct any internal references accordingly.

On page 10, after line 6, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Section 7 of this act takes effect March 1, 2019."

Correct the title.

EFFECT: (1) Establishes that, beginning four months before the wholesale vehicle dealer license category is eliminated, existing wholesale vehicle dealer licensees meeting the following requirements may apply for and qualify for a retail vehicle dealer license (which may become effective not earlier than July 1, 2019):

(a) The applicant has been licensed as a wholesale vehicle dealer for the previous five years;

(b) The applicant has had a physical presence in the state for the previous five years;

(c) The applicant has sold and purchased a majority of the vehicles that the applicant has sold and purchased within the previous five years to and from other Washington licensed vehicle dealers; and

(d) The applicant meets the commercial office facility and other requirements that currently apply to retail vehicle dealers, except for the requirement that a retail vehicle dealer be open during normal business hours, which include: (i) maintaining office and display facilities in a commercially zoned location or in a location complying with all applicable building and land use ordinances; and (ii) maintaining a business telephone listing in the local directory.

(2) Provides that the license fee for an applicant for a retail vehicle dealer license that is currently a wholesale vehicle dealer and meets the above requirements is the cost of the license renewal fee ($325) rather than the cost of the initial license issuance ($975).

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