§735. Auto title companies; licensing; regulation; fees, suspension, and revocation; domicile; surety bonds; expiration and renewal dates

            A. Except as otherwise provided by law, only auto title companies, as defined by R.S. 32:702, who have confected a contract with the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles, shall be allowed to issue temporary registrations as provided in R.S. 47:519.2. Eligibility to contract under the provisions of this Section shall be limited to those persons of good moral character, who maintain an office within the state, have executed a good and sufficient surety bond that meets the requirements of R.S. 32:736, and have paid the annual fee required by Subsection C of this Section.

            B. The department shall promulgate such rules as are necessary to implement this Section. Such rules may include guidelines for eligibility to contract with the department, criteria for the suspension, revocation, or cancellation of a contract, or any other matter the department deems necessary for the proper oversight of auto title companies.

            C. A biennial fee of four hundred dollars shall be collected from a person seeking to contract with the department prior to the person commencing to act as an auto title company as provided in this Section. The contract and bond shall be valid for additional locations when such locations are under the same ownership, management, and control as that of the authorized auto title company. However, for the initial contract request and for each subsequent contract request, the auto title company shall pay an additional one hundred dollars for each additional location.

            D. Every contract between the department and an authorized auto title company authorized by this Section shall expire as of the first day of June two years following the year in which such license was issued and may be automatically renewed by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, office of motor vehicles.

            E. Each contract perfected pursuant to this Section shall be renewed biennially at least sixty days in advance of the expiration date of the contract by submitting to the office of motor vehicles an application for renewal upon a form supplied by that office, together with the renewal fee and the surety bond for the renewal period.

            Acts 1992, No. 626, §2; Acts 1993, No. 463, §1; Acts 1993, No. 737, §1; Acts 1993, No. 1005, §1; Acts 2006, No. 409, §1; Acts 2016, No. 606, §1.