Section 56-16-150 - Application for dealer's or wholesaler's license; bond; duty to notify department where information given by applicant changes or licensee ceases operations; death of licensee(A) Before any license as a motorcycle "wholesaler" or "dealer" is issued to an applicant, he must file an application with the Department of Motor Vehicles and furnish the information the department may require including, but not limited to, information adequately identifying by name and address any individual who owns or controls ten percent or more of the interest in the business. The policy of this section is full disclosure.(B)(1) Each applicant for licensure as a motorcycle dealer or wholesaler must furnish a surety bond in the penal amount of twenty-five thousand dollars on a form to be prescribed by the director of the department.(2) A new bond or a proper continuation certificate must be provided to the department every twelve months during the license period. The dealer or surety, or his designee must alert the department of any bond name or address changes during the license period within thirty days of the change. Proof of the bond and the proper continuation of it may be provided to the Department of Motor Vehicles using the same database as vehicle insurance pursuant to Article 7, Chapter 10, Title 56.(3) A dealer's license expires immediately upon expiration, termination, or a decrease of a dealer's bond below twenty-five thousand dollars.(4) The bond must be given to the department and executed by the applicant, as principal, and by a corporate surety company authorized to do business in this State, as surety. The bond must be conditioned upon the applicant or licensee complying with the provisions of the statutes applicable to the license and as indemnification for any loss or damage suffered by an owner of a motorcycle, or his legal representative, by reason of any fraud practiced or fraudulent representation made in connection with the sale or transfer of a motorcycle by a licensed dealer or wholesaler or the dealer's or wholesaler's agent acting for the dealer or wholesaler or within the scope of employment of the agent or any loss or damage suffered by reason of the violation by the dealer or wholesaler or his agent, of any of the provisions of this chapter.(5) In instances of taxes or fees owed to the State that pertain solely to the process of buying, selling, titling, or registering motorcycles by a motorcycle dealer, the department has a right of action against the dealer's surety bond and may recover damages if those taxes and fees are not paid within the time period prescribed by law. The department shall distribute the taxes and fees to the appropriate entity as prescribed in state law.(a) In the event of concurrent claims for the same vehicle from the owner and the State, the owner's claim prevails.(b) This subsection does not apply to monies the motorcycle dealer has attempted to refund to a customer due to an error made by the dealer when the dealer can demonstrate that he has made an attempt by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by private delivery service which is acceptable to the Internal Revenue Service to ensure the customer's refund was delivered. For the purposes of this subsection, the dealer should make a bona fide, good faith attempt to refund money due to the customer within sixty days of the date of sale.(6) An owner or his legal representative who suffers the loss or damage has a right of action against the dealer or wholesaler and against the dealer's or wholesaler's surety upon the bond and may recover damages as provided in this chapter. A new bond or a proper continuation certificate must be delivered to the department annually before the license is renewed. However, regardless of the number of years a bond remains in effect, the aggregate liability of the surety for any and all claims is limited to fifteen thousand dollars on each bond and to the amount of the actual loss incurred.(7) The surety has the right to terminate its liability under the bond by giving the department thirty days' written notice of its intent to cancel the bond. The cancellation does not affect any liability incurred or accrued prior to the cancellation.(C) If, during any license year, there is any change in the information that a dealer or wholesaler gave the department in obtaining or retaining a license under this section, the licensee shall report the change to the department within thirty days after the change occurs on the form the department requires.(D) In the event a licensee ceases being a dealer or wholesaler, he shall, within ten days thereafter, notify the department of this fact and return to the department any license issued pursuant to this chapter and all current dealer license plates issued to the dealer or wholesaler.(E) In the event of the licensee's death, the personal representative of the deceased licensee may, with the consent of the probate court and upon an application to the department, continue the operation of the business covered by the license for the remainder of the licensing period, but no longer than eighteen months after the licensee's death. At the conclusion of the licensing period or eighteen months after the death, the personal representative must take all actions to apply for a recreational vehicle dealer license under his or her own name and meet all requirements for a licensed recreational vehicle dealer in order to continue operating the business.Amended by 2023 S.C. Acts, Act No. 51 (SB 549),s 25, eff. 1/1/2024.1993 Act No. 181, Section 1489; 1984 Act No. 511, Section 1. 2023 Act No. 51, Section 40(D), provides as follows:
"[SECTION 40.](D) SECTIONS 15 through 28 take effect on January 1, 2024. Any dealership applying for or renewing licenses, or operating on a currently issued license on or after January 1, 2024, is subject to the provisions of SECTIONS 15 through 28."