News in 2010

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has completed the rule-writing process regarding temporary metal plate transfers and in doing so, has made significant changes to the requirements regarding the Electronic Temporary Registration (ETR) System as a whole.

ADDTag will assist dealers in complying with the following requirement:

Dealers must verify that all authorized users have had an FDLE criminal history check.

• Criminal history checks are available on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s website. The cost is is $24.00 for each history check, and results are returned immediately. Dealers may run these criminal histories NOW, in order to be prepared to meet the upcoming requirements.

• After criminal history checks are completed by the dealer, ADDTag will provide a verification statement to be checked off by the account’s dealer license holder** for every user on the dealer’s account. Example verification statement:

I verify that a Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal history check has been performed on all authorized users processing temporary tags and/or temporary metal plate transfers and none have felony convictions involving fraudulent crimes relating to motor vehicles including but not limited to identity fraud, embezzlement or other economic crimes within the last seven years.

**Note - The dealer license holder has already complied with this section as a condition of licensure.

• Due to these significant changes made in the ETR rule, ADDTag will once again revise its Terms of Use (TOU). We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Additional requirements included in the new rule are summarized below.

1. Every motor vehicle dealer licensed under Chapter 320 shall report all temporary plate transfers via the ETR system, a tax collector’s office, or a license plate agency prior to the license plate being placed on a newly acquired vehicle.

2. A dealer must provide verification to the ETR provider that criminal history checks are performed on all principals or prospective users and meet the requirements set forth in this rule prior to the ETR provider allowing access to the system and registering authorized users. The dealer’s principals or prospective users must have no convictions involving a felony for the last 7 years except as provided in section 112.011(1)(b), F.S. Regardless of the passage of time since the conviction and notwithstanding restoration of civil rights, anyone convicted of a felony involving dishonesty, including but not limited to, identity fraud, embezzlement or other economic crimes is not eligible to be granted authorization to use the ETR system. The convictions listed above that would prohibit authorization to use the ETR system do not include any felony convictions involving the actual operation of a motor vehicle.

3. Dealers shall ensure that only authorized users have access to the ETR system.

4. If a dealer charges a fee to the customer for an electronic temporary plate transfer, the fee shall be disclosed separately and in a clear and conspicuous manner in the sales agreement. Sales agreement shall mean the document that the buyer and seller sign memorializing the terms of the sale and includes, but is not limited to, a buyer’s order and a bill of sale. The dealer may not disclose or disguise the fee charged for the electronic temporary plate transfer as a state or government fee.

5. Any person or entity authorized to conduct temporary plate transfers shall maintain all records relating to the transfer for a period of five years, and such records shall be open to inspection by the department or its agents during reasonable business hours.

For more information, contact ADD at 850-877-8804 or by email at info@add123.com.