Vehicles: registration services: disclosure of service fees.

Existing law defines the term "registration service" for purposes of the Vehicle Code and excludes from that definition certain activities. Existing law prohibits a person from acting as a registration service, engaging in the business of soliciting or receiving any application for the registration, renewal of registration, or transfer of registration or ownership of any vehicle of a type subject to registration under the Vehicle Code, or of soliciting or receiving an application for specified motor carrier permits, or transmitting or presenting any of those documents to the Department of Motor Vehicles, if any compensation is solicited or received for the service, without a license or temporary permit issued by the department. Under existing law, a registration service authorized by the department to engage in those activities is required to, among other things, display prominently at its place of business a sign indicating that the registration service is not a branch of the department and inform each customer of that fact. A violation of those provisions is a misdemeanor. This bill would additionally require a registration service licensed by the department to engage in the activities described above to provide a disclosure to each customer that certain services may be provided by the department without an additional fee, as specified. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.