Code of Alabama - Title 32: Motor Vehicles and Traffic - Section 32-8-34 - Designated agents of department; bond of title service providers

Section 32-8-34 - Designated agents of department; bond of title service providers.

(a) Each judge of probate, commissioner of licenses, director of revenue, or other county official in this state authorized and required by law to issue motor vehicle license plates shall by virtue of his or her office be a designated agent of the department. Judges of probate, commissioners of licenses, directors of revenue, or other licensing officials may perform their duties under this chapter either personally or through any of their deputies.

(b) Every dealer, as defined in this chapter, shall be a designated agent of the department. The dealers shall perform their duties under this chapter personally, through any of their officers or employees, or through a title service provider; provided, that the dealer shall enter into a bond with a corporate surety authorized to do business in this state as surety thereon, payable to the State of Alabama in a sum as provided in Section 40-12-398, conditioned on the faithful performance of their duties under this chapter. No dealer appointed under this subsection as a designated agent shall process title applications on behalf of another dealer unless both dealerships are owned by the same entity.

(c) The department may appoint other persons in this state as its designated agents. Such agents shall perform their duties under this chapter either personally, through any of their officers or employees, or through a title service provider. An appointee shall enter into a bond as provided in subsection (b). Full-time bonded employees of the Department of Revenue may serve as designated agents without additional bond. A qualified designated agent of the department located outside of this state may continue as a designated agent of the department as long as he or she complies with the requirements of this chapter.

(d) Each title service provider shall enter into a bond with a corporate surety authorized to do business in this state as a surety, thereon payable to the state in a sum provided in Section 40-12-398, conditioned on the faithful performance of their duties under this chapter.

(Acts 1973, No. 765, p. 1147, §4; Act 2003-345, p. 870, §1; Act 2009-746, p. 2236, §2; Act 2015-362, p. 1109, §2; Act 2019-238, §1.)

Last modified: May 3, 2021