The Florida Senate

320.0657  Permanent registration; fleet license plates.--

(1)

(a)  The owner or lessee of 250 or more nonapportioned commercial motor vehicles licensed under s. 320.08(2), (3), (4), (5)(a)1. and (b), and (7), who has posted a bond as prescribed by department rules, may apply via magnetically encoded computer tape reel or cartridge which is machine readable by the installed computer system at the department for permanent license plates. All vehicles with a fleet license plate shall have the company's name or logo and unit number displayed so that they are readily identifiable. The provisions of s. 320.0605 shall not apply to vehicles registered in accordance with this section, and no annual validation sticker is required.

(b)  The plates, which shall be of a distinctive color, shall have the word "Fleet" appearing at the bottom and the word "Florida" appearing at the top. The plates shall conform in all respects to the provisions of this chapter, except as specified herein.

(c)  In addition to the license tax prescribed by s. 320.08(2), (3), (4), (5)(a)1. and (b), and (7), an annual fee of $6 shall be charged for each vehicle registered hereunder. Of this $6 fee, $2.50 shall be retained as a service charge by the tax collector, if the registration occurs at such office, or by the department, if the registration occurs at offices of the department. Receipts from the $6 fee not retained by tax collectors shall be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund. Payment of registration license tax and fees shall be made annually and be evidenced only by the issuance of a single receipt by the department. Half-year registrations shall not be available for vehicles registered in accordance with the provisions of this section. The provision of s. 320.06(1)(b) shall not apply to the fleet renewal process.

(2)  All recipients of permanent license plates authorized by this section shall submit an annual audit as prescribed by rule of the department. Such audit shall include a percentage of the vehicles registered by each owner or lessee, not to exceed 10 percent. The department shall randomly select the vehicles to be audited and shall forward a listing of said vehicles only to the office of the auditor performing the audit. Every attempt shall be made to provide for groupings of vehicles based in the same location; however, the location shall change from year to year. The audit shall be prepared by a certified public accountant licensed under chapter 473, at the recipient's expense, and shall be performed to standards prescribed by the department. Such audits shall be delivered to the department on or before February 15 of each calendar year. Any fees or taxes which the audit determines are due the department shall be submitted to the department along with such audit. In addition, any company found to be habitually abusing the privileges afforded by permanent licensure shall forfeit the bond required in subsection (1), and may be required by the department to relinquish all permanent license plates, and not be eligible to continue to participate in the program.

(3)  The department is authorized to adopt such rules as necessary to comply with this section.

History.--s. 50, ch. 94-306; s. 1, ch. 94-312; s. 35, ch. 96-413.