2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 17A. Motor Vehicle Administration, Registration, Certificate of Title, and Antitheft Provisions › Article 6. Licensing of Dealers and Wreckers or Dismantlers; Special Plates; Temporary Plates or Markers › §17A-6-10. Fee Required for License Certificate; Dealer Special Plates

(a) The initial application fee for a license certificate to engage in the business of a new motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, house trailer dealer, trailer dealer, motorcycle dealer, recreational vehicle dealer or wrecker/dismantler/rebuilder is $250: Provided, That if an application for a license certificate is denied or refused in accordance with section six of this article, $125 shall be refunded to the applicant. The initial application fee entitles the licensee to dealer special plates as prescribed by subsections (b), (c), (d) and (e) of this section.
(b) The annual renewal fee required for a license certificate to engage in the business of new motor vehicle dealer is $100. This fee shall also entitle the licensee to one dealer's special plate which shall be known as a Class D special plate. Up to two additional Class D special plates shall be issued to the licensee upon application on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $5 for each additional Class D special plate. Any licensee is also entitled to receive additional Class D special plates on a formula basis, that is, one additional Class D special plate per twenty new and used motor vehicles sold at retail and wholesale by the licensee or predecessor during the preceding fiscal year, upon application on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $5 for each additional Class D special plate: Provided, That in the case of a licensee who did not own or operate the business during the preceding fiscal year and who has no predecessor who owned or operated a business during the fiscal year, additional Class D plates shall be issued for the ensuing fiscal year only on a formula basis of one additional Class D plate per twenty new and used motor vehicles which the licensee estimates on his or her application for his or her license certificate he or she will sell at retail and wholesale during the ensuing fiscal year. The licensee may revise his or her estimate if actual sales of new and used motor vehicles in the initial year exceed the estimate by filing an amended application for his or her license certificate. Additional Class D plates shall be issued for the remaining portion of the fiscal year only on a formula basis of one additional Class D plate per twenty new and used vehicles in the revised estimate. A licensee may receive no more than five additional Class D special license plates upon a showing that the licensee's new vehicle retail sale business requires more special license plates than authorized under the formula established under the provisions of this section. Such showing shall include evidence of the geographical divergence of the licensee's customer base and the number of licensees holding similar franchises of a particular brand of a motor vehicle to show the need for additional Class D special plates.
(c) The annual renewal fee required for a license certificate to engage in the business of used motor vehicle dealer is $100. This fee also entitles the licensee to one dealer's special plate which shall be known as a Class D-U/C special plate. Up to two additional Class D-U/C special plates shall be issued to the licensee upon application on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $5 for each additional Class D-U/C special plate. Any licensee is also entitled to receive additional Class D-U/C special plates on a formula basis, that is, one additional Class D-U/C special plate per twenty used motor vehicles sold at retail and/or wholesale by the licensee or his or her predecessor during the preceding fiscal year, upon application therefor on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $5 for each additional Class D-U/C special plate: Provided, That in the case of a licensee who did not own or operate the business during the preceding fiscal year and who has no predecessor who owned or operated the business during the preceding fiscal year, additional Class D-U/C plates shall be issued for the ensuing fiscal year only on a formula basis of one additional Class D-U/C plate per twenty used motor vehicles which the licensee estimates on his or her application for the license certificate he or she will sell at retail and/or wholesale during the ensuing fiscal year. The licensee may revise his or her estimate if actual sales of used motor vehicles in the ensuing fiscal year exceed the estimate by filing an amended application for his or her license certificate. Additional Class D-U/C plates shall be issued for the remaining portion of the fiscal year only on a formula basis of one additional Class D-U/C plate per twenty used vehicles in the revised estimate.
(d) The annual renewal fee required for a license certificate to engage in the business of house trailer dealer or trailer dealer, as the case may be, is $25. This fee also entitles the licensee to four dealer's special plates which shall be known as Class D-T/R special plates. Additional Class D-T/R special plates shall be issued to any licensee upon application therefor on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $5 for each such additional Class D-T/R special plate.
(e) The annual renewal fee required for a license certificate to engage in the business of recreational vehicle dealer is $100. This fee shall also entitle the licensee to four dealer special plates which shall be known as Class D-R/V special plates. Additional Class D-R/V special plates shall be issued to any licensee upon application therefor on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose on the payment of a fee of $25 for each additional Class D-R/V special plate.
(f) The annual renewal fee required for a license certificate to engage in the business of motorcycle dealer is $10. This fee shall also entitle the licensee to two dealer's special plates which shall be known as Class F special plates. Additional Class F special plates shall be issued to any dealer upon application therefor on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $5 for each additional Class F special plate.
(g) The annual renewal fee required for a license certificate to engage in the business of wrecker/dismantler/rebuilder is $15. Upon payment of the fee for the license certificate, a licensee is entitled to up to four special license plates which shall be known as Class WD special plates. The plates shall be issued to any licensee upon application therefor on a form prescribed by the commissioner for such purpose and the payment of a fee of $25 for each plate. The plate issued under the provisions of this subsection shall have the words "Towing Only" affixed thereon. A wrecker/dismantler/rebuilder is entitled to one special plate known as a Class WD/Demo special plate upon payment of a $25 fee. This plate shall only be used for demonstrating rebuilt automobiles owned by the wrecker/dismantler/rebuilder.
(h) All of the special plates provided for in this section shall be of such form and design and contain such other distinguishing marks or characteristics as the commissioner may prescribe.