(a) The following annual license taxes and registration fees are hereby imposed and shall be charged for each trailer, other than manufactured homes, operated on the public highways of this state:

(1) For each privately owned utility trailer or travel trailer, which is not operated for hire, lease, or rental, twelve dollars ($12).

(2) For each utility trailer, rented or leased for compensation of any kind or nature, fifteen dollars ($15).

(3) For each truck or tractor trailer or semitrailer, twenty dollars ($20); and provided, that any trailer or semitrailer used by a farmer exclusively for transporting farm products to and from market or for transporting the personal property of a farmer for his or her own use on the farm shall not be subject to the license taxes and registration fees provided for in this section. Trailers of any kind or description for hauling passengers for hire are prohibited by law and shall not be licensed under this article.

(b) At the option of the owner, a fleet of 50 or more rental utility trailers required to be licensed in this section may be registered for a period of five years, or any number of years to be designated by the commissioner, provided the following requirements are met:

(1) The application shall be made on forms prescribed by the commissioner and shall contain such information as the commissioner may require.

(2) Upon receipt of proper application and fees, there shall be issued for each trailer in the fleet a registration plate which shall be valid for the number of years specified. All plates issued to a fleet shall expire on the last day of the final month of the period for which issued. Should the fleet owner add trailers during the registration period, the registration of the additional trailers shall expire on the same day as the original fleet of trailers are to expire.

(3) The fleet owner shall be required to pay all registration renewal fees due each year for all trailers registered in his or her fleet prior to the expiration date. If the renewal fees are not paid, all license plates and registrations in the fleet shall be cancelled.

(c)(1) The owner of any truck trailer, tractor trailer, or semitrailer, except for manufactured homes, who has compiled with Section 32-8-32, in lieu of paying the annual registration fee provided in paragraph (3) of subsection (a), may purchase a permanent license plate which shall not be subject to annual renewal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the owner of any truck trailer, tractor trailer, or semitrailer who chooses to purchase a permanent license plate shall annually assess the property between October 1 and prior to January 1 on a Business Personal Property Return (ADV-40) in the county where the truck trailer, tractor trailer, or semitrailer is based. Application for the permanent license plate shall be as prescribed by the Department of Revenue and shall be accompanied by a one-time registration fee of sixty dollars ($60) per permanent plate issued. The permanent license plate shall be displayed on the trailer for which it is issued, shall be valid only as long as the truck trailer, tractor trailer, or semitrailer is titled in this state to the owner who registered the trailer or trailers under this subsection, and may not be transferred to another trailer or to another owner. In the event of the transfer of ownership of the trailer, the owner shall surrender the permanent license plate to his or her county license plate issuing official and no credit or refund of registration fees shall be allowed upon surrender.

(2) It shall be unlawful for anyone to display or operate a trailer displaying a permanent trailer plate on a vehicle other than the trailer originally registered with the trailer plate or to display or operate a trailer with a permanent trailer license plate issued to the previous vehicle owner. Anyone convicted of violating this subdivision shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.

(d) The Department of Revenue shall have the authority to develop and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations as needed to administer the provisions of this section.