(a)

(1) On or before February 15 of each year, each motor vehicle dealer shall submit to the commission an annual sales report indicating the number of motor vehicles sold by the dealer during the preceding calendar year, the number of dealer registration plates issued to the dealer during the year and the county or counties in which the plates were issued.

(2) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if a motor vehicle dealer:

(A) Fails to timely file the annual sales report, the dealer shall not be eligible for any dealer registration plates until the annual sales report is filed;

(B) Timely files the annual sales report and sells twenty-four (24) or more motor vehicles during a calendar year, then there is a rebuttable presumption that the dealer is eligible to receive, retain, and use dealer registration plates otherwise authorized by § 55-4-226; or

(C) Timely files the annual sales report, and sells fewer than twenty-four (24) motor vehicles during a calendar year or if a dealer engaged in business for only a portion of the calendar year but sold fewer than two (2) vehicles on average per month during this portion of the year, then the dealer is eligible to receive, retain, and use up to three (3) dealer registration plates. Upon written request by the dealer and with justification shown, the motor vehicle commission may approve the issuance of additional plates. The commission shall furnish to each county clerk a listing of eligible dealers.

(3) If pursuant to this section, a dealer is no longer eligible to receive, retain or use dealer registration plates, then the commission is authorized to undertake appropriate action to take possession of any plates issued to the dealer and shall promptly forward the plates to the department of revenue.

(b) Upon request of the commission, the department shall make available for the commission's inspection departmental information concerning the number of dealer registration plates issued to each dealer.