GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

SESSION LAW 2015-108

SENATE BILL 621

AN ACT to authorize the division OF MOTOR vehicles to send motor vehicle registration renewal notification by electronic means upon receiving written consent from the owner of the motor vehicle.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 105‑330.5(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Distribution and Collection Fees. – The Property Tax Division of the Department of Revenue or a third‑party contractor selected by the Property Tax Division must send a copy of the combined tax and registration notice for a registered classified motor vehicle to the motor vehicle owner, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01. Upon receiving written consent from the motor vehicle owner, the notice required under this subsection may be sent electronically to an e‑mail address provided by the motor vehicle owner. The Department must establish a fee equal to the actual cost of preparing, printing, and sending the notice. The Department may receive a fee for each notice generated for a vehicle registered in a county or municipal corporation from the taxes and fees remitted to the county or municipal corporation in which the vehicle is registered. The collecting authority is responsible for collecting county and municipal taxes and fees assessed under this Article and may receive a fee for collecting these taxes and fees. The amount of this fee for an agent contracting with the Division of Motor Vehicles must equal at least the applicable amount set under G.S. 20‑63(h). The amount of this fee for the Division of Motor Vehicles is the amount set by the memorandum of understanding entered into under G.S. 105‑330.11 but shall not exceed the amount set under G.S. 20‑63. The Property Tax Division must establish procedures to ensure that tax payments and fees received pursuant to this Article and Chapter 20 of the General Statutes are properly accounted for and taxes and fees due other taxing units and the Division of Motor Vehicles are remitted at least once each month."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 20‑66(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)       Annual Renewal. – The registration of a vehicle must be renewed annually. In accordance with G.S. 105‑330.5(b), upon receiving written consent from the owner of the vehicle, the Division may send any required notice of renewal electronically to an e‑mail address provided by the owner of the vehicle. To renew the registration of a vehicle, the owner of the vehicle must file an application with the Division and pay the required registration fee. The Division may receive and grant an application for renewal of registration at any time before the registration expires."

SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2016.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 18^th day of June, 2015.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Pat McCrory

                                                                         Governor

Approved 10:15 a.m. this 24^th day of June, 2015