§ 4456.5 (operative January 1 — California Vehicle Code

(a) A dealer may charge the purchaser or lessee of a vehicle the following charges:

(1) A document processing charge for the preparation and processing of documents, disclosures, and titling, registration, and information security obligations imposed by state and federal law. The dealer document processing charge shall not be represented as a governmental fee.

(A) If a dealer has a contractual agreement with the department to be a private industry partner pursuant to Section 1685, the document processing charge shall not exceed eighty-five dollars ($85).

(B) If a dealer does not have a contractual agreement with the department to be a private industry partner pursuant to Section 1685, the document processing charge shall not exceed seventy dollars ($70).

(2) An electronic filing charge, not to exceed the actual amount the dealer is charged by a first-line service provider for providing license plate processing, postage, and the fees and services authorized pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (d) of Section 1685, including services related to reporting vehicle sales and producing temporary license plates pursuant to Sections 4456 and 4456.2. The electronic filing charge shall not be used to pay for additional fees, goods, or services not directly related to the electronic registration of a motor vehicle, including, but not limited to, the receipt by the dealer of free or discounted goods, services, or financial incentives. The director may establish, through the adoption of regulations, the maximum amount that a first-line service provider may charge a dealer. The electronic filing charge shall not be represented as a governmental fee.

(b) As used in this section, the term “first-line service provider” shall have the same meaning as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1685.

(c) This section does not prohibit a first-line service provider from entering into contracts with dealers for products and services unrelated to electronic vehicle registration services.

(d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2019.

(Repealed (in Sec. 5) and added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 90, Sec. 6. (AB 516) Effective January 1, 2017. Section operative January 1, 2019, by its own provisions.)