AI-assisted research summary: The county license commissioner must mail motor-vehicle tax and registration forms each year, and owners who want to register by mail must sign and return the form with payment by October 15.
On or after the first day of August each year, and no later than the thirtieth of September, the county license commissioner shall mail a form requesting the information hereinafter specified to all owners of motor vehicles. The form shall be provided by the State Department of Revenue and shall contain spaces for the name and address of the owner of the motor vehicle, the make, the model and serial number of the vehicle, and such other information with respect thereto as the Department of Revenue may prescribe. The form shall also contain a space for the correct amount of the ad valorem taxes (state, county, school district, and municipal), the amount of the motor vehicle license due thereon, the issuance fee, and the mailing fee provided for herein; it shall also contain a space for the owner to fill in his or her present address if different from that shown in the application form and a space for his or her signature. The form shall be filled in by the department with the name and address of the owner, the description of the motor vehicle, the license tax and fees to become due on October first as shown on the license registration and transfer records, and the amount of ad valorem tax due on the motor vehicle for the preceding tax year. The commissioner shall then cause the application form so filed to be mailed to the owner of the motor vehicle at his or her address shown thereon. The owner of the motor vehicle, if he or she is still the owner of the motor vehicle, and if he or she desires to pay his or her motor vehicle ad valorem taxes and license tax and secure his or her motor vehicle registration tag by mail, shall sign the application form, indicating thereon any change of address and return the same by mail by October 15 with his or her remittance for ad valorem taxes, license taxes, and fees as shown thereon to the commissioner. Money orders and checks for payment of taxes shall be made payable to the county license commissioner. Upon receipt of the signed application form and remittance for the amount properly due for ad valorem tax and fees, the county license commissioner shall thereupon mail a receipt for such taxes and fees and the license tag for his or her motor vehicle to the owner thereof. When an application form is returned to the commissioner unsigned or with less than the correct amount of the taxes and fees, the form shall be returned to the owner for correction or for signature. A return of the application or remittance shall not be construed as a time extension for payment. The county license commissioner is hereby authorized to establish rules and regulations necessary to implement the sale of tags by financial institutions or other organizations located in various municipalities and communities located within the county. The license commissioner shall have broad discretion in determining the organizations at which the tags may be sold. The license commissioner shall promulgate all rules necessary as to the bonding of sellers of the tags and the amount added to the price of the tag to cover the additional costs involved in such sales, provided, however the amount shall not exceed seventy-five cents ($.75) per tag and shall be collected by the seller. In addition to any and all other charges or fees, the license commissioner is authorized to charge an amount up to fifty cents ($.50) per tag to pay for the costs of postage for mailing out the forms provided for herein.