Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to establish contracts for electronic programs that allow qualified private industry partners, including second-line business partners, to provide services that include processing and payment programs for vehicle registration and titling transactions. Existing law authorizes the department to establish the maximum amount that a qualified private industry partner may charge its customers, but requires the department to annually adjust that amount, as specified.

The bill would, notwithstanding the above-described authorization to establish maximum charge amounts, require the department to limit the amount that any qualified second-line business partner may charge an individual customer for a vehicle registration renewal that is processed on the second-line business partner’s internet website to no more than the maximum amount a first-line service provider may charge its customers. The bill would also direct the department to require all qualified second-line business partners to prominently display on their internet websites, in a clear and conspicuous manner, a working link to the department’s internet website with a specified statement informing the public that consumers may obtain services from the department at no additional cost.