§ 40-8-5 — Alteration of odometer; involvement with devices which cause odometer to register other than actual mileage; penalties

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to tamper with, adjust, alter, change, set back, disconnect, or fail to connect an odometer of a motor vehicle, or to cause any of the foregoing to occur to an odometer of a motor vehicle, so as to reflect a lower mileage than the motor vehicle has actually been driven, except as provided in this Code section. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to bring into this state a motor vehicle which reflects a lower mileage than the motor vehicle actually has been driven due to any illegal acts outlined in subsection (a) of this Code section. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to sell or attempt to sell a motor vehicle which reflects a lower mileage than the motor vehicle actually has been driven due to any illegal acts outlined in subsection (a) of this Code section. (d) Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this Code section shall not apply to the disconnection of the odometer used for registering the mileage or use of new motor vehicles being tested by the manufacturer prior to delivery to a franchised dealer. (e) It shall be unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, to sell, to use, to install, or to have installed any device which causes an odometer to register any mileage other than the actual mileage driven. For the purposes of this subsection, the actual mileage driven is that mileage driven by the vehicle as registered by the odometer within the manufacturer's designed tolerance. (f) It shall be unlawful for any person to conspire with any other person to violate this Code section. (g) (1) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who, with intent to defraud, violates this Code section shall be liable in an amount equal to the sum of: (A) Three times the amount of actual damages sustained or $1,500.00, whichever is greater; and (B) In the case of any successful action to enforce the foregoing liability, the costs of the action, together with reasonable attorney's fees, as determined by the court. (2) Any action to enforce any liability created under this subsection may be brought in any superior court or state court having proper jurisdiction, within two years from the date on which the liability arises. (h) (1) If any person violates any provision of this Code section, the Attorney General, any district attorney in this state, or any solicitor-general in this state may bring an action in any superior court or state court having jurisdiction to restrain such violation. (2) Any action arising under paragraph (1) of this subsection may be brought within two years from the date of the violation. (i) Any person violating this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.