§ 39-22-15 — Established place of business - Penalty

1. A dealer license may not be issued until the applicant furnishes proof satisfactory to
the director that the applicant has, does, and will continue to maintain in North Dakota
an established place of business adjacent to the primary motor vehicle display lot
maintained by the dealer. An established place of business means a permanent
enclosed building of at least two hundred fifty square feet [23.22 square meters] either
owned, rented, or leased at which a permanent business of bartering, trading, and
selling of motor vehicles will be conducted and does not mean a residence, tents,
temporary stands, or other temporary quarters. The established place of business and
primary motor vehicle display lot must cover at least two thousand five hundred square
feet [232.26 square meters] and be located on property zoned or otherwise approved
for this purpose by the appropriate zoning authority. The established place of business
must be adequately heated and lighted so as to be comfortable for customers and
employees and be equipped with standard office equipment necessary for the conduct
of the business. All records related to the business, including titles or other documents
showing ownership of the vehicles, must be kept and maintained at the established
place of business, or if multiple dealer licenses are held by a person, records may be
kept and maintained at one established place of business for that person.

2. An established place of business must have a telephone publicly listed in the name of
the dealership, be open to the public during normal business hours, and have a sign
identifying the business to the public as a motor vehicle dealership. The sign must be
at least thirty-two square feet [2.97 square meters] in size, contain the name of the
dealership in letters at least ten inches [25.4 centimeters] high, and be clearly visible
from the street. A business sign approved by a motor vehicle manufacturer may be
used in lieu of the sign requirements of this section.
3. If the licensee desires to move from the established place of business occupied when
the license was granted to a new location, the licensee shall first secure from the
director permission to do so. The licensee must furnish proof satisfactory to the
director that the premises to which the licensee proposes to move conform with the
requirements of this section.
4. The department may assess a person violating this section a one hundred dollar fee
for a first violation or a two hundred dollar fee for a second violation within two years of
the first violation. The department may suspend the license of a motor vehicle dealer
licensed under this chapter if a third or subsequent violation of this section occurs
within five years of the first violation.