just what does it take to get licensed ???
In the state of California it takes:
A DMV class prior to a DMV examination.
Gotplates.com offers both private and scheduled classes in 25 locations.
Once you pass the test you will need to build your application, bond and photos.
Then you will return to the DMV inspector, and submit all of your documentation.
Hopefully you will qualify for a temporary license.
The last step is final inspection. Final inspection happens within 90-120 days following the submission of your completed documents. The DMV inspector will contact you, and make an appointment for your final inspection.
For questions call Tina @ 1-800-901-5950, or email Tina @ tristartina@gmail.com
Thanks
Charlotte
paul said,
August 31, 2008 at 1:33 pm
hello
im concerned about the cost of the bond
ive had some credit issues in the past
and i want to make sure i can get the bond
for a reasonable price
what do you suggest ?
Paul
gotplates said,
July 4, 2009 at 4:24 pm
hello paul
we see two obstacles for most folks trying to get licensed
a car dealer license requires local zoning approval and a bond
local zoning approval is done with the dmv form called an OL 902
bond agent will sell you a bond based on your credit
$ 300. per year with good credit for a 10k bond
$ 800. per year with good credit for a 50K bond
sony @ unipoint is the bond master, 714-677-0843
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
G Louie said,
September 2, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Hi,
Where are the best places to obtain zoning for retail auto sales?
Thanks,
G
charlotte said,
September 3, 2008 at 1:45 pm
hello paul
here is the answer to your inquiry
the dealer bond is based on your credit
or the collective credit of you and your partners
the bond underwriter will examine:
credit scores
history of late payments
history of no payment
history of disputed payments
the bond company has to decide what price to charge
based on the amount of the promise
in this case $ 10k or $ 50k
a $ 10k bond premium begins at $ 200. per year
a $ 50k bond premium begins at $ 650. per year
sometimes a bond company will ask for a co-signer or a cash deposit
in addition to an annual premium
we suggest credit repair for those with deficient credit scores
we forward all bond inquiries to unipoint insurance
714-677-0843
ask for sony, thy or angie
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
gotplates said,
July 4, 2009 at 4:26 pm
hello paul
bond prices have gone up
and it takes good credit to qualify for a bond
the freeze in credit has had a profound impact on bond prices
call sony @ unipoint for assistance
714-677-0843
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
gotplates said,
September 3, 2008 at 2:05 pm
hello G
zoning approval for a retail location can sometimes be the most difficult step
in the entire licensing process to become a car dealer
each new dealership must obtain zoning approval
from the local planning authority
and have a completed dmv OL902 form in their application
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/ol/ol902.pdf
this is often influenced by local politics
licensed dealers in the same locale
and the policy direction decisions in place
wholesale only licenses are given much more frequently
than retail licenses
remember the local agency set the local rules
at or above the minimum dmv statewide standard
some agencies are impossible
some are very easy
some require a conditional use permit ( up to $ 10k or more per year )
some require landscaping additions ( up to $ 8k of plants, in the ground )
some require additional display area ( up to 20 spaces )
some require handicapped access modifications
we suggest you contact the agency of the area you wish to
obtain your retail license in
and obtain the local rules for a retail dealership
then check out the existing retail locations to look for
space which is more likely to be approved
if you can find a location with past history of license
that is helpful
if you can find a location is the proper zone and
share space with an existing business
that is helpful
remember, a retail dealer MAY share space with another business
as long as it is separate and distinct from that business
but two dealerships cannot share the same space
some local agencies are known as dealer friendly
and have many small retail dealerships
sony at unipoint insurance can sometimes be helpful
in locating spaces which qualify for a retail license
714-677-0843
stephanie, a dmv attorney has experience with zoning issues
831-684-1077
good luck
hope that helps address the question
charlotte
800-901-5950
http://www.gotplates.com
jan said,
September 3, 2008 at 2:16 pm
jan asks
do you have to have an office to sell cars ???
gotplates said,
July 4, 2009 at 4:28 pm
hello jan
all dealers must have an office
wholesale dealers are not required to have signs or parking
most local agencies allow home based wholesale dealers
we can answer all of your questions
in our dmv certified dealer class
prices start as low as $ 100.
we teach in 25 cities within california
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
J said,
September 3, 2008 at 2:17 pm
hello jan
all types of license need an office
and if you are a retail dealer, you must also have parking within your control ( display area )
to legally sell cars to the public
look for answers to more questions on our blog
http://www.gotplates.wordpress.com
or give tina a call
800-901-5950
good luck
thx
J
charlotte said,
September 7, 2008 at 11:14 am
we are often asked…
how many cars can we sell before we need a dealers license ???
thx
C
gotplates said,
July 4, 2009 at 4:32 pm
the new law against unlicensed dealers
makes this especially relevant
as of jan 1, 2009 law enforcement may seize vehicles
being offered for sale by unlicensed dealers
a private party may sell up to 5 vehicles per year
as long as
there is no profit intention
and the vehicle is taxed, registered and insured
in the name of the seller
cars held in open title status
that have not been taxed, registered or insured
are likely candidates for seizure by local law enforcement
under these new anti-curbstoning laws
buyers show take note of little protection in the law
when buying from unlicensed dealers
we offer the class in california to become a licensed dealer
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
pete said,
September 7, 2008 at 4:08 pm
hello gotplates
im interested in getting my wholesale dealers license
how do i insure my inventory??
thx
pete
brian said,
September 7, 2008 at 4:09 pm
hello gotplates
im interested in getting a dealer license
to hold several collector cars in inventory
am i allowed to use the dealer plate??
i do not drive them often, but i sure want to be legal
is this possible??
thx
brian
gotplates said,
July 4, 2009 at 4:36 pm
hello brian
with the recent increase in sales taxes and dmv registration fees
we are seeing a spike in the number of students
taking dmv dealer classes
remember with a wholesale license
you maintain one inventory
you pay no sales tax
you pay no dmv registration fees
you have auction access
you maintain and display car dealer license plates
you maintain and use one comprehensive insurance policy
car collectors LOVE our dmv certified car dealer class
we teach in 25 california cities
come and see if this is the ticket for you
we make it simple for you to get licensed
prices start as low as $ 100. for our dmv car dealer class
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
glenn said,
September 7, 2008 at 4:11 pm
hello gotplates
my family originates from south america
and i would like to get a wholesale license to export vehicles
to my country
is it necessary to have a dealer’s license ??
please explain what i need
thx
glenn
willis said,
September 7, 2008 at 4:13 pm
hello gotplates
my friend is a dealer
and he was stopped by the police
for using his dealer plate after hours
the police officer told him this was illegal
but did not cite him
is the police office correct??
please let me know
so i can tell my friend
thanks
willis
sandy said,
September 7, 2008 at 4:16 pm
hello gotplates
my husband has been a wholesale dealer for years
our neighbor wants one of our bmw’s in dealer inventory
i know we cannot sell it to him directly
is there any way to make a retail sale
with a wholesale license??
please help us if you know
thank you
sandy
charlotte said,
September 8, 2008 at 12:20 am
check out the pretty license plate
from alaska even
http://www.akplates.org/misc/gotplates.jpg
charlotte
Marc said,
September 18, 2008 at 9:37 am
Hello Joseph,
Thanks for the class and all the help information,you gave me yesterday in Fairfield.
Durrimg part of are conversation you mention being an Car Appraisaer,and went on to say if I wanted to see what an car appraisal looked like,I could send you my e-mail
So here is my e-mail marcappraisals@comcast.net
The way the housing market is lately,learning how to appraiser car might be a good thing!! Take care and again Thanhs for the class yesterday it was great!!
charlotte said,
December 2, 2008 at 7:55 pm
hello patrick
the essence of the class is to teach you the process
unwind your car dealer license idea
and apply the rules to your idea
in order to make informed decisions
we have two websites with all the information
http://www.gotplates.com
and
http://www.howtobecomeacardealer.com
we also answer loads of questions
on our car dealer blog:
http://www.gotplates.wordpress.com
if you leave a number
tina can give you a quick explanation
basically
class and test
application and bond
photos and site inspection
license then renews annually in two year cycles
class schedule attached
good luck
thx
C
800-901-5950
patrick wrote:
what are the steps needed to get a dealers license from california from start to finish? what are the requirements and how long is the license good for?
Dan said,
February 13, 2009 at 11:23 am
Hello,
I heard that autobrokers can broker deals for retail customers by facilitating purchases of automobiles directly from dealer-only auctions such as ADESA, MANHEIM, and so on. Could you explain how this differs from buying new cars ?
Since the process of getting a retail license is time consuming and expensive, I am considering autobroker license with an office space.
Thank you for your kind attention,
Dan
gotplates said,
February 15, 2009 at 9:17 am
hello dan
autobrokers do not sell cars
autobrokers link up customers with existing retail dealers
autobrokers do not have auction access
autobrokers do not have dealer plates or dealer insurance
we suggest you take our class and learn how to
make use of a wholesale license with an autobroker endorsement
might be more what you are looking for
classes available at http://www.gotplates.com
or just give tina a call at 800-901-5950
thx
charlotte
Ryan said,
March 11, 2009 at 7:51 pm
hello,
i live in northern california
Im trying to get retail auto dealer license…I know DMV requires an office with 2 parking . since it takes 90-120 days for final inspection, how can I just pay the lease of the office while getting a final inspection? How many dealer plates DMV offer?
What is exctaly bond is for? Please let me know thx…
gotplates said,
March 14, 2009 at 1:11 pm
hello ryan
we answer all of these questions and more in our car dealer class
we have 25 locations for you to choose from
the california dmv requires this in person class to get licensed
office is required for all types of license
parking is determined by the local planning
through signoff of the DMV OL 902 form
the local authority sets the number of spaces needed
dmv minimum is one space, local zoning authorities can require up to 20 ( fresno )
dmv allows for a temporary license prior to final inspection
photos must be presented with dealer application to obtain a temporary
issuance of a dmv temporary license is at the sole discretion of the dmv inspector
you may have as many dealer plates as you are willing to insure
dealer insurance is mandatory for the use of dealer plates
the bond is a promise that you will honor your dealer obligations
to the dmv, the board of equalization and the court system
retail bond is currently $ 50, 000 ( about $ 800/year with good credit )
there is proposed legislation raising the dealer bond to a whopping $ 250k
our class signup is at :
http://www.gotplates.com
for those offering financing, check out the red flag rules
certificates required by may 1, 2009
$ 500. flat fee, special price, all inclusive
http://www.redflagclass.com
good luck ryan
hope this helps
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
Sandy said,
April 25, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Hi!
I am thinking of getting a dealer license. Other than auctions, is there another way to get cars cheap enough to be able to resell them to dealers or at auctions?
Thanks!
Sandy
gotplates said,
April 30, 2009 at 6:22 pm
hello sandy
the secret to the car business is acquisition
if you buy the car at the right price
you will ALWAYS make money
wholesale or retail
it is always about the price
we find that many dealers optimize their profits by networking
lien sales, private party purchases, local franchise dealers, smog shops, rental car agencies, local government fleets
the sources you develop need to be your family secret
come to our car dealer school and get licensed
prices for the class start at $ 100.
http://www.gotplates.com
classes in 25 cities thruout california
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
gotplates said,
July 3, 2009 at 5:43 pm
the current trend in the used car business
is car repair shops obtaining a wholesale dealer license
at their current location
with a 10k dealer surety bond
this enables acquisition of broken and disabled customer cars
and using their expertise and efficiency of operations
to supply local buy here pay here retail car dealers
with a ready supply of local vehicles for sale to local buyers
we can help you with the process
we make it simple for you
classes throughout california
prices begin as low as $ 100.
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950
gotplates said,
July 3, 2009 at 5:48 pm
hello sandy
many wholesalers are teaming with repair facilities
to obtain broken and disabled vehicles
and prepare them for retail sale
remember, a wholesaler can begin with a low 10k bond
even out of their current location
( with local zoning approval )
good luck
thx
charlotte
800-901-5950