Auto Dealer License Requirements

Executive Q&A: At 15, he liked cars, needed a job

Jason Brickl took his first job with Ballweg — then a single General Motors dealership in his hometown of Sauk City — in 1989 when he was 15, before he even had a driver’s license.

“I literally walked in off the street and filled out an application and attached my high school picture to it,” said Brickl, the 38-year-old CEO of the Ballweg Family of Dealerships, which now has six locations in four cities with a Middleton headquarters.

“It basically came down to I liked cars and I needed a job,” Brickl recalled.

Last month, Brickl was elected by his peers to co-chair the General Motors National Dealer Council, where he will represent some 4,500 GM dealers around the country with Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac franchises.

In the post, he will work with senior GM executives on issues such as sales, service and marketing. He will continue doing his regular job during the two-year term.

The other council chairman will be Don Johnson, GM’s vice president of U.S. sales.

Brickl said he looks forward to working on business growth and other issues with the automaker, which has slimmed down and been rejuvenated by improved sales and redesigned vehicles after a brief bankruptcy and massive federal bailout in 2009.

But Brickl, who helped Ballweg add Toyota, Ford and Mercedes Benz to GM’s Buick and Chevrolet brands, said the reason he comes to work hasn’t changed much from those days as a 15-year-old working part time washing cars, sorting parts and cleaning the shop.

He’s still in it for the cars, he said, noting his fascination with the latest model changes and technological bells and whistles.

“The minute a transport truck pulls up with a load of new vehicles from any one of my manufacturers and I don’t get excited, I’ll know it’s time to leave,” he said. “It’s the constant change in our industry from a product perspective that I fell in love with.”

Q: Your rise through Ballweg and the industry has been rapid. In 2001, just six years out of college, you were promoted to vice president of Ballweg, after four years with Toyota on the corporate level and as a dealer, and then two years as general manager of the Ballweg dealership in Sauk City. How were you able to move so quickly?

A: I’ve always been very goal-oriented and very motivated on a personal level. I consider myself to be a pretty good planner.

Do I need a Dealer's License to bid at a Salvage auction?

Do I need a Dealer’s License to bid at a Salvage auction?

When insurance companies consider a vehicle to be a total loss, a salvage title is awarded and the vehicle is essentially junked. Not all salvage title vehicles are badly damaged and for those that are, parts can be recovered from them that can be quite valuable. For this reason, there is a thriving auto salvaging industry.  In many cases, salvage cars are auctioned. These auctions are often viewed as a playground for car fanatics especially those looking to revive older models, however, buying a vehicle may not prove to be easy. In essence you can buy a vehicle from a salvage auction without a dealer license but it depends on where you live.

It is important for persons who bid to know and adhere to all licensing requirements. These requirements may be local, state or federal. Many online auctions require proof of licensing when registering and a potential bidder’s application can be rejected if this is not provided. Even if your are licensed to sell auto parts in your local area, other legalities may be necessary so it’s best to check with the Department of Transportation that has jurisdiction over your location.

If you are not licensed as an aftermarket parts provider, one loophole is to arrange with local dealerships that are licensed to sell auto parts to purchase a vehicle you like and sell it back to you.  The terms and condition of the agreement will have to be worked out between you and the dealer. Some local salvage yard owners may be willing to bid on the car for you as well.

Some online auctioneers have also implemented programs with licensed resellers who authorize non-license holders to bid using their licenses.  These resellers often charge a registration fee (per car bought) and a transaction fee is possible. You can find online auctioneers that carry “No License Required Vehicles” that persons without salvage licenses can bid on directly from the site.

Another way of acquiring a salvage vehicle without being licensed to bid at salvage auctions is to buy the vehicle under a Rebuilt title. For this to happen, however, the current owner will have to do the repairs necessary for the vehicle to pass inspection in order for the salvage title to be lifted. This may not always be an easy to find option.  Additionally, based on your state, this may still not be allowed without a salvage dealer license.

Entrepreneur's great big book of business lists, all the things you need to know to run a small business

Montana code annotated

The law of motor vehicle dealer bonds

A compendium of State licensing laws regulating motor vehicle manufacturers, dealers and salesmen

Automotive industries