29.1-327 - Agents for sale of licenses and permits; sales by telephone and electronic media.

§ 29.1-327. Agents for sale of licenses and permits; sales by telephone andelectronic media.

A. The Board shall have authority to appoint agents operating in and outsideof Virginia for the issuance and sale of any or all of the permits andlicenses provided for in this title. Those agents appointed shall be inaddition to the clerks of the courts designated by § 29.1-323 and shall bechosen so as to best serve the public from the standpoint of geographiclocation and method of operation. Such agents operating in and outside ofVirginia shall be subject to the laws and the rules and regulations of theBoard covering the issuance and sale of licenses and permits. Rules andregulations promulgated by the Board shall be designed to ensure that agentsprovide adequate service to the public and shall include provisions forremoving agents not performing their duties properly. Any contract betweenthe Department and any agent operating outside of Virginia shall stipulatethat application and construction of the contract is governed by the laws ofVirginia. Before an agent's appointment becomes effective, the agent shall bebonded by a surety company entitled to do business in this Commonwealth inthe penalty of such amount as the Board may require, payable to theCommonwealth and conditioned upon the faithful performance of the agent'sduties.

At such intervals as the Board may decide to be proper, the Board shallinformally investigate the performance of agents appointed pursuant to thissection to determine whether such agents are performing their duties in thepublic interest as provided by law and shall take any action deemed necessaryto provide the best service in the public interest.

B. The Board may make and enter into agency contracts whereby the agent,whether operating in or outside of Virginia, may sell hunting and fishinglicenses, issued under this title, by telephone, the Internet, or otherelectronic or computerized means. The contract shall establish the cost theagent may charge and receive per transaction which shall be in addition tothe actual cost of the license sold during the transaction. A telephone orelectronic media agent shall receive as compensation the fees for which hecontracted with the Board and as determined and provided for in § 29.1-332. Atelephone or electronic media agent shall follow the provisions of thecontract.

(Code 1950, § 29-65; 1950, p. 149; 1964, c. 562; 1966, c. 286; 1968, c. 522;1970, c. 82; 1972, c. 133; 1973, c. 184; 1974, cc. 105, 107; 1975, cc. 153,402; 1976, cc. 38, 171; 1977, c. 377; 1987, c. 488; 1999, c. 255; 2000, c.132.)