Withholding registration.

(1) The department may withhold the registration of any motor vehicle or mobile home the owner or co-owner of which has failed to register it under the provisions of law for any previous period or periods for which it appears registration should have been made in this state until the tax for such period or periods is paid. The department may cancel any vehicle or vessel registration, driver license, identification card, or fuel-use tax decal if the owner or co-owner pays for any vehicle or vessel registration, driver license, identification card, or fuel-use tax decal; pays any administrative, delinquency, or reinstatement fee; or pays any tax liability, penalty, or interest specified in chapter 207 by a dishonored check, or if the vehicle owner or motor carrier has failed to pay a penalty for a weight or safety violation issued by the Department of Transportation or the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The Department of Transportation and the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may impound any commercial motor vehicle that has a canceled license plate or fuel-use tax decal until the tax liability, penalty, and interest specified in chapter 207, the license tax, or the fuel-use decal fee, and applicable administrative fees have been paid for by certified funds.

(2) An owner of a motor vehicle is exempt from the payment of a license tax for any previous period or periods for which registration should have been made upon presentation to the department by the owner of a notarized or certified affidavit stating that such motor vehicle was continuously maintained in dead storage and was not operated at any time during the registration period or periods for which the exemption is being claimed.

(3) In the case of repossession, a mobile home is exempt from registration when the dwelling is not transferred or titled for occupancy.