(1) The secretary of state shall not license a person as a vehicle dealer or salvage vehicle agent before requesting a criminal history check of the person and receiving a criminal history report of the person from both the department of state police and federal bureau of investigation.

    (2) Each criminal history check required under this section shall be requested, and a criminal history report shall be obtained, from both the department of state police and the federal bureau of investigation.

    (3) Each person required to be named on an application shall submit his or her fingerprints for a criminal history check to the department of state police in a format as prescribed by the department of state police. The fees required by the department of state police or the federal bureau of investigation, as applicable, to conduct the criminal history check shall accompany a request for a criminal history check.

    (4) The department of state police shall conduct a criminal history check not more than 45 days after receiving a proper request and the required fee for a criminal history check under this section. After conducting the criminal history check and within the same 45-day period, the department of state police shall provide the secretary of state with a report of the criminal history check. The report shall contain public criminal history record information concerning the person who is the subject of the request that is maintained by the department of state police.

    (5) If a criminal arrest fingerprint card is subsequently submitted to the department of state police and matches against a fingerprint that was submitted under this section and stored in its automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) database, the department of state police shall notify the department.

    (6) Except as otherwise provided in this act, the secretary of state shall not approve an original vehicle dealer or salvage vehicle agent license before receiving and reviewing the applicable criminal history reports from the department of state police and the federal bureau of investigation.

    (7) The secretary of state shall use criminal history record information received under this section to evaluate an applicant’s qualifications to receive a vehicle dealer or salvage vehicle agent license under this act. The secretary of state may only discuss a criminal history report or its contents with the following people:

    (a) Staff of the secretary of state who are involved in determining whether an applicant’s vehicle dealer license or salvage vehicle agent license should be denied, suspended, or revoked.

    (b) Staff of the department of state police.

    (c) A person who was involved in the prosecution or defense of a criminal matter noted in a criminal history report.

    (d) The applicant or his or her attorney.

    (8) A person who violates subsection (7) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000.00.

    (9) As used in this section, “criminal history record information” means that term as defined in section 1a of 1925 PA 289, MCL 28.241a.

    (10) Except for subsection (5), this section does not apply to a person whose criminal history has previously been investigated by the secretary of state and who is applying for the renewal of a vehicle dealer license or salvage vehicle agent license.