(a) The owner of a vehicle required to be registered under Code Section 40-2-20 which was registered for the previous year, who has failed to comply with Code Section 40-2-20 for the current year shall be deemed and held to be a delinquent under this Code section; and the registration of such vehicle shall, after the expiration of the owner's registration period, be subject to a penalty of 25 percent of the registration fee for such vehicle in addition to the fee provided by law, provided that such penalty shall in no event be levied prior to the expiration of the owner's registration period, notwithstanding that the owner failed to register such vehicle within an initial registration period.

(b) All applications for the registration of a delinquent vehicle shall, before being accepted by a tag agent, be first endorsed by a sheriff or a deputy sheriff, a chief of police or his or her designated representative, a state patrolman, a state revenue special agent or enforcement officer, a Department of Transportation enforcement officer, a tax commissioner, or a tax collector. The officer endorsing the delinquent application shall indicate, with his or her endorsement on the application, the total amount of the prescribed registration fee together with the 25 percent penalty provided in this Code section, and the full total of such amount shall be paid to the tag agent before any license plate or revalidation decal as provided for in this chapter shall be assigned to the applicant.

(c) All penalties assessed under this Code section shall be accredited in the office of the tag agent when received in the name of the officer making the endorsement, without regard to the residence of the applicant, whether such penalty is received through the exercise of such officer's authority as an arresting officer or through appearance of the applicant at his office for proper endorsement on an application.

(d) Between the first and fifth days of each calendar month, the tag agent shall remit to the respective fiscal authorities of the counties or cities employing the endorsing officers the full amount of such penalties accredited to such officers during and for the preceding calendar month. All sums accredited to state patrolmen, state revenue special agents or enforcement officers, or Department of Transportation enforcement officers shall be paid to the fiscal authorities of the county where the vehicle is registered.