(a) The commissioner or the commissioner's duly authorized county tag agent, upon receiving application for a first certificate of title, shall check the identifying number of the vehicle shown in the application against the records of vehicles required to be maintained by Code Section 40-3-23 and against the record of stolen and converted vehicles required to be maintained by Code Section 40-3-5.

(b) Subsection (a) of this Code section shall not be applicable to an application for the first certificate of title of a new car or a demonstrator when such application is accompanied by a manufacturer's certificate of origin.