Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Title And Lien topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill requiring wider use of DMV electronic lien-and-title system and shortens insurer wait time for total-loss titles
Summary
The committee reported an engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 30 89 recommending passage; the bill mandates greater use of the DMV electronic lien-and-title system for lien actions, clarifies paper-title issuance remains available on request, and reduces the insurer waiting period after a total-loss payment from 30 to 15 days.
The Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted to report an engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 30 89, with a recommendation that it do pass.
Committee counsel explained the substitute requires calendar-year use of the Division of Motor Vehicles' electronic lien-and-title (ELT) system for motor vehicle lien actions and provides that the division is not required to issue certificates of title as paper documents after the ELT system is fully implemented. Counsel emphasized that the substitute also clarifies that nothing in the section prohibits a person from requesting a paper certificate of title or prevents the DMV from issuing one; the division remains authorized to issue paper titles on request.
The bill also shortens the waiting period an insurer must observe after paying a total-loss claim before applying to the DMV for a title certificate when the owner chooses not to retain the vehicle. Counsel said the current required wait time is 30 days and the bill reduces that period to 15 days. Counsel noted the House passed the bill and that an effective date should be July 1, 2025, to align statutory references with implementation timing.
Committee discussion acknowledged most lenders and dealers already use ELT systems; counsel said a small number of institutions were not using ELT last year but had since begun to do so. The committee adopted a strike-and-insert amendment and then voted to report the engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 30 89 as amended with the recommendation that it do pass; the chair declared the motion adopted by voice vote. No roll-call tally is recorded in the committee transcript.
