Committee approves amendment; private parking owners allowed limited access to PennDOT records under bill

The House Transportation Committee on Oct. 11, 2025, voted to adopt Amendment A01168 to House Bill 1591 and then reported the bill as amended. The legislation would permit owners or operators of private parking lots to obtain limited PennDOT license-plate information solely to mail an invoice for unpaid parking charges.

The amendment, offered by Chairman Ed Nielsen, added technical clarifications and imposed civil-criminal safeguards: it requires that an invoice for unpaid parking charges be placed on the vehicle or mailed to the registered owner within 10 business days of the violation or use of the private lot, and it makes misuse of PennDOT-obtained information by an owner, operator, or agent a third-degree misdemeanor punishable by a $500 fine for each violation.

Kyle, the committee staff member, read the bill summary and amendment into the record. Chairman Nielsen said the amendment “tightens up the language to try and resolve some last minute concerns.” The summary says private parking owners or agents must file an affidavit certifying intended use and execute a contract with PennDOT; access is limited to the name and mailing address associated with the license plate, and PennDOT may charge a reasonable fee per request. The bill, as amended, restricts use of data to invoicing and creates a misdemeanor penalty for misuse.

Committee members voted to adopt the amendment by voice vote with no negative votes recorded, and the committee then reported House Bill 1591 as amended. The transcript does not include a numerical roll-call or further details about contract terms or PennDOT’s fee schedule.