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Committee hears bill to streamline titles for vehicles 40 years or older
Summary
Sen. Paul Thomas told the House Transportation Committee that Senate Bill 22‑47 would let owners of vehicles 40 years and older obtain a certificate of title using a one‑page affidavit and limited DMV verification; the provision is meant to produce a title (not registration) and to reduce court actions and long administrative searches.
The House Transportation Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 22‑47, a proposal to let owners of vehicles 40 years or older obtain a certificate of title using a simplified affidavit and limited Department of Transportation verification. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Paul Thomas, described the measure as a way to give owners a path to a title when prior owners or historical paperwork cannot be located.
The bill would require the Department of Motor Vehicles to develop a short form affidavit that an applicant completes and signs asserting ownership, describe the vehicle (manufacturer and model year if known) and, where possible, provide the vehicle identification number. Sen. Paul Thomas said the change is about getting a title, not vehicle registration: "This is titling it, not registering it." He asked the committee to approve amendments that add a full description of the vehicle, allow the DMV to require a photo of any vehicle identification number (VIN) and clarify that a title may be issued regardless of the vehicle’s condition.
Why it matters: owners — often hobbyists, heirs or buyers of a barn find — reported long, costly processes or court cases when titles could not be located. Under the bill, the DMV could assign a VIN if none exists or if the VIN cannot be located; affidavit signers would also state the purchase price they paid for the vehicle. Committee members asked how the DMV would handle missing VINs, liens and the risk of fraud; Robin Reberg, deputy director for driver safety at the North Dakota Department of Transportation, described the DMV’s existing procedures to assign an identification number and said staff could answer case‑specific questions as rules are developed.
Supporters from car clubs and collectors said the bill would reduce administrative hurdles that currently discourage legitimate owners from restoring or selling older vehicles. Commenters also told the committee that the DMV drafted an example of the proposed affidavit and that the department and bill sponsor had worked through many of the practical details.
The committee did not take a recorded vote at the hearing. Committee members and staff said they planned to follow up with the DMV on remaining technical questions and that committee action would be scheduled later.
