Panel releases bill to speed law enforcement reporting for lost or stolen license plates

The Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee released Assembly Bill 5379, which revises the process for reporting lost or stolen registration plates to law enforcement and the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Under the bill, law enforcement agencies would be required to provide a trackable case number within a timeframe (the bill text requires a timeframe; committee discussion focused on whether 24 or 48 hours is more appropriate) so vehicle owners can obtain replacement plates without waiting for a full police report. Sponsors said municipalities sometimes take weeks to produce full reports and that delay leaves drivers without valid plates and at risk of fines; the change is intended to enable faster replacement while preserving documentation for tracking and fraud prevention. The sponsor noted engagement with the state police traffic safety and criminal investigation bureaus to address reporting and infrastructure impacts.

Committee members broadly supported the bill but voiced concerns about a strict 24-hour deadline for all law enforcement agencies; one member suggested 48 hours would be more realistic given police workload and competing priorities such as arrests or traffic fatalities. Another committee member noted the measure’s timeliness as agencies shift to more tolling systems that rely on plate reads and the potential for stolen tags to be used fraudulently.

On the motion to release Assembly Bill 5379, the committee voted to report the bill out; roll-call votes were recorded as unanimous in favor. The bill will proceed to the next stage of legislative consideration.