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Panel advances bill to tie outstanding vehicle fees to prior owner’s driver’s license for private sales
Summary
SB 76 would protect private buyers of used vehicles from inheriting outstanding fees by linking such fees to the seller’s driver’s license instead of the vehicle; committee moved the bill to Appropriations (final recorded 14-0).
Sen. Sayarto introduced SB 76, a consumer-protection bill intended to prevent buyers of used cars in private sales from being held responsible for fees and penalties previously accrued on the vehicle.
The author said transportation costs are a major expense for many households and that current practice can leave buyers liable for previous owners’ outstanding fees. The bill would change hold‑harmless protections so that outstanding fees and penalties remain tied to the individual responsible rather than automatically attaching to the vehicle and the new purchaser.
Consumer advocate Rosemary Shahan of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety testified in support and called the bill “a matter of fundamental fairness.” The Auto Club of Southern California and other stakeholder groups also supported the measure. Committee members asked whether SB 76 would prevent consensual arrangements between buyers and sellers—such as a sale with a reduced price to cover outstanding fees—and the author responded that written agreements could still clarify such arrangements; the bill is intended to protect unknowing purchasers.
The committee recorded the motion to pass SB 76 to Appropriations; the committee vote was recorded as 14-0 and the bill was placed on call for final procedural steps.
