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Senate panel advances bill to extend temporary vehicle registrations from 40 to 60 days
Summary
Sen. Becky Beard told the Senate Finance and Claims committee SB28 would extend temporary registration permits to 60 days to ease titling delays; DOJ budget staff said a vendor quoted roughly $20,000 to reprogram the CARS system. The committee moved SB28 out of committee by voice vote.
Senator Becky Beard (Senate District 38) opened a hearing on Senate Bill 28, saying the bill would extend the grace period and the expiration of temporary registration permits from 40 days to 60 days to give local governments more time to complete title work and notify customers.
"These revisions will provide local governments with more time to notify customers," Beard said, and she noted the change aims to "avoid delays in vehicle title work caused by system procedures." She told the committee the update would affect the Credentialing and Registration System (CARS) and that the vendor-provided estimate to change the 40-day setting to 60 was about $20,000.
Amy Reeves, Lewis and Clark County treasurer, testified in support on behalf of the Montana County Treasurer's Association, saying the change will especially help new-vehicle filings because dealerships typically have 30 days to submit title work. "As a new vehicle, the dealerships have 30 days to get their title work to us," Reeves said, adding that used-vehicle titling timelines differ and some late fees will still be collected.
Bruce Knutson, executive vice president of the Montana Auto Dealers Association, described the measure as "a simple bill" that would benefit vehicle purchasers and dealers by reducing administrative delays.
Committee members questioned Beth Thompson, budget supervisor at the Department of Justice, about the $20,000 programming estimate. Thompson said that figure reflects the vendor quote to reprogram the system and that she would need to review contracts to provide more detail on change-order pricing.
After questions and a brief closing from the sponsor, the committee took executive action and the clerk announced that, by voice vote with proxies assumed, Senate Bill 28 has passed out of the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.
The committee recorded the programming estimate on the fiscal note and members asked staff to confirm contract change-order details before the bill moves further in the legislative process.
