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Committee adopts second substitute to require branded titles, NMVIS checks for out-of-state vehicles
Summary
Representative Tesher's second substitute to HB 228 was adopted and favorably recommended; the bill would require branded titles for vehicles with prior significant damage (flood, hail, fire, etc.) and require the DMV to check the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System for out-of-state titles.
Representative Tesher presented a second substitute to House Bill 228 to address title "washing" where vehicles damaged in other states receive clean titles when retitled in Utah. The substitute lists specific branded-title categories (flood, fire, hail, stolen/recovered, rebuilt/restored, gray-market) and requires the DMV to perform a title search in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System when issuing a Utah title for an out-of-state vehicle.
Tesher told the committee the substitute preserves the existing safety-inspection process for rebuilt vehicles but requires that a Utah-issued title reflect any prior total-loss branding that should have been recorded elsewhere. He said the change protects consumers by providing clearer historical information on a vehicle's prior significant damage.
The committee adopted the second substitute by motion and then voted to give HB 228 (second substitute) a favorable recommendation by voice vote. No public testimony was recorded on the floor for this bill during the committee hearing.
What happens next: HB 228 (second substitute) will be scheduled for floor consideration. The substitute aims to close a paperwork loophole and add transparency for used-vehicle buyers.
