Background
Established by Congress to Provide Access to Vehicle Title Information; Offers a Range of Benefits for Consumers, States, Law Enforcement, and Vehicle Agencies
NMVTIS was established by Congress under Title II of the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 (Public Law No. 102-519). It was created to address the glowing issues associated with auto theft and vehicle fraud, and specifically, to:
- prevent the introduction or reintroduction of stolen motor vehicles into interstate commerce;
- protect states, consumers (both individual and commercial), and other entities from vehicle fraud;
- reduce the use of stolen vehicles for illicit purposes, including funding of criminal enterprises; and protect consumers from unsafe vehicles.
The intent of NMVTIS is to establish an information system providing vehicle title information for motor vehicle titling agencies, law enforcement, prospective and current purchasers (both individual and commercial), insurance carriers, and junk and salvage yard operators. Specifically, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 30502, NMVTIS must provide a means of determining the following:
- whether a title is valid,
- where a vehicle bearing a known Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is currently titled,
- what was a vehicle’s reported mileage at the time the title was issued,
- whether a vehicle is titles as a junk or salvage vehicle in another state, and
- whether a vehicle has been reported as a junk or salvage vehicle under 49 U.S.C. 30504.
The types of vehicles reported to NMVTIS by states include automobiles, buses, trucks, motorcycles, motor homes (e.g., recreational vehicles or RVs), and truck tractors. In general, NMVTIS contains title information for vehicles that meet at least one of the following criteria:
- fulfills the definition of a junk or salvage automobile according to the regulations
- has an active registration and an active title
- has an active registration as proof of ownership
The Anti Car Theft Act specifically covers automobiles as defined in 49 U.S.C. 32901(a). That definition, which is part of the fuel economy laws, was most recently amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, Public Law No. 110-140, and includes passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and trucks, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.
Participating states, however, have been providing information to NMVTIS on other types of motor vehicles possessing VINs, such as motorcycles and various work trucks. Information on these other types of motor vehicles is very useful to the users of NMVTIS, and law enforcement organization including DOJ. These users have strongly encouraged states to continue to provide information on such vehicles to reduce the theft or such vehicles.
Therefore, while states are only required to report on automobiles, they are strongly encouraged to continue reporting to NMVTIS information on all motor vehicles possessing VINs in their state titling systems.
Vehicles excluded from NMVTIS include trailers, mobile homes (i.e., prefabricated homes, typically permanent), special machinery, vessels, mopeds, semi-trailers, golf carts, and boats.
AAMVA has historically worked closely with DOJ on the strategic direction of NMVTIS. From FY1996 through FY2011, BJA awarded federal funds totaling $31,455,623 to help AAMVA create and operate the system and support state development and implementation. The last expenditure of federal expenditure of federal grant funds occurred in FY2013. Since that time, NMVTIS has been supported by program revenues and contributions from AAMVA member funds.
Since NMVTIS began in 1996, several validation studies have been conducted to identify its benefits and/or potential cost savings to stakeholders. NMVTIS has received support across a wide range of beneficiaries, including but not limited to International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS), National Independent Auto Dealers Assoc. (NIADA), and National Salvage Vehicle Reporting Program (NSVRP).
System Operator and Responsibilities
AAMVA Continues as an Effective System Operator
The Anti Car Theft Act of 1192 authorized the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to appoint a third-party operator of NMVTIS. Under the NMVTIS Final Rule, the operator must support consumer access to the system and provide services to state motor vehicle title agencies; JSI entities; and law enforcement. Since 1992, AAMVA has successfully done so.
Governance
Advisory Board Fulfilled Its Mission
BJA oversees NMVTIS operations, as required by federal law and regulations. The NMVTIS Advisory Board (NAB) was established under provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C., App. 2, tasked with advising BJA regarding program operation and administration issues. These included establishing NMVTIS performance measures; accessing additional data within the system beyond that required by the Anti Car Theft Act; assessing program costs and revenues; and evaluating quality assurance. The NAB fulfilled its mission and its legislative charter expired in September 2016.