CHAPTER 305 OF PART A OF SUBTITLE VI OF TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE

[FORMERLY SECTIONS 201-204 OF THE ANTI CAR THEFT ACT OF 1992]

CHAPTER 305 OF PART A OF SUBTITLE VI OF TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE

30503. State participation.

30504. Reporting requirements.

30505. Penalties and enforcement.

§ 30501. Definitions

In this chapter

(1) "automobile" has the same meaning given that term in section 32901(a) of this title.

(2) "certificate of title" means a document issued by a State showing ownership of an automobile.

(3) "insurance carrier" means an individual or entity engaged in the business of underwriting automobile insurance. (4) "junk automobile” means an automobile that—

(A) is incapable of operating on public streets, roads, and highways; and

(B) has no value except as a source of parts or scrap. (5) “junk yard” means an individual or entity engaged in the business of acquiring or owning junk automobiles for(A) resale in their entirety or as spare parts; or (B) rebuilding, restoration, or crushing.

(6) "operator" means the individual or entity authorized or designated as the operator of the National Automobile Title Information System 1 under section 30502(b) of this title, or the Attorney General, if there is no authorized or designated individual or entity.

(7) "salvage automobile" means an automobile that is damaged by collision, fire, flood, accident, trespass, or other event,

1The reference to the "National Automobile Title Information System" probably should be to the "National Motor Vehicle Title Information System”. See the amendment made by section 2(c) of P.L. 104-152 (110 Stat. 1384).

to the extent that its fair salvage value plus the cost of repairing the automobile for legal operation on public streets, roads, and highways would be more than the fair market value of the automobile immediately before the event that caused the damage.

(8) "salvage yard" means an individual or entity engaged in the business of acquiring or owning salvage automobiles for

(A) resale in their entirety or as spare parts; or
(B) rebuilding, restoration, or crushing.

(9) "State" means a State of the United States or the District of Columbia.

§ 30502. National Motor Vehicle Title Information System

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OR DESIGNATION.—(1) In cooperation with the States and not later than December 31, 1997, the Attorney General shall establish a National Motor Vehicle Title Information System that will provide individuals and entities referred to in subsection (e) of this section with instant and reliable access to information maintained by the States related to automobile titling described in subsection (d) of this section. However, if the Attorney General decides that the existing information system meets the requirements of subsections (d) and (e) of this section and will permit the Attorney General to carry out this chapter as early as possible, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation, may designate an existing information system as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.

(2) In cooperation with the Secretary of Transportation and the States, the Attorney General shall ascertain the extent to which title and related information to be included in the system established under paragraph (1) of this subsection will be adequate, timely, reliable, uniform, and capable of assisting in efforts to prevent the introduction or reintroduction of stolen vehicles and parts into interstate commerce.

(b) OPERATION.-The Attorney General may authorize the operation of the System established or designated under subsection (a)(1) of this section by agreement with one or more States, or by designating, after consulting with the States, a third party that represents the interests of the States.

(c) USER FEES.-Operation of the System established or designated under subsection (a)(1) of this section shall be paid for by user fees and should be self-sufficient and not be dependent on amounts from the United States Government. The amount of fees the operator collects and keeps under this subsection subject to annual appropriation laws, excluding fees the operator collects and pays to an entity providing information to the operator, may be not more than the costs of operating the System.

(d) INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS.-The System established or designated under subsection (a)(1) of this section shall permit a user of the System at least to establish instantly and reliably—

(1) the validity and status of a document purporting to be a certificate of title;

(2) whether an automobile bearing a known vehicle identification number is titled in a particular State;