BJA FY09 National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) Participation Program

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was created under the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992, 49 U.S.C. 30502, to deter trafficking in stolen vehicles by strengthening law enforcement against auto theft (Title I), combating automobile title fraud (Title II), preventing “chop shop"-related thefts (Title III), and inspecting exports for stolen vehicles (Title IV). In 1996, the Anti Car Theft Act was revised, and the responsibility for this system was transferred to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). NMVTIS was designed to allow the titling agency to instantly and reliably verify the information on the paper title with the electronic data from the state that issued the title. In addition, the system provides law enforcement with a tool to assist in reducing auto theft and vehicle title-related crimes. Where implemented, NMVTIS has already produced results, including time and cost savings, reductions in consumer wait time, decreases in motor vehicle thefts, improved recovery rate of stolen vehicles, increased ability to identify cloned vehicles prior to title issuance, and improved investigative abilities. The goal of this initiative is to increase the number of states currently providing data to NMVTIS and to assist states that are currently moving toward a fully online connectivity where data is shared real-time and instant title checks occur before a title is issued.