BILL NUMBER: AB 647	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Yamada

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2009

   An act to amend Section 4465 of the Vehicle Code, relating to
vehicles.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 647, as introduced, Yamada. Vehicles: registration and title
information.
   Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to furnish
the legal owner of record of a vehicle, upon his or her request,
information regarding the current registration status of the vehicle,
including the license plate number and address of the registered
owner of the vehicle. Existing law also authorizes the department to
charge a fee to pay the cost of furnishing this information.
   Existing federal law establishes the National Motor Vehicle Title
Information System program in the United States Department of Justice
to provide an electronic means to verify and exchange titling,
brand, and theft data among motor vehicle administrators, law
enforcement officials, prospective purchasers, and insurance carriers
in participating states.
   This bill would require the Director of Motor Vehicles to make the
federal National Motor Vehicle Title Information System available to
a prospective purchaser of a vehicle for the sole purpose of
obtaining titling, brand, and theft data, if any, of that vehicle.
The bill would require the department to adopt rules and regulations
consistent with the requirements for making records available to the
public and would authorize the department to charge a fee to pay for
the cost of furnishing this information.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 4465 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
   4465.   (a)    A legal owner of record of a
vehicle may request, and the department shall furnish, information
regarding the current registration status of the vehicle, including
the license plate number and address of the registered owner of the
vehicle. The department may charge a fee to pay  for  the
cost of furnishing this information. 
   (b) The director shall make the federal National Motor Vehicle
Title Information System (NMVTIS) available to a prospective
purchaser of a vehicle for the sole purpose of obtaining titling,
brand, and theft data, if any, of that vehicle. The department shall
adopt rules and regulations consistent with Section 1808 and may
charge a fee to pay for the cost of furnishing this information.