Pub. 54 2013-2014 Issue 3

35 2014 SPRING Background On October 25, 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed the Anti Car Theft Act, which he called “ab- solutely critical if we are to strike back against auto thieves...” The act calls for the creation and use of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System to stop title fraud; vehicle export inspections to look for stolen vehicles; stiffer pen- alties for car thieves and chop shop operators; and makes carjacking a federal crime. “These criminals, who show no respect for the lives or property of law-abiding Americans, must be punished in the strongest possible manner,” President Bush said. The U.S. Department of Justice took over the motor vehicle database system in 1996. The agency partners with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to oversee the project. The system protects consumers from fraud and unsafe vehicles and helps keep stolen vehicles from being resold. Texas is known for aggressively fighting title fraud and auto theft. The TxDMV actively investigates consumer complaints and title fraud cases, often assisting law enforce- ment. The agency also is home to the Auto Burglary andTheft Prevention Authority, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies and teaches consumers how to prevent auto theft and burglary. Footnote We are excited to be a full partici- pant in NMVTIS. For more infor- mation on this important nationwide system, please to go to our website and check out Title Check. Title Check and use one of the approved title information providers before making a purchase,” said TxDMV Executive Direc- tor Whitney Brewster. Real Results According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), which administers the NMVTIS program for the U.S. Department of Justice, there are some measurable benefits that are being tracked in other states that are already fully integrated in the program: • Virginia is seeing a 17% decrease in motor vehicle thefts. • Indiana is experiencing a reduction in lawsuits by consumers who were given clear titles with missing brands. • Florida has increased the identifica- tion of cloned vehicles prior to issu- ing new titles. Through the use of NMVTIS, they were able to crack a car theft ring responsible for clon- ing more than 250 cars valued at $8 million. • Arizona is experiencing a 99% re- covery rate on vehicles identified as stolen. Title Check on the TxDMV website is the only way the agency will provide NMVTIS information to dealers, businesses, and consumers. We will continue to provide Texas title histories as we have done in the past; however, requests for national title information or NMVTIS inquiries will be directed to use Title Check. What’s in it for you? Title Check/NMVTIS provides benefits to new car dealers as well as used dealers. • Use Title Check to check vehicles you are taking in trade before you make the transaction – this is a protection for you and your business. • Use Title Check on used vehicles you buy or take in trade to ensure they have clear titles. • Help educate your customers about the importance of checking a vehicle’s title history before they buy. • Consider using Title Check as a sales tool, providing your customers a Title Check on a used vehicle they are looking to purchase. Simple to Use From the TxDMV.gov Title Check page: • Click on the Dealers tab in the mid- dle of the page (all other businesses, including financial institutions will use the Consumer & Businesses tab). • Shop the approved providers. • Click on a provider’s image to be linked to their website. Brands can be discovered by simply going to Title Check and purchasing a title his- tory report from one of the providers. Getting the Word Out It is very important that Texas motorists understand the importance of checking out used cars before they buy, so we are working on a public education initiative to help with the roll out of Title Check. We will continue to use the slogan “Don’t Buy aWreck. Do a Title Check.” The initiative falls under the existing Protect your title, Texas campaign, and we will emphasize using Title Check on our website as the way dealers, consumers, and businesses can connect to approved providers for title history reports. 