NMVTIS Technology

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was created under the Anti-Car Theft Improvement Act of 1996 in order to deter trafficking and stolen vehicles by strengthening law enforcement against auto theft, combatting automobile title fraud, preventing "chop shop" related thefts, and inspecting exports for stolen vehicles. NMVTIS was designed to allow the titling agency to instantly and reliably verify information on the paper title with electronic data from the State that issued the title. In addition, the system provides law enforcement with a tool to assist with reducing auto theft and vehicle title-related crimes.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will use this grant to improve its vehicle history data batch upload capability to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). NMVTIS allows interstate communication on stolen and branded vehicles which enables law enforcement to track stolen vehicles and prevents brand washing. A brand is a notation on a title stating that the vehicle had been damaged, used as a police vehicle or taxi, or similar history. Brand washing occurs when brands are not carried forward from one state to another. If a brand is washed, it could cause a consumer to purchase and title a vehicle without any knowledge about the vehicle's history. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's current capabilities allow it to upload batches weekly. This grant will allow Wisconsin to increase its capabilities in the accurate titling of vehicles by moving to daily batch updates.

CA/NCF