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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1781 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2371
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Sal N. DiDomenico
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act modernizing and expanding availability of motor vehicle titling and registration services.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and SuffolkAngelo J. Puppolo, Jr.12th Hampden1/27/2025 1 of 4
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1781 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2371
By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2371) of Sal N. DiDomenico
and Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. for legislation to modernize and expand availability of motor vehicle
titling and registration services. Transportation.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act modernizing and expanding availability of motor vehicle titling and registration services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the third paragraph the following:-
3 The registrar is hereby authorized and directed to enter into agreements on behalf of the
4commonwealth with the duly authorized representatives of any state of the United States or the
5District of Columbia providing for the establishment of a reciprocal cross-border electronic
6vehicle titling and registration program that would enable a person purchasing a motor vehicle in
7a participant state that is other than the person’s state of residence to have such vehicle titled and
8registered electronically in the person’s state of residence pursuant to the rules and regulations of
9such reciprocal electronic titling and vehicle registration program; provided, however, that,
10notwithstanding the provisions of any other previous agreement, permit, or license in existence
11between the registrar, the commonwealth, and other parties, no person who sells motor vehicles
12outside of the commonwealth pursuant to the laws and regulations of the state where said 2 of 4
13person’s place of business is located shall be allowed to engage in the electronic titling and
14registration of motor vehicles into the commonwealth unless and until such reciprocal cross-
15border electronic vehicle registration program is executed and established with the
16commonwealth and such other state.
17 SECTION 2. Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further
18amended in section 31 by inserting after the first paragraph the following:
19 The registrar shall make no rules or regulations limiting any class of motor vehicle dealer
20from participation in the registry’s electronic vehicle registration program solely based on the
21volume of transactions conducted by the dealer.
22 SECTION 3. Chapter 90D of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended in
23section 11a by inserting after the first paragraph the following:
24 Upon receiving notification of satisfaction of a security interest, the registrar may waive
25the issuance and mailing of the certificate of title to the owner or third party requested by the
26lienholder. If the registrar exercises this waiver, the registrar shall: (1) ensure the owner or third
27party can subsequently request a paper certificate of title for no fee; and (2) have a process or
28system established to ensure the owner or third party can effect action that would otherwise be
29necessary upon the paper certificate of title.
30 SECTION 4. Chapter 90D of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further
31amended by striking out section 24 and inserting in place thereof the following section:
32 Section 24. (a) Upon the satisfaction of a security interest in a vehicle for which the
33certificate of title is in the possession of the lienholder, the lienholder shall, within three days 3 of 4
34after demand and, in any event, within ten days, execute a release of his security interest, in the
35space provided therefor on the certificate or as the registrar shall prescribe, and mail or deliver
36the certificate and release to the next lienholder named therein, or, if none, to the owner or any
37person who delivers to the lienholder an authorization from the owner to receive the certificate.
38 (b) Upon the satisfaction of a security interest in a vehicle for which the certificate of title
39is in the possession of a prior lienholder, the lienholder whose security interest is satisfied shall
40within three days execute a release in such form as the registrar shall prescribe and deliver the
41release to the owner, or to any person who delivers to the lienholder an authorization from the
42owner to receive it. The lienholder in possession of the certificate of title shall either deliver the
43certificate to the owner, or the person authorized by him for delivery to the registrar, or, upon
44receipt of the release, mail or deliver it with the certificate to the registrar, who shall release the
45subordinate lienholder's rights on the certificate or issue a new certificate.
46 (c) If the payment in satisfaction of the security interest is in cash or by certified check,
47cashier's check, teller's check, intra-bank or inter-bank transfer of funds, or an electronic transfer
48of funds, the payment shall be considered cleared immediately upon receipt by a lienholder.
49 (d) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of section sixteen, no later than January 1, 2026, the
50registrar shall prescribe a form or electronic process whereby a dealer can retail a vehicle for
51which: (i) the dealer has made payment as described in paragraph (c); or (ii) the registrar has
52received an electronic notification of the satisfaction of a security interest in accordance with the
53system established pursuant to section eleven a. The registrar shall prescribe the manner in which
54the dealer is to maintain, invalidate, or surrender the certificate of title upon receipt of the
55certificate of title for a vehicle which is retailed under this paragraph. 4 of 4
56 SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage.