Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0931 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- S 0931
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7	7	LC002654
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND
16	16	TITLING
17	17	Introduced By: Senators Britto, Bissaillon, Ciccone, Gu, DiPalma, and Thompson
18	18	Date Introduced: March 28, 2025
19	19	Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Title 31 of the General Laws entitled "MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES" 1
24	24	is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2
25	25	CHAPTER 3.4 3
26	26	ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND TITLING 4
27	27	31-3.4-1. Short title. 5
28	28	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "Electronic Registration and Titling". 6
29	29	31-3.4-2. Implementation. 7
30	30	(a) On or before July 1, 2026, the division of motor vehicles ("division") shall implement 8
31	31	electronic lien, electronic titling and electronic registration systems that enable the ability to 9
32	32	transact through a completely electronic process for: 10
33	33	(1) All business entities and their service providers applying for automotive titles and 11
34	34	registrations, for themselves or their customers, 12
35	35	(2) Electronic submission of liens and lien satisfactions by financial institutions and their 13
36	36	service providers. 14
37	37	(b)(1) Any application for registration certificate or certificate of title, as described in § 31-15
38	38	3.1-1, may be electronically transmitted to the division. All registration certificates or certificates 16
39	39	of title, as described in § 31-3.1-1, shall be applied for electronically, unless the applications are 17
40	40	submitted by a business entity who submits fewer than twenty-five (25) transactions annually. 18
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44	44	(2) Any lien or security interest as described in § 31-3.1-16.1 may be electronically 1
45	45	transmitted to the division: 2
46	46	(i) Notwithstanding any other requirements in this title that a lien on a motor vehicle shall 3
47	47	be noted on the face of the certificate of the title, if there are one or more liens or encumbrances on 4
48	48	the motor vehicle, the division shall electronically transmit the lien to the first lienholder and notify 5
49	49	the first lienholder of any additional liens. 6
50	50	(ii) Subsequent lien satisfactions shall be electronically transmitted to the division and shall 7
51	51	include the name and address of the person satisfying the lien. 8
52	52	(iii) When electronic transmission of liens and lien satisfactions are used, a certificate of 9
53	53	title need not be issued until the last lien is satisfied and a clear certificate of title is issued to the 10
54	54	owner of the vehicle. 11
55	55	(iv) When a vehicle is subject to an electronic lien, the certificate of title for the vehicle 12
56	56	shall be considered to be physically held by the lienholder for purposes of compliance with state or 13
57	57	federal odometer disclosure requirements. 14
58	58	(v) A duly certified copy of the division’s electronic record of the lien shall be admissible 15
59	59	in any civil, criminal or administrative proceeding in this state as evidence of the existence of the 16
60	60	lien. 17
61	61	(c) On and after July 1, 2027, all business entities shall participate pursuant to the 18
62	62	provisions of subsection (b) of this section unless otherwise exempt pursuant to the provisions of 19
63	63	this chapter or the rules and regulations promulgated by the division. 20
64	64	31-3.4-3. Secure digital vehicle titles. 21
65	65	(a) On or before July 1, 2026, the division shall implement a system that offers vehicle title 22
66	66	holders a fully paperless, secure digital vehicle title as opposed to a secure paper vehicle title. 23
67	67	(b) Once implemented, the secure digital title and the secure digital title system shall: 24
68	68	(1) Include all functions related to title re-assignments. 25
69	69	(2) Meet or exceed applicable security requirements as set forth in regulations promulgated 26
70	70	by the division. 27
71	71	(3) Provide title holders with online, real-time access to motor vehicle titles and status of 28
72	72	titles in process. 29
73	73	(c) A secure digital vehicle title produced under this statute shall be regarded as an official 30
74	74	vehicle title from the State of Rhode Island and be fully transactable within the State of Rhode 31
75	75	Island and all other U.S. jurisdictions. 32
76	76	(d) A duly certified copy of the division's secure digital vehicle title shall be admissible in 33
77	77	any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding in this state as evidence of the existence of the 34
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81	81	title. 1
82	82	31-3.4-4. Fees. 2
83	83	(a) Notwithstanding any general law to the contrary, the division may authorize a per-3
84	84	transaction fee to be assessed for the use of electronic lien, electronic titling, electronic registration 4
85	85	and secure digital vehicle titling systems as described in this chapter. 5
86	86	(b) The per-transaction fee: 6
87	87	(1) Shall be consistent with market pricing for costs associated with the development and 7
88	88	ongoing management, maintenance and enhancement of the systems outlined in this chapter. 8
89	89	(2) Shall integrate with current division payment service provider(s) 9
90	90	31-3.4-5. Rules and regulations. 10
91	91	The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall promulgate rules and regulations 11
92	92	to implement the provisions of this chapter. 12
93	93	SECTION 2. Section 31-23.2-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-23.2 entitled 13
94	94	"Tampering with Odometers" is hereby amended to read as follows: 14
95	95	31-23.2-6. Transfer of vehicle. 15
96	96	(a) Any sales agreement for the transfer of a motor vehicle between persons as defined in 16
97	97	this chapter shall contain the words “both buyer and seller have examined the title certificate of this 17
98	98	motor vehicle and it correctly reflects the mileage as it appears on the odometer” which shall be 18
99	99	placed conspicuously and prominently on the agreement. 19
100	100	(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to transfer ownership of a motor vehicle previously 20
101	101	registered in this state or a motor vehicle used by a dealer as a demonstrator unless the person: 21
102	102	(1) Enters on a written or electronic form prescribed by the department of revenue, as 22
103	103	prescribed by state law, the mileage the motor vehicle has been operated. The form shall be signed 23
104	104	by both the seller and buyer and contain a statement that both parties have viewed the odometer of 24
105	105	the motor vehicle. The form as completed shall then be attached to the instrument evidencing 25
106	106	transfer of ownership; or 26
107	107	(2) Enters upon the form “not actual mileage” in the event that the odometer mileage is 27
108	108	known to the person to be less than the motor vehicle has actually traveled; or 28
109	109	(3) Enters the total cumulative mileage on the form in the event that it is known that the 29
110	110	mileage indicated on the odometer is beyond its designated mechanical limits; 30
111	111	(4) Enters the same information as set forth in subdivisions subsections (1) through (3) of 31
112	112	this subsection section on the owner’s title certificate; and 32
113	113	(5) The owner of a motor vehicle shall supply its mileage upon the annual renewal 33
114	114	registration form supplied by the division of motor vehicles. 34
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118	118	(c) It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to give a false statement to a 1
119	119	transferee under the provisions of this section; provided, however, that no person shall be in 2
120	120	violation of this chapter where a vehicle has been resold in reliance on the required statement of 3
121	121	the prior owner made pursuant to this section. 4
122	122	(d) No motor vehicle, previously registered in another state, shall be registered for use in 5
123	123	this state unless the application for a certificate of title in Rhode Island is accompanied by the prior 6
124	124	owner’s certificate of title and a form as set forth in subdivision subsection (b)(1) of this section. 7
125	125	(e) The certificate of title of the motor vehicle issued to the new owner by the state of 8
126	126	Rhode Island shall: 9
127	127	(1) Be provided electronically, or printed using a process determined by the director to be 10
128	128	the most efficient and effective means of avoiding unauthorized duplication; 11
129	129	(2) Indicate on its face the mileage required to be disclosed by the transferor under 12
130	130	subsections (b)(1) and (d) of this section; and 13
131	131	(3) Contains a space for the transferee to disclose the mileage at the time of any future 14
132	132	transfer and to sign and date the disclosure. 15
133	133	(f) No registration card may be issued in this state for any motor vehicle unless: 16
134	134	(1) The application for the registration card contains the prior owner’s most recent 17
135	135	registration card and the prior owner’s title; and 18
136	136	(2) The new registration card contains such information as provided on the application. 19
137	137	(g) Pursuant to the provisions of § 42-127.1-7, any form required pursuant to the provisions 20
138	138	of this section may be signed electronically and shall not require notarization. 21
139	139	SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. 22
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146	146	EXPLANATION
147	147	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
148	148	OF
149	149	A N A C T
150	150	RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND
151	151	TITLING
152	152	***
153	153	This act would establish a system of electronic registration and titling of motor vehicles. 1
154	154	Rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this chapter would be promulgated by the 2
155	155	administrator of the division of motor vehicles. 3
156	156	This act would take effect on July 1, 2026. 4
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