WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 3197
By Delegates Dillon and Ridenour
[Introduced March 06, 2025; referred to the Committee on Government Organization]
A BILL to amend and reenact ยง17A-3-19 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to lost titles; clarifying conditions when the division shall issue a new title; and providing circumstances which void title and initiate a legal investigation.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 3. ORIGINAL AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION; ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF TITLE.
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(a) In the event any registration card or registration plate is lost, mutilated, or becomes illegible the owner or legal representative or successor in interest of the owner of the vehicle for which the same was issued as shown by the records of the department division shall immediately make application for and may obtain a duplicate or a substitute or a new registration under a new registration number, as determined to be most advisable by the department division, upon the applicant furnishing information satisfactory to the department division.
(b) In the event any certificate of title is lost, mutilated, or becomes illegible, the owner or legal representative or successor in interest of the owner of the vehicle for which the same was issued, as shown by the records of the department division, shall immediately make application for and may obtain a duplicate upon the applicant furnishing information satisfactory to the department division. Upon issuance of any duplicate certificate of title the previous certificate last issued shall be void.
(c) The division shall issue a new title when an old title has been lost if the following conditions are met:
(1) The vehicle does not appear on any lists as reported stolen and the owner or legal representative or successor in interest of the owner of the vehicle presents a bill of sale signed by both parties with a notarized affidavit by the presenter stating the validity of the bill of sale; or
(2) When a vehicle is at least 25 years old, the vehicle does not appear on any lists as reported stolen and the owner or legal representative or successor in interest of the owner presents a bill of sale signed by both parties with a notarized affidavit by the presenter stating that the bill of sale legitimately reflects the nature of the transaction.
Appearance of a valid title which predates the issued title together with a report of the vehicle as stolen will void the title issued under this subsection and trigger an automatic law enforcement investigation.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify conditions when the division shall issue a new title and provide circumstances which void title issued and initiate a legal investigation.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.