Law Enforcement & Vehicle Title Investigator Guide

• NCJ Number: 252295
• Date Published: September 2018
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: BJA
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Instructional Material; Factsheet

Annotation

This guide provides information to assist law enforcement and other investigators in conducting an investigation that may benefit from information in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which contains in one system specific vehicle information from state motor vehicle titling agencies, automobile recyclers, junk and salvage yards, insurance carriers, and third-party data sources.

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for the oversight of the NMVTIS program, which is mandated under the Anti Car Theft Improvements Act of 1996. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) operates NMVTIS on behalf of DOJ. The NMVTIS Law Enforcement Access Tool (LEAT) enables access to NMVTIS data and other pertinent vehicle information at no cost through the DOJ Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) or the FBI's Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP). The format of this guide is to pose and answer questions frequently asked by those considering use of the NMVTIS. In addition to describing its features and means of access, the guide addresses the following issues: 1) whether there are penalties for a business that does not register with NMVTIS or report as required; 2) how to report NMVTIS federal violations; 3) how a NMVTIS reporting entity reports the required information; 4) the type of business that qualifies as a NMVTIS reporting entity; 5) the information available to law enforcement and vehicle title investigators through LEAT; 6) how to determine whether a business is registered to report to NMVTIS; and 7) how a consumer can obtain a NMVTIS vehicle history report.