For decades, motor vehicle agencies have held the responsibility of titling vehicles and managing vehicle records through paper. The traditional paper titling and record management processes may leave jurisdictions vulnerable. “The pandemic highlighted how reliance on paper processes has a negative impact on timeliness,” says Paul Steier, AAMVA director of vehicle programs.

Moving to an electronic vehicle titling process and managing vehicle records electronically may reduce fraud, enhance system integrity and improve the efficiency of the vehicle titling process. “When we discuss the movement toward electronic vehicle titling, it extends well beyond simply converting a paper title to digital data,” says Steier. “This includes managing and establishing the trust of a customer’s identity and allowing for online customer access to vehicle records, where permission can be given to others who need to verify and validate these records. This also includes the movement and interaction of security interests through trusted processes.”

AAMVA is developing tools to help jurisdictions transition to a full electronic titling solution. AAMVA’s electronic vehicle titling toolkit is designed to provide motor vehicle agencies with the ability to self-assess their agency’s current status with the elements that make up the entire process. After a motor vehicle agency has conducted this self-assessment, it can prioritize and develop a plan to fully adopt these elements. As the agency develops its strategy, the toolkit will serve as a resource to answer questions, provide guidance and recommendations, and offer associate member contacts. AAMVA staff also will be available to assist jurisdictions with the self-assessment and in gaining the most benefits from using the toolkit.

“Jurisdictions that don’t perform real-time checks of NMVTIS may face challenges in fully participating in intrastate electronic titling,” says Ryan Kahn, AAMVA director of vehicle systems. “The toolkit aids in bridging these gaps, facilitating smoother transitions to real-time systems. Real-time communication ensures immediate results, drastically reducing the time between a request and any data changes. The quick turnaround allows for instant verification of titling data and updates that help prevent fraudulent title activities that could occur during the lag time of batch updates.”