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HB 5458

AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND TITLING

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Doc Corvese and 2 co-sponsors

The bill authorizes the DMV to implement electronic registration, titling, liens, and secure digital titles, making electronic processing standard for most businesses.

06/13/2025 Referred to Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs
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Bill Summary · HB 5458

Summary — HB 5458 (Sub A as amended)

Title: AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION AND TITLING
Introduced: 03/14/2025 | House passed Sub A as amended: 06/12/2025 | Referred to Senate Special Legislation & Veterans Affairs: 06/13/2025
Companion: SB 2843

Purpose

Authorize the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to create and operate electronic systems for vehicle registration, titling, liens, and “secure digital” vehicle titles — and to make electronic transactions the routine method of handling those processes for most business users. The bill modernizes paper title and lien handling and clarifies legal status and evidentiary weight of electronic records.

Key provisions

  • Establishes new Chapter 3.4 (31-3.4-1 through 31-3.4-5) authorizing the DMV to implement:
    • Electronic lien, electronic titling, and electronic registration systems.
    • A secure digital vehicle title option (paperless title).
  • Electronic submissions and participation:
    • Any application for registration or certificate of title may be transmitted electronically; businesses must apply electronically once systems are implemented unless they submit fewer than 25 transactions annually.
    • All business entities must participate within one year of implementation, unless exempted by the chapter or DMV rules.
  • Liens and lien satisfactions:
    • Financial institutions may electronically transmit liens and satisfactions. The DMV will electronically notify the first lienholder of additional liens.
    • Paper certificates of title need not be issued until the last lien is satisfied; DMV is not required to print a paper title until final lien satisfaction.
    • Electronic lien records and certified copies of digital titles are admissible as evidence in civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings.
    • When a vehicle has an electronic lien, the certificate of title is considered physically held by the lienholder for odometer disclosure compliance.
  • Secure digital titles:
    • Digital titles must include title reassignment functions, meet DMV security standards, provide real-time online access to title status, and be recognized as official Rhode Island titles and transactable across U.S. jurisdictions.
  • Fees:
    • DMV may charge a per-transaction fee for using the electronic systems. Fees must be consistent with market pricing for development, maintenance, and integrate with current payment providers.
  • Rulemaking:
    • DMV administrator may promulgate regulations to implement the chapter.

Changes to odometer / transfer requirements

  • Amends §31-23.2-6 to allow required mileage disclosures and sale documents to be on written or electronic forms prescribed by the department (forms must be signed by buyer and seller and attached to transfer instruments). The certificate of title issued to a new owner shall be provided electronically or printed with anti-duplication measures (text truncated in source).

Who is affected

  • Vehicle owners, dealers, financial institutions (lienholders), vehicle titling/registration service providers, and businesses that process title/registration transactions. Consumers may have paperless title options; small businesses with fewer than 25 transactions/year may be exempt from mandatory electronic filing.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • DMV “may” (not required) implement systems; once implemented, businesses are required to comply within one year (subject to exemptions).
  • Legislative history: introduced February 12 (committee referrals and hearings in Feb–May 2025), committee recommended passage of Sub A (05/29/2025), House passed Sub A as amended on 06/12/2025; referred to Senate Special Legislation & Veterans Affairs 06/13/2025.

Legal/evidentiary effect

  • Electronic liens, lien satisfactions, and secure digital titles are expressly made admissible as certified records in Rhode Island proceedings and treated as official titles for interstate transactions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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