News in 2013

According to the Atlanta press, two Decatur men are accused of scamming recyclers into paying them for dozens of cars the two had stolen by using VIN numbers from cars already scrapped. These men would go to scrap yards after stealing vehicles and find others of the same make and model. Then they would steal the VIN, place it on the stolen vehicle and try and sell it to the nearest recycler. But now under a new Georgia National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) law, all automotive recyclers and scrap yards have to report NMVTIS information to the state through a single data consolidator within two days of the date of purchase. By collecting data in this way, the state has been able to cross reference VINs reported with those that were reported previously.

State officials were able to identify these men and their criminal practices with the assistance of this new law in Georgia that requires all salvage/junk vehicles to be reported to the state. Investigators now can run a check in the GA data reported looking for duplicate reported VINs as “crushed” or “scrapped”, providing them with the ability to uncover cases of VIN plate theft, as well as ongoing thefts of autos then sold for scrap/parts. ARA President Chris Wright of GA stated that “he hopes that other states will follow Georgia’s lead and incorporate the federal NMVTIS program at the state level.”

ARA applauds the Georgia professional automotive recycling industry for its work in encouraging state legislators to enact this law. According to ARA member Steve Levetan, Senior VP of Pull-A-Part, LLC of Atlanta, “This case illustrated just the beginning of what can be done by automating, on a daily basis, a crosscheck be-tween stolen databases and reported scrapped vehicles through NMVTIS. Levetan is looking forward to the Georgia Department of Revenue fully implementing the capabilities of this new database for the benefit of law enforcement and citizens throughout the state.

ADD is the authorized agent for scrap metal processors, secondary metal recyclers and used motor vehicle parts dealers in Georgia to fulfill their state regulations.

There is no cost for Georgia scrap metal processors, secondary metal recyclers and used motor vehicle parts dealers to report the required vehicle data through ADD’s single entry reporting system to comply with Chapter 560-10-30-.025-.34. There is a state fee of $1.00 per inquiry for the Georgia lien check on all untitled vehicles.

Vehicles reported through any system other than ADD’s Georgia Salvage Reporting process will not meet the requirements of the Georgia regulations. Learn more about Georgia reporting.