Arizona: Law Streamlining Salvage Vehicle Titling Takes Effect in September

On April 16, Gov. Janet Napolitano signed into law SB 1596, Relating to Salvage or Nonrepairable Vehicles, a bill sponsored by the insurance industry and designed to streamline the vehicle re-titling application process for salvaged or non-repairable vehicles.

The new law goes into effect on Sept. 19 and will amend current law so as to remove the requirement that insurance carriers submit a registration card and vehicle license plates as part of the application to the motor vehicle division for a salvage certificate of title or nonrepairable vehicle certificate of title.

“SB 1596 will improve the administrative process for re-titling of salvaged vehicles, speed up the claims settlement process for insurers and their consumers, and save insurance company resources currently being expended trying to satisfy unnecessary, costly and labor intensive administrative requirements that do not provide any meaningful benefit to insurance consumers,” explained Christian J. Rataj, NAMIC state affairs manager.

The 48th Legislature, First Regular Session adjourned on June 21, and Napolitano signed into law a number of bills, including Workers’ Compensation laws—SB 1127, SB 1292, HB 2185, HB 2194, HB 2195, and HB 2405; an insurance industry-sponsored graduated license - teen driver safety bill, HB 2033; a motor vehicle theft prevention and documentation bill, SB 1043; and an identity theft - security breach notification bill, SB 1042.

“In addition to the aforementioned bills signed into law this legislative session, the insurance industry was also able to successfully defeat three serious threats to insurance underwriting freedom – SB 1288, a zip code/territorial rating prohibition bill; HB 2509, a credit scoring restriction bill that would have required carriers to give an insured the ‘best rate’ available regardless of the insured’s or applicant’s credit history; and HB 2442, a bill that would have allowed drivers to ‘mask’ certain moving violations by merely attending a defensive driving class,” Rataj said.

Direct questions to NAMIC State Affairs Manager Christian J. Rataj.

Posted: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 9:41:01 AM.

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We are 1,400 property/casualty insurance companies serving more than 135 million auto, home and business policyholders, with more than $196 billion in premiums accounting for 50 percent of the automobile/homeowners market and 31 percent of the business insurance market. We are the largest and most diverse property/casualty trade association in the country, with regional and local mutual insurance companies on main streets across America joining many of the country’s largest national insurers who also call NAMIC their home. More than 200,000 people are employed by NAMIC members.