AB 1901 — Vehicles: total loss claim: salvage certificate or nonrepairable vehicle certificate.

Summary

Existing law requires, if an insurance company makes a total loss settlement on a total loss salvage vehicle or a nonrepairable vehicle, the insurance company, an occupational licensee of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) authorized by the insurance company, or a salvage pool authorized by the insurance company to, within 10 days from the settlement of the loss or after receipt of title, forward the properly endorsed certificate of ownership or other evidence of ownership acceptable to the DMV, the license plates, and a fee, to the DMV, except as specified, and requires the DMV, upon receipt of those required items, to issue a salvage certificate or a nonrepairable vehicle certificate for the vehicle. A violation of the Vehicle Code is an infraction. This bill would, if an insurance company requests a salvage pool or an occupational licensee to take possession of a vehicle that is the subject of a total loss claim, and, subsequently, the insurance company does not take ownership of the vehicle, authorize the insurance company to direct the salvage pool or occupational licensee to release the vehicle to the registered and legal owner or lienholder of the vehicle after notice from the insurance company authorizing the release. The bill would require the salvage pool or occupational licensee to send 2 notices to the registered and legal owner and any lienholder of the vehicle informing them that they have 30 days from the date of mailing of the first notice and 14 days from the date of mailing of the 2nd notice, and that they have the right to contact the salvage pool or occupational licensee of the department regarding their intent to pick up the vehicle in order to receive an additional 30 days from the date of contact, to pick up the vehicle from the salvage pool or occupational licensee before the vehicle is deemed abandoned. If the registered and legal owner or any lienholder of the vehicle does not pick up the vehicle in those timelines, the bill would require the vehicle to be deemed abandoned and would require the vehicle's certificate of title to be deemed to be assigned to the salvage pool or occupational licensee of the department. The bill would authorize the salvage pool or occupational licensee to request on a form signed under penalty of perjury that the DMV issue a salvage certificate or nonrepairable vehicle certificate for the vehicle, as specified, and would require the DMV to issue the certificate. By creating a new infraction and expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires, whenever a salvage pool acquires a total loss salvage vehicle, a nonrepairable vehicle, or a recovered stolen vehicle and the vehicle license plates have not been removed pursuant to specified statutes, the salvage pool, prior to disposing of that vehicle, to remove and submit the license plates to the department. This bill would also require a salvage pool to remove and submit a vehicle's license plates to the department for a vehicle the salvage pool acquires through the provisions above and the license plates have not been removed. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 09/22/24 - Chaptered Current pdf September 22, 2024
• Enrolled 09/04/24 - Enrolled pdf September 04, 2024
• Amended 06/20/24 - Amended Senate pdf June 20, 2024
• Amended 05/29/24 - Amended Senate pdf May 29, 2024
• Introduced 01/23/24 - Introduced pdf January 23, 2024
• AB1901 View text html

Action History

1. September 22, 2024

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 364, Statutes of 2024.

2. September 22, 2024

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 11, 2024

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

4. August 30, 2024

   Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0.).

5. August 30, 2024

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

6. August 29, 2024

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.).

7. July 02, 2024

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

8. July 01, 2024

   From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 1).

9. June 20, 2024

   From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

10. June 12, 2024

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (June 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

11. May 29, 2024

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

12. May 23, 2024

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

13. May 01, 2024

    Referred to Com. on TRANS.

14. April 18, 2024

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

15. April 18, 2024

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0.)

16. April 11, 2024

    Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

17. April 10, 2024

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (April 10).

18. March 19, 2024

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (March 19). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

19. February 05, 2024

    Referred to Com. on TRANS.

20. January 24, 2024

    From printer. May be heard in committee February 23.

21. January 23, 2024

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Phillip Chen · Primary

Votes

Subjects