NC Mandatory Mandatory ELT: When, How, and How Much

North Carolina launched a voluntary ELT program on November 1, 2014 with the expectation of the program eventually requiring mandatory participation. According to House Bill 1133 and Senate Bill 407, all individuals and lienholders who finance motor vehicles will be required to participate in the NC ELT program beginning on January 1, 2016. The only exception to the mandatory requirement is for individuals and lienholders who process less than five lien transactions per calendar year.

Once the grace period ends, if a lender conducts five or more transactions annually and does not have an ELT service provider, the title transactions will be rejected by the DMV. If this occurs, the DMV eDS ELT helpdesk will inform the lienholder of the approved service provider list to eliminate any further delays. Please note: there are no financial penalties associated with a DMV title application rejection.

A printed title may be requested for an ELT in the event of a repossession or an owner moving out of the state. All printed paper titles will be sent from the Raleigh DMV office. The North Carolina title and lien recording applications will remain the same and there will be no changes to current state fees.

Enrolling early in the ELT program will help the state handle the large number of anticipated required participants. DDI works with lenders and DMVs in all 50 states and is a certified ELT service provider in the 22 ELT states.  This enables DDI to help make the transition from paper titles to ELT both simple and effective for North Carolina ELT participants.

DDI is proud to be the endorsed Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) vendor by Community Bank Services (CBS) for members of the North Carolina Bankers Association. For more information on Premier eTitleLien® please visit http://www.etitlelien.com or click here to begin the process of enrolling in North Carolina!

Image above is North Carolina License Plates.

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DDI partners with Virginia Bankers Association Management Services

Decision Dynamics Inc. is pleased to announce a new partnership with Virginia Bankers Association Management Services Inc. Read the full press release here.

DDI provides complete Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) solutions for Virginia banks through Premier eTitleLien®, a user-friendly, secure web-based software service which ensures VA banks are compliant with recently announced Virginia DMV (VA DMV) requirements. DDI appreciates the new partnership and expects an excellent collaboration with VA banks.

As of October 1, 2015, the Virginia DMV requires all financial institutions that process 50 or more titles in a year to enroll in the ELT program, in order for lenders to have the capability to exchange lien and title information with the DMV.

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Virginia Requiring ELT Participation by October 2015

According the Virginia Electronic Lien Mandate published by the Virginia DMV, "all banking and financial institutions that record 50 or more auto liens per year will be required to electronically transmit lien information to the VA DMV through an approved service provider." As a result of the mandate, ELT participation will be required beginning October 1, 2015 for those institutions.

DDI's Premier eTitleLien® system is the perfect solution to allow lenders to receive and release vehicle titles electronically with an easy-to-use, secure, web-based application, including many features that are unique to DDI and part of our commitment to provide a Premier customer experience.

Through ELT, VA lienholders will have the benefit of saying time, cutting costs, reducing paper, enhancing security and deterring fraud. DDI's ELT service greatly enhances daily vehicle title processing. There are no costs to enroll in the Virginia ELT program.

DDI participates in the ELT programs offered nationwide, including: AZ, CA, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, LA, MA, MD, NC, NE, NY, OH, PA, SC, SD, TX, VA, WA, and WI.

For more information on Premier eTitleLien® or participating in the Virginia ELT program, please visit http://www.etitlelien.com or click here to enroll in VA ELT!

Image above is from Virginia Car Properties, a company specializing in "real estate or businesses with a strong automotive use component."

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North Carolina ELT Quick Facts

The North Carolina DMV has recently begun accepting applications for their Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program. We wanted to provide some "Quick Facts" about the upcoming program.

• The State of North Carolina is now accepting enrollment forms for their ELT program with a targeted “go-live” date of November 15, 2014. 
• Once active in the ELT program, a lender will receive electronic lien notifications – no more paper titles with liens will be sent by the NC DMV. 
• Lenders will have the ability to request and receive paper titles. 
• The ELT program provides for an immediate lien release for title printing pickup at DMV offices in Huntersville, Charlotte and Raleigh. There will be a state fee for this service. 
• Requested paper titles can also be mailed to the lender. An alternate mailing address can be specified for mailing printed titles, with or without liens. 
• NC has implemented a state transaction fee. The per-transaction state fee for lien notifications is $3.50. 
• To recover their costs, participating lienholders or their agents may charge the borrower of a motor vehicle loan or the lessee of an automotive lease an amount equal to the transaction fee per lien notification plus a fee in an amount not to exceed $3.00 for each electronic transaction where a lien is notated. 
• MANDATORY PARTICIPATION: Beginning January 1, 2016, all individuals and lienholders who are normally engaged in the business or practice of financing motor vehicles, and who conduct at least five transactions annually are required to enroll in the NC ELT program. 
• Lenders will receive a new lien notification each time an additional lien in placed on a title and each time a lien is released, regardless of their lien position. As a result, lenders can release their lien on a title, regardless of position. 
• No changes will be made to existing NC Title Application forms. http://www.ncdot.gov/download/dmv/VR_MVR1.pdf 
• No changes will be made to existing state title fees. For Title and Registration Fees: http://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/fees/?s=VF 
• NC will support a title inquiry that will indicate if a lien is in place. Current state cost for this title inquiry is $2.00. 

For more information about the North Carolina ELT program and for the enrollment form, please visit etitlelien.com.

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The NCBA 118th Annual Convention

DDI's Angela Leon and Amanda Jensen are joining North Carolina bankers at the NCBA 118th Annual Convention in Palm Beach, FL. As the endorsed Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) vendor for Community Bank Services (CBS), Decision Dynamics, Inc. is helping to spread the word about the upcoming ELT program offered by the NC Division of Motor Vehicles.

DDI is hoping to have as many lenders enrolled in the ELT program as possible prior to the program becoming mandatory on July 1, 2015.  Not only are there significant benefits to Electronic Lien and Title programs, but enrolling early in the program helps the state handle the large number of newly required participants, as was the case when both Florida and Georgia began requiring participation in 2013.

If you are also attending the NCBA annual convention, please come say "hello".  We'd love to hear any concerns you may about about electronic titling in North Carolina or to show you how Premier eTitleLien® already offers a number of features for NC lenders.

Image above is "Active Pool Sunrise" at The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL.

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North Carolina ELT Program On Schedule

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is on schedule to implement the North Carolina Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program by their deadline of July 1, 2014. Full details of the program are not yet available, but DDI expects to begin testing in June and will begin enrolling customers for participation as details are made available.

NC legislation specifies that the program is mandatory for all individuals and lenders who normally finance motor vehicles beginning July 1, 2015, giving lienholders 12 months to enroll before the deadline.

DDI continues to work with NC Bankers Association members as the endorsed ELT vendor for Community Bank Services. Our team will be hosting instructional webinars prior to July 1 to answer questions about the NC ELT program.

Premier eTitleLien® has included support for NC Title Application forms and Title Inquiry services for many years and currently processes NC Titles through the Premier Title and Registration Service Center. DDI is looking forward to providing lenders access to the full features of ELT in North Carolina.

Image above is North Carolina String Art by Tori Naylor.

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Electronic Title Processing in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles has offered different types of electronic transactions for lenders even before beginning their Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program in 2012. 

Since July 1, 2010 the WI DMV requires lenders to electronically process lien add transactions. There are exemptions for individuals and lenders who normally file very few liens. Lenders who are not exempt and do not file electronically are assessed an additional $25 transaction fee. For details about exemptions and fees please see the WI DMV Financial Institutions page. DDI works with the WI e-MV Agent program to integrate electronic lien filing into Premier eTitleLien®.

Two changes were made to the title / lien program in 2012.  They became, in their words, a "title to lienholder state" and an "electronic title state". Previously, Wisconsin sent titles with liens to the vehicle owner once the lien had been recorded. (States with such programs are sometimes referred to as title holding states.) Most other states have lienholders store the vehicle title until the loan is satisfied.

Wisconsin also began offering electronic titles to lienholders through their Electronic Lien and Title Program (ELT). The program is currently optional: "lien holders are encouraged to receive titles electronically via electronic service provider." The Wisconsin DMV has discussed requiring participation but are not currently planning to do so.  Since launching the ELT program, WI has made steady improvements, adding additional ELT program transactions.

The combination of the electronic transactions offered through the e-MV Agent program and the ELT program brings together a number of valuable services for lenders:

• Vehicle Title Information and lien verification
• Immediate lien notation
• Immediate lien release
• Paperless lien transactions

For more information about Premier eTitleLien®, please visit www.etitlelien.com.  For more information about the Wisconsin ELT program, check out www.WIELT.com.

Image above is 350 Kayak Formation Wisconsin, USA. "Huge 350 made by kayakers on the water in Washburn, Wisconsin in June, 2009."

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Meeting with Nevada DMV

DDI recently had the privilege of meeting with the Nevada DMV to provide feedback about our experiences with the ELT programs of other states.  Nevada is required to implement an ELT system and was meeting with us to talk about our ELT system, implementation timelines, communication protocols, and other electronic lien and title system details.

We discussed with them some of the pros and cons of different message formats, and message exchange.  We noted some of the best features of some state ELT programs (much of which is listed on our AllAboutTitles.com site) and highlighted four considerations sometimes overlooked when designing a new ELT program:

• Allow electronic notation of lien
• Require ELTs to be released electronically
• Allow electronic payment of fees
• Provide a simple enrollment form and process

Nevada's program will require lenders to participate in the ELT program in order to file a lien. DDI is looking forward to providing ELT service to Nevada lenders and lenders whose customers are Nevada residents.

Image above is playa car ("There is a rusted hulk of a car out on a playa near Winnemucca, NV that I visit every time I am in the area") by Brian Perttu.

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Arizona: ELT Program Distinctives

There are a number of features of the Arizona Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program that help make the program effective for lenders and their customers (vehicle owners):

• All titles with liens are electronic titles.  This helps prevent incorrectly receiving paper titles - a problem that can occur in states that offer both ELTs and paper titles with liens.
• Immediate lien release. Lenders have the option of sending a transaction outside of the daily process to promptly remove their lien and allow the vehicle owner to pick up a clear title (no lien) from an MVD office. Owners do not have to wait the normal 3-5 business days for the title to arrive in the mail.
• Repossession process does not require a paper title.  Often, states require that an ELT be printed for any change to a title, including applying for a repossession title.  Arizona does not require that an ELT be printed to accompany an Affidavit of Repossession.

The Arizona Electronic Lien and Title program has been in place since 2003.  The Arizona MVD began requiring participation on May 31, 2010, and DDI has been providing ELT services in Arizona since then.

Photo above is of Glen Canyon Dam Bridge - Page Arizona by Al_HikesAZ.

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ELT in New Jersey

An ELT program may be coming soon to the state of New Jersey.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission considered an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program several years ago, but decided not to proceed with a program at that time. Recently the MVC has been meeting with other states that offer ELT (including Pennsylvania and Florida), conducting surveys of key stakeholders (64% of NJ lienholders already participate in an ELT program), and evaluating key requirements for a successful program.

The legislature is also considering requiring the NJ MVC to implement an ELT program and require participation. NJ SB 1853 and AB 3129 is still pending legislation.

Updated information can be found at www.NJELT.com.

Image above is cropped from a 1930s postcard entitled Scenic roadway along the Garden State Parkway of New Jersey in Cape May County posted by Boston Public Library.

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Alabama Requiring ETAPS

In a March 4, 2013 Memo, the Alabama Department of Revenue directed that all "entities (i.e. pawnshops, title loan/pawn lenders, etc.) involved with the filing of liens on motor vehicle certificates of titles, with places of business in Alabama" are required to file liens electronically using the Electronic Title Application Processing System (ETAPS).

It is DDI's understanding that this requirement does not apply to traditional lenders (banks and credit unions) located outside of Alabama.  All entities that qualify to be a Designated Agent are required to participate.

Image above is from Signs by Andrea in Hoover, AL.

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North Carolina ELT Bill Signed

July 23, 2013 - Raleigh, NC

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed legislation requiring the NC Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles to implement an "electronic lien system to process the notification and release of security interests and certificate of title data."  The bill includes a deadline that the new Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) system be implemented by July 1, 2014.

The bill clarifies the legal status of an electronic title for odometer disclosure compliance as well as any legal evidence for the existence of a lien.  It also grants the DMV options for developing or contracting the new system.  The DMV is required to report progress to the legislative oversight committee by October 1, 2013.

Participation in the program will be mandatory beginning July 1, 2015.  All individuals and lenders who normally finance motor vehicles will be required to participate in the NC ELT program.  The only exception is for those who perform less than five transactions each year.

DDI will post updates to our North Carolina Electronic Lien and Title site at NCELT.com.

Image above is of a car on display at the North Carolina Transportation Museum.

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Colorado Legislation Enables ELT

On June 5, 2013 Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed HB 1289 into law, giving the Colorado Department of Revenue authority to "allow the electronic transmission of registration, lien, and titling information for motor vehicles." Other changes were made to existing regulations to ensure that the Division of Motor Vehicles would be able to adopt procedures to handle electronic lien and title (ELT) and electronic vehicle registion (EVR) transactions.

The bill also grants authority to the DOR to mandate participation in the ELT program for lenders doing 50 transactions or more per year. Interestingly, the bill specifically words it as "requiring lien and title documents to be filed electronicaly" allowing both typical Electronic Lien and Title transactions as well as title applications (lien notations) to be required as a paperless transaction. The DOR is not compelled to require participation.

For updates on the Colorado ELT program, visit COeTitleLien.com.

Image above is Interstate 70, Glenwood Springs, CO from The world’s most spectacular roads, vol. 2.

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Nevada Legislation Requires ELT

June 11, 2013 - Carson City, Nevada

Governor Brian Sandoval approved Assembly Bill 309 directing the Nevada DMV to "establish, implement and operate, in lieu of the issuance and maintenance of paper documents otherwise required by this chapter, an electronic lien system to process the notification and release of security interests through electronic batch file transfers". This will mean the creation of an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) system for Nevada.

The bill also requires almost all lienholders to participate in the ELT program.

Except for persons who are not normally engaged in the business or practice of financing vehicles, all lienholders are required to participate in the electronic lien system.

This does not provide exceptions for out of state lenders or lenders who only process a small number of loans. The DMV is not granted authority in the bill to extend exceptions to lenders.  The bill does provide for a staggered implementation of the requirement, with lienholders who execute "26 or fewer liens in a calendar year" exempt from the mandatory participation requirement until 24 months after the ELT system is implemented.

The bill requires the DMV to "submit a report on or before February 1, 2015, to the 78th Session of the Legislature concerning the implementation of the electronic lien system." This allows Nevada time to assess their systems and develop a plan.

For details on the Nevada ELT program (as they become available), please visit NVeTitleLien.com.

Image above is Boulder City Nevada - old cars fascinate me by Laura Grace Bordeaux.

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Texas ELT Stakeholders Meeting

On July 8 we were privileged to participate in an ELT Stakeholders Meeting about proposed changes desired by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to the ELT program. We represented our customers and were joined by other ELT service providers, the Texas Bankers Association, the Texas Automobile Dealers Association and Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association, and the Texas Credit Union Associates (part of Cornerstone Credit Union League).

The focus of the event was to present their overall goal of keeping titles electronic. Currently, the TX DMV supports electronic titles both through the ELT (Electronic Liens and Titles) program and titles for vehicles without liens. The DMV would like to further promote electronic titles and wanted to hear concerns from stakeholders.

• What business situations still require a paper title?
• What incentives can be provided to encourage titles to remain electronic? The DMV is considering imposing a fee for paper titles or requiring participation in the ELT program.
• What other issues need to be addressed to make an all electronic title system successful?

The DMV's goals for electronic titles were generally well received. We appreciated the involvement of representatives from lenders and dealers at this stage of their planning and look forward to working further with Texas and serving our customers with Texas titles.

Image above is The Road to Sundown by Lindy C Severns from the blog Wanderings of An Artist In Far West Texas.

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Georgia Lenders: Second ELT Deadline Approaching

Georgia completes its second phases of staggered electronic lien and title rollout on July 1. At that time, lenders who processed 250 or more titles in 2012 will need to have an electronic lien and title system to be in compliance with state law.

As the deadline rapidly approaches, Decision Dynamics, Inc. continues to enroll Georgia lenders in its easy-to-use Premier eTitleLien™ system. If you are interested in the program, its benefits, or want to learn more about the quality customer-service DDI provides, go to dditechnology.com.

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New Florida ELT Law Can Save You Money

If you are a lienholder in Florida, your liens will now be recorded through a progressive new program required by your state:  ELT. If your institution does not currently enjoy the benefits of this exciting new program, Decision Dynamics, Inc. has the right tools for you.

 

Founded in 1998, Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) is a leading national software company offering a secure and reliable electronic title and lien software service. Using the latest technology, DDI offers personalized customer service and always has with the lender’s best interest in mind.

 

Although the Florida legislature now requires lienholder participation in an ELT program, signing up for ELT with DDI can save time and money.

 

“The ELT process can also help lienholders by reducing fraud with other outstanding liens and streamline workload,” Glenn Thames, president and CEO of DDI, says. “But, finding the right vendor is key. You want to find a vendor, like DDI, that charges only the transactions you process with the DMV.”

 

To learn more about DDI and ELT, visit etitlelien.com. DDI is happy to answer any questions as you discover the benefits of ELT.

Image from National Register Agents Inc.

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Easy Transition to ELT in Georgia with DDI's Help

It can take time to implement new programs in the workplace, but Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) makes its customers' transitions to Premier eTitlelien™ simple and easy.

As the New Year began, DDI once again smoothly transitioned customers to its electronic lien and title program (ELT) in Georgia, Florida, and California in accordance with their new state laws.

Even more Georgia lenders will discover the benefits of electronic lien and title programs by July 1 of this year. At that time, lenders with 200 or more security interests or liens must have an ELT program in place according to Georgia law. By January 1, 2014, lenders with five or more security interests will also need to be enrolled in an ELT program.

To learn more about what DDI, ELT, and its Premier eTitlelien™ program can do for your business, go to etitlelien.com.

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DDI and ELT in 2012: Year in Review

 

2012 was full of positive growth and change for ELT states and Decision Dynamics, Inc.

With DDI’s support, California, Florida, and Georgia, spent the year preparing for mandatory ELT. (In 2013, these states will require lienholders, with the exception of smaller Georgia lienholders, to participate in an ELT program.)

Wisconsinbegan expanding its ELT programs in July, and in October, South Dakotaimplemented its own ELT system. As an approved ELT provider for South Dakota, DDI worked closely with the state’s Department of Revenue as they developed their system.

In September, DDI’s 2,000^th customer signed up for ELT services, and the following month the Georgia Banker’s Association renewed its partnership with the company.

What will 2013 bring for ELT? Check back before the New Year to learn more.

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Meeting with California Credit Unions

Earlier this month DDI travelled to California to visit with the Credit Union Bay Area Executive Coalition (CUBAEC). Over 20 California credit unions attended the event to learn about the mandatory California ELT program that requires participation from credit unions and other lenders by January 1, 2013. (Note, though, that the last sign up date is September 11, 2012.)

Jessica Shand shared briefly about the features of the California ELT program, how they are implemented in our ELT solution, Premier eTitleLien™, and the extra features we incorporate that would be of value to CA credit unions.

Jessica also shared about the national trends with ELT, as more states are implementing ELT programs (South Dakota, Maryland, Indiana, and Iowa all have plans to implement ELT in 2012) and requiring participation either directly (in addition to California, Florida and Georgia will both be requiring participation on January 1, 2013) or indirectly (South Dakota will stop printing titles with liens when their program goes live later this year).

Jessica concluded by discussing how customer service is very important to us and the various ways we try to make things simple and effective for our customers from the contract to training to ongoing assistance with any kind of lien or title issue.

We look forward to working with more California credit unions and other lenders.

Image above is from Golden Gate Bridge marks 75 years since opening against steep odds.

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