North Carolina Begins Scrap Vehicle Reporting System

The state of North Carolina, through its Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), has officially began requiring auto recyclers and scrap metal companies to verify vehicle information prior to scrapping the vehicles or selling used auto parts. The law went into effect Dec. 1, 2013.

Under the North Carolina Scrap Vehicle Reporting System, metals recyclers and salvage yards will be able to verify whether a vehicle brought to them without a title and more than 10 model years old has been reported stolen prior to purchase.

NCDMV will provide system access to salvage yards and metals recyclers to allow them to cross-reference information with DMV files. All North Carolina salvage yards and recyclers must register with North Carolina Identity Management (NCID), the state's identity management and access service, and North Carolina Department of Transportation/DMV to access the new system and begin verifying the status of vehicles brought to them on or after Dec. 1, 2013.

Because of routine weekly maintenance, the system will not be available for verifications Sundays from 6 a.m. to noon.

If a vehicle is reported stolen, the system will notify the salvage yard or recycling business to verify the vehicle identification number and stop the purchase of the vehicle. The system will immediately notify the division’s License and Theft Bureau about the stolen vehicle and the business must also notify their local law enforcement agency. Information obtained by these businesses is available only to law enforcement agencies.

If the vehicle is not reported stolen, the system will allow the sale to continue, requiring a copy or scanned image of the seller’s driver license and identifying information about the vehicles to be maintained by the business. A printable verification will be provided at the end of the transaction and the seller must print and maintain the record for two years from the date of the purchase.

The system will continue to check the vehicle’s status for five days after the initial request. The metals recycler or salvage yard will not be held liable if the motor vehicle later turns out to be stolen.