S-3956.4  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6271

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators Long and Owen

Read first time 01/10/96.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Expanding automotive title branding.

    AN ACT Relating to vehicles that have been rebuilt from salvage; and amending RCW 46.12.005, 46.12.050, and 46.12.075.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 46.12.005 and 1967 c 140 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((As used in this amendatory act,)) The definitions set forth in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) The words "delivery,"((,)) "notice,"((,)) "send," and "security interest" ((shall)) have the same meaning as these terms are defined in RCW 62A.1-201 ((as now and hereafter amended)); the word((,)) "secured party" ((shall have)) has the same meaning as this term is defined in RCW 62A.9‑105 ((as now and hereafter amended)).

(2) "Salvage vehicle" means a vehicle whose certificate of ownership has been surrendered to the department under RCW 46.12.070 due to the vehicle's destruction or declaration as a total loss or for which there is documentation indicating that the vehicle has been declared salvage or has been damaged to the extent that the owner, an insurer, or other person acting on behalf of the owner, has determined that the cost of parts and labor minus the salvage value has made it uneconomical to repair the vehicle.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 46.12.050 and 1993 c 307 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The department, if satisfied from the statements upon the application that the applicant is the legal owner of the vehicle or otherwise entitled to have a certificate of ownership thereof in the applicant's name, shall issue an appropriate electronic record of ownership or a written certificate of ownership, over the director's signature, authenticated by seal, and if required, a new written certificate of license registration if certificate of license registration is required.

    The certificates of ownership and the certificates of license registration shall contain upon the face thereof, the date of application, the registration number assigned to the registered owner and to the vehicle, the name and address of the registered owner and legal owner, the vehicle identification number, and such other description of the vehicle and facts as the department shall require, and in addition thereto, if the vehicle described in such certificates shall have ever been licensed and operated as an exempt vehicle or a taxicab, or if it ((is less than four years old and)) has been rebuilt after ((having been totaled out by an insurance carrier)) becoming a salvage vehicle, such fact shall be clearly shown thereon.

    All certificates of ownership of motor vehicles issued after April 30, 1990, shall reflect the odometer reading as provided by the odometer disclosure statement submitted with the title application involving a transfer of ownership.

    A blank space shall be provided on the face of the certificate of license registration for the signature of the registered owner.

    Upon issuance of the certificate of license registration and certificate of ownership and upon any reissue thereof, the department shall deliver the certificate of license registration to the registered owner and the certificate of ownership to the legal owner, or both to the person who is both the registered owner and legal owner.

    Sec. 3.  RCW 46.12.075 and 1995 c 256 s 24 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Effective January 1, 1997, the department shall issue a unique certificate of ownership and certificate of license registration, as required by chapter 46.16 RCW, for vehicles ((less than four years old)) that are rebuilt after ((surrender of the certificate of ownership to the department under RCW 46.12.070 due to the vehicle's destruction or declaration as a total loss)) becoming a salvage vehicle.  Each certificate shall conspicuously display across its front, a word indicating that the vehicle was rebuilt.

    (2) Beginning January 1, 1997, upon inspection of a vehicle that has been rebuilt under RCW 46.12.030, the state patrol shall securely affix or inscribe a marking at the driver's door latch pillar indicating that the vehicle has previously been destroyed or declared a total loss.

    (3) It is a class C felony for a person to remove the marking prescribed in subsection (2) of this section.

    (4) The department may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.

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