(a) General Requirements.—(1) Not later than July 25, 1993, the Attorney General shall establish, and thereafter maintain, a National Stolen Passenger Motor Vehicle Information System containing the vehicle identification numbers of stolen passenger motor vehicles and stolen passenger motor vehicle parts. The System shall be located in the National Crime Information Center and shall include at least the following information on each passenger motor vehicle reported to a law enforcement authority as stolen and not recovered:

(A) the vehicle identification number.

(B) the make and model year.

(C) the date on which the vehicle was reported as stolen.

(D) the location of the law enforcement authority that received the report of the theft of the vehicle.

(E) the identification numbers of the vehicle parts (or derivatives of those numbers), at the time of the theft, if those numbers are different from the vehicle identification number of the vehicle.


Terms Used In 49 USC 33109

  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
  • vehicle: includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land. See 1 USC 4

(2) In establishing the System, the Attorney General shall consult with—

(A) State and local law enforcement authorities; and

(B) the National Crime Information Center Policy Advisory Board to ensure the security of the information in the System and that the System will not compromise the security of stolen passenger motor vehicle and passenger motor vehicle parts information in the System.


(3) If the Attorney General decides that the Center is not able to perform the functions of the System, the Attorney General shall make an agreement for the operation of the System separate from the Center.

(4) The Attorney General shall prescribe by regulation the effective date of the System.

(b) Requests for Information.—(1) The Attorney General shall prescribe by regulation procedures under which an individual or entity intending to transfer a passenger motor vehicle or passenger motor vehicle part may obtain information on whether the vehicle or part is listed in the System as stolen.

(2) On request of an insurance carrier, a person lawfully selling or distributing passenger motor vehicle parts in interstate commerce, or an individual or enterprise engaged in the business of repairing passenger motor vehicles, the Attorney General (or the entity the Attorney General designates) immediately shall inform the insurance carrier, person, individual, or enterprise whether the System has a record of a vehicle or vehicle part with a particular vehicle identification number (or derivative of that number) being reported as stolen. The Attorney General may require appropriate verification to ensure that the request is legitimate and will not compromise the security of the System.

(c) Advisory Committee.—(1) Not later than December 24, 1992, the Attorney General shall establish in the Department of Justice an advisory committee. The Attorney General shall develop the System with the advice and recommendations of the committee.

(2)(A) The committee is composed of the following 10 members:

(i) the Attorney General.

(ii) the Secretary of Transportation.

(iii) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the law enforcement community at the State level.

(iv) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the law enforcement community at the local level.

(v) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the automotive recycling industry.

(vi) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the automotive repair industry.

(vii) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the automotive rebuilders industry.

(viii) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the automotive parts suppliers industry.

(ix) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of the insurance industry.

(x) one individual who is qualified to represent the interests of consumers.


(B) The Attorney General shall appoint the individuals described in subparagraph (A)(iii)-(x) of this paragraph and shall serve as chairman of the committee.

(3) The committee shall make recommendations on developing and carrying out—

(A) the National Stolen Passenger Motor Vehicle Information System; and

(B) the verification system under section 33110 of this title.


(4) Not later than April 25, 1993, the committee shall submit to the Attorney General, the Secretary, and Congress a report including the recommendations of the committee.

(d) Immunity.—Any person performing any activity under this section or section 33110 or 33111 in good faith and with the reasonable belief that such activity was in accordance with such section shall be immune from any civil action respecting such activity which is seeking money damages or equitable relief in any court of the United States or a State.

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