Proof of motor vehicle insurance; require when registering or renewing the registration of a motor vehicle.

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To: Insurance
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Hulum, Sanders,
Carpenter, Estrada, Fondren, Gibbs (36th),
Holloway (27th), McCray, Newman, Osborne,
Taylor, Thompson, Williams

HOUSE BILL NO. 676

AN ACT TO REENACT SECTION 63-16-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
WHICH WAS REPEALED BY SECTION 4, CHAPTER 447, LAWS OF 2015, WHICH 2
REQUIRES EVERY OWNER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE TO COMPLY WITH THE MOTOR 3
VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS WHEN REGISTERING 4
OR RENEWING A REGISTRATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE; TO AMEND REENACTED 5
SECTION 63-16-9, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CHANGE REFERENCES TO 6
THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, IN REGARD TO MAINTAINING THE MOTOR 7
VEHICLE INSURANCE VERIFICATION SYSTEM, TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC 8
SAFETY; TO AMEND SECTION 63-16-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 9
REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ALLOW TAX ASSESSORS TO 10
ACCESS THE VERIFICATION SYSTEM; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 63-16-3, 11
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND 12
FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 13
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 14
SECTION 1. Section 63-16-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, which 15
was repealed by Section 4, Chapter 447, Laws of 2015, is reenacted 16
and amended as follows: 17
63-16-9. Every owner of a motor vehicle in this state shall 18
comply with the motor vehicle liability insurance coverage in at 19
least the minimum amounts required under Section 63-15-3(j) before 20
that owner may receive a registration for a motor vehicle or renew 21
a registration * * *. The owner must also maintain continuous 22
coverage in at least the minimum amounts required under Section 23
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63-15-3(j) throughout the registration period. The verification 24
system shall be used at registration to determine compliance with 25
this section and the response received from the system supersedes 26
an insurance card produced by a motor vehicle owner or operator, 27
and notwithstanding the display of an insurance card by the owner 28
or operator, the owner shall be denied a registration for a motor 29
vehicle or renewal of a registration based on the verification 30
system's response of noncompliance. The Department of * * * 31
Public Safety must make the verification system available to the 32
tax collector through its title/registration network system. 33
* * * The Department of Public Safety shall promulgate rules and 34
regulations necessary to enforce this section. 35
SECTION 2. Section 63-16-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 36
amended as follows: 37
63-16-7. (1) The Department of Public Safety, hereinafter 38
referred to in this section as "department," shall administer and 39
enforce the provisions of this chapter, as applicable, and shall 40
make rules necessary for the administration of the motor vehicle 41
insurance verification system created under Section 63-16-3. 42
(2) The rules must: 43
(a) Establish standards and procedures for accessing 44
the system by authorized personnel of the department, the courts, 45
law enforcement personnel, tax assessors and any other entities 46
authorized by the department that are consistent with 47
specifications and standards of the Insurance Industry Committee 48
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on Motor Vehicle Administration and other applicable industry 49
standards; 50
(b) Provide for the suspension of a driver's license 51
when required by this chapter; 52
(c) Prohibit the reinstatement of a driver's license 53
unless the applicable fines have been paid; and 54
(d) Provide for insurance information from insurers, 55
not more often than every thirty (30) days, to identify motor 56
vehicle insurance policy information; however, no insurer shall be 57
required to provide such information in a format other than those 58
set forth by the Insurance Industry Committee on Motor Vehicle 59
Administration "Insurance Data Transfer Guide," as amended. 60
(3) The department may adopt additional rules to: 61
(a) Assist authorized users in interpreting responses 62
received from the motor vehicle insurance verification system and 63
determining the appropriate action to be taken as a result of a 64
response; and 65
(b) Otherwise clarify system operations and business 66
rules. 67
SECTION 3. Section 63-16-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 68
brought forward as follows: 69
63-16-3. (1) The Department of Public Safety, hereinafter 70
referred to in this section as "department," in cooperation with 71
the Commissioner of Insurance and the Department of Revenue, shall 72
establish an accessible common carrier-based motor vehicle 73
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insurance verification system to verify the compliance of a motor 74
vehicle with motor vehicle liability policy requirements under the 75
Mississippi Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Law. 76
(2) The department, in cooperation with the Department of 77
Revenue if applicable, may contract with a private vendor or 78
vendors to establish and maintain the system. 79
(3) The system must: 80
(a) Send requests to insurers for verification of motor 81
vehicle liability insurance using electronic services established 82
by the insurers through the Internet, World Wide Web, or a similar 83
proprietary or common carrier electronic system in compliance with 84
the specifications and standards of the Insurance Industry 85
Committee on Motor Vehicle Administration and other applicable 86
industry standards; 87
(b) Include appropriate provisions to secure its data 88
against unauthorized access and to maintain a record of all 89
requests and responses; 90
(c) Be accessible, without fee, to authorized personnel 91
of the department, the courts, law enforcement personnel, and 92
other entities authorized by the department under the provisions 93
of Section 63-16-7; 94
(d) Be able to interface with existing department 95
systems; 96
(e) Be able to be accessed by authorized users via a 97
secure web browser; 98
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(f) Not more often than every thirty (30) days, receive 99
insurance information from insurers under specifications and 100
standards set forth in paragraph (a) of this subsection or other 101
data file formats as approved by the department to identify motor 102
vehicle insurance policy information; however, no insurer shall be 103
required to provide information in a format other than those set 104
forth by the Insurance Industry Committee on Motor Vehicle 105
Administration "Insurance Data Transfer Guide," as amended; 106
(g) Provide a means by which low-volume insurers that 107
are unable to deploy an online interface with the system can 108
report insurance policy data to the department or their designee 109
for inclusion in the system; 110
(h) Provide a means to track separately or distinguish 111
motor vehicles that are subject to a certificate of insurance 112
under Section 63-15-39 or 63-15-41, a certificate of 113
self-insurance under Section 63-15-53, a bond under Section 114
63-15-49, or a certificate of deposit of money or securities under 115
Section 63-15-51; 116
(i) Distinguish motor vehicles that are exempt from the 117
provisions of this chapter; 118
(j) Be available twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven 119
(7) days a week, subject to reasonable allowances for scheduled 120
maintenance or temporary system failures, to verify the insurance 121
status of any motor vehicle in a manner prescribed by the 122
department; and 123
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ST: Proof of motor vehicle insurance; require
when registering or renewing the registration of
a motor vehicle.
(k) Be installed and operational not later than March 124
1, 2016, followed by an appropriate testing period of not less 125
than six (6) months. 126
(4) Every insurer shall cooperate with the department and 127
the Insurance Department in establishing and maintaining the 128
system and shall provide motor vehicle liability policy status and 129
information to verify liability coverage for a motor vehicle 130
insured by that company that is registered in this state. 131
(5) Records and information gathered by or stored in the 132
system are exempt from the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983. 133
SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from 134
and after July 1, 2026. 135