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S. B. No. 2835 *SS36/R982* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Finance
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Harkins
SENATE BILL NO. 2835
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-21-18, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO ALLOW USED MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS DEALERS AND SCRAP METAL 2
PROCESSORS TO USE THIRD-PARTY VENDORS THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS 3
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO USING THE 4
DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE'S AUTOMATED STATEWIDE MOTOR VEHICLE 5
REGISTRATION SYSTEM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPLYING WITH THEIR DUTY 6
TO VERIFY THE ABSENCE OF ANY LIEN ON A MOTOR VEHICLE BEFORE IT MAY 7
BE PURCHASED OR RECEIVED FOR SCRAPPING, DISMANTLING OR 8
DESTRUCTION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 10
SECTION 1. Section 63-21-18, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 11
amended as follows: 12
63-21-18. The Mississippi Department of Information 13
Technology Services shall provide equipment for the operation and 14
maintenance of the automated statewide motor vehicle, manufactured 15
housing and mobile home registration system by the department. 16
The automated statewide motor vehicle, manufactured housing 17
and mobile home registration system shall provide for computer 18
terminals and printers, as authorized by the Department of 19
Information Technology Services, to be located in the quantity 20
necessary in each county seat tax collector's office and any other 21
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office in which more than fifty percent (50%) of the motor vehicle 22
registrations in the county are made. 23
All county tax collectors shall participate in such system as 24
it applies to Chapter 19, Title 27; Chapter 51, Title 27; Chapter 25
21, Title 63; Mississippi Code of 1972, in accordance with rules 26
and regulations promulgated by the department. Such rules and 27
regulations shall provide that counties which have an existing 28
computer system designed to produce registration data may elect to 29
use such existing system to communicate title/registration data to 30
the department through the computer furnished by the state as 31
hereinabove provided in this section. If the department finds and 32
determines that a county has failed to successfully establish or 33
update title/registration data into the statewide vehicle, 34
manufactured housing and mobile home title/registration system, 35
either through use of equipment supplied by the department or 36
through the interfacing between the network system and county 37
computer equipment, the department shall thereafter cause to be 38
withheld the county's homestead exemption reimbursement monies, 39
except for school districts and municipalities, until such time as 40
the county has complied with this provision. Such monies as are 41
withheld from a county for failure to comply with this provision 42
shall be placed into a special escrow account to be established in 43
the State Treasury. Once the county achieves compliance by 44
successfully establishing or updating title/registration data into 45
the statewide vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home 46
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title/registration system, then the department shall cause to be 47
released to the county all funds held in escrow on the county's 48
behalf during the period of noncompliance. All interest earned 49
shall accrue to the benefit of the county on any funds placed in 50
an escrow account. Any cost involved in interfacing between 51
existing county computer systems and the state-provided computer 52
shall be paid by the county. 53
The computer terminals and printers placed in each county tax 54
collector's office may be utilized to provide additional computer 55
functions as authorized by the Department of Information 56
Technology Services. 57
The State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants to the 58
State Treasurer for the expenditures for the implementation and 59
maintenance of the system upon requisitions signed by the 60
Commissioner of Revenue, as authorized by the Legislature. 61
It is the intent of the Legislature that the operation of the 62
statewide motor vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home 63
title registration system shall be the responsibility of the 64
department. 65
The department shall provide for the transfer of motor 66
vehicle, manufactured housing and mobile home title and lien 67
registration information to the department by electronic means 68
from banks and other lending institutions as provided in Section 69
63-21-18. The Department of Information Technology Services shall 70
cooperate with the department in implementing the provisions of 71
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ST: Motor vehicle registration; parts dealers
and scrap metal processors may use third-party
vendors meeting DOR requirements.
Section 63-21-18, and shall provide the department with whatever 72
assistance the department needs to carry out the provisions of 73
Section 63-21-18. 74
A used motor vehicle parts dealer or scrap metal processor 75
must utilize the department's automated statewide motor vehicle 76
registration system, or a third-party vendor that meets the 77
requirements of the department, for the purpose of complying with 78
the requirements of Section 63-21-39(1)(a). 79
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 80
and after July 1, 2026. 81