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A3986 • 2026

Requires towing companies accept electronically transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.

Requires towing companies accept electronically transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Schnall, Alexander
Last action
2026-05-04
Official status
Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires towing companies accept electronically transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.

Requires towing companies accept electronically transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires towing companies accept electronically transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.
  • Topic: Commerce Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-04 New Jersey Legislature

    Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee

  2. 2026-03-23 New Jersey Legislature

    Passed by the Assembly (67-1-0)

  3. 2026-03-19 New Jersey Legislature

    Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading

  4. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires towing companies accept electronically transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.
Topic:
Commerce
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A3986 TR

ASSEMBLY, No. 3986

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ALEXANDER "AVI" SCHNALL

District 30 (Monmouth and Ocean)

Assemblyman� WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Brennan and Assemblyman Moen

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires towing companies accept electronically
transmitted authorization of vehicle release to third party.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Assembly Consumer Affairs
Committee with technical review.

��

An Act
concerning towing companies and supplementing P.L.2007,
c.193 (C.56:13-7 et seq.).

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section, a �third party� means an insurance company, a collision repair
company, or any person designated by the owner or operator of the towed
vehicle.

���� b.��� A towing company shall
accept from the owner or operator of a motor vehicle that has been towed
written authorization submitted by electronic means to release the vehicle to a
third party.�

���� c.���� The director shall
issue or amend guidelines necessary to effectuate the provisions of this
section, including protections to ensure the lawful transfer of property.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment, except
that the Director of Consumer Affairs may take any anticipatory administrative
action as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.