The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) is an electronic system that contains information on certain automobiles titled in the United States. It serves as a reliable source of title and brand history for vehicles but does not provide detailed information about a vehicle’s repair history.

Federal law requires states, insurance companies, and junk and salvage yards to regularly report data to NMVTIS. However, not all motor vehicles are covered, as some states are still not providing their data to the system. States that do report to NMVTIS do so at varying intervals, with some updating data in real-time and others updating within 24 hours or days.

NMVTIS may not include records of significant vehicle damage if the vehicle was never declared a “total loss” by an insurance company or branded by a state titling agency. On the other hand, an insurance company may be required to report a “total loss” even if the state has not branded the vehicle as “salvage” or “junk.”

A vehicle history report from NMVTIS is not a substitute for an independent vehicle inspection. Consumers are encouraged to have vehicles independently inspected to check for hidden damage. Approved NMVTIS Data Providers may also include condition data from other sources, but the NMVTIS system itself includes:

• Data from participating state motor vehicle titling agencies.
• Information on various vehicle types, including automobiles, buses, trucks, motorcycles, RVs, and tractors (though commercial vehicles may not be fully included yet in some states).
• “Brand” information from participating state agencies, which may vary by state but can offer insight into a vehicle’s condition or history.
• The most recent odometer reading recorded in a state’s title record.
• Data from insurance companies and auto recyclers (junk and salvage yards), reporting total loss vehicles from March 31, 2009, onward.
• Records from junk and salvage yards that participated in the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009 (CARS) Program.