Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a certificate of ownership to the legal owner of a vehicle upon registering the vehicle. Existing law requires the Director of Motor Vehicles to develop an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Program to require that all lienholders' title information be held in an electronic format, if the department determines that the program is cost effective compared to the current paper title and registration system.
This bill would define "title," "certificate of title," and "certificate of ownership" for purposes of the Vehicle Code as an official record, whether in paper or electronic form, establishing and providing proof of legal ownership of a vehicle.