RALEIGH – State officials are crediting a new reporting system for retrieving information about hundreds of stolen cars. For just over a year, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles has provided salvage yards and secondary metal recyclers operating across the state access to the North Carolina Scrap Vehicle Reporting System. According to information from the state division of motor vehicles, the system mandates that salvage yard owners and metal recyclers verify all identification information on vehicles 10 model years or older that were sold without a title. Vehicles are normally brought to these establishments for the purpose of crushing or selling for individual parts. 

In 2014, the system, which is provided by the Division to members at no cost, aided in the recovery of 302 vehicles reported stolen, along with charging 114 criminal violations. NCDMV’s License and Theft Bureau recovered a total of 852 stolen vehicles this past year, a 20% increase (+142) from 710 in 2013.

“We are excited with the results of our scrap vehicle reporting system following its first year in operation,” said NCDMV Commissioner Kelly Thomas in a press release. “The tangible results we’ve gathered serve as an indication that the system is working. We look forward to building on our partnership with the salvage motor vehicle industry and continued success in the future.” 

In furthering the education of the system and its advantages, License and Theft inspectors have completed more than 500 annual audits on salvage yard owners and metal recyclers to ensure compliance of the new law. By law, salvage yard owners and metal recyclers are required to become compliant immediately to properly verify the status of vehicles brought to them.