Guidance on the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) HOLD Remarks in the Registration and Title System (RTS)

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

Please review and distribute as appropriate.

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ) are the organizations responsible for oversight and administration of the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). AAMVA and USDOJ have reported an increase in Texas title applicants contacting their offices as a result of NMVTIS HOLDs on Texas title records. Specifically, Texas title applicants have reported county tax assessor-collector’s offices are informing them their record has an NMVTIS HOLD and not providing these applicants with information necessary to address the error that caused the NMVTIS HOLD. These applicants are left with the impression a federal system is preventing their Texas title from being issued, and this is not correct. In actuality, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) has placed the hold on the record as a result of information obtained from NMVTIS, such as missing brands and superseded titles.

We would like to remind you NMVTIS is a system the TxDMV queries for applicable title transactions. Based on the results of the inquiry and the information entered by a county tax assessor-collector’s office into the Registration and Title System (RTS), errors are flagged with an NMVTIS HOLD by the RTS, and an error report is distributed to the processing county tax assessor-collector’s office. NMVTIS itself is not responsible for flagging the RTS records with an NMVTIS HOLD.

All NMVTIS HOLDs require correction by a county tax assessor-collector’s office through the RTS or special handling by the TxDMV. AAMVA and the USDOJ do not have the ability to resolve Texas NMVTIS HOLD issues.

If a Texas title applicant contacts your office regarding their record and the RTS record contains an NMVTIS HOLD, please provide the applicant the necessary information to resolve the issue. If the transaction was not originally processed by your county, please direct the applicant to the appropriate county for correction. If you are unable to determine the reason for the NMVTIS HOLD, please utilize Cognos to search the “NMVTIS Inquiry Report” for the specific transaction. If you are unable to determine what actions are required to correct the NMVTIS HOLD error, please utilize the NMVTIS Guide, or contact your local TxDMV Regional Service Center.

We appreciate your assistance in providing this needed service to Texas title applicants.

Thank you,

Jeremiah Kuntz, Director
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division

JK:TT:TH

If you have any comments or suggestions concerning this VTR communication process, please contact your local TxDMV Regional Service Center.