The Virginia General Assembly Tuesday passed a bill to require auto recyclers to check for liens on vehicles before demolishing or dismantling.
The Virginia Independent Automobile Dealers Association worked to get Senate Bill 545 passed. It is scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2025.
VIADA Executive Director Alvin Melendez praised the collaborative effort of staff and lawmakers to get the law passed.
“It’ll protect our dealers and not just dealers in Virginia,” Melendez said.
He said it was actually a vehicle out of Florida that ended up being demolished without a check that helped get the movement going to pass the law.
Under the new law, an auto recycler will have to do a lien check on any vehicle they come into possession of without a title or salvage certificate.
Melendez said the majority of auto recyclers supported the bill.
“They told me they don’t have a problem and don’t mind doing the searches,” he said.
