SB 136 Kentucky Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT relating to transportation and declaring an emergency.

Summary
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 186A to allow for an electronic record of a motor vehicle title to be stored in AVIS without the production of a paper copy of the title; provide that titles held in the system electronically have the same legal status as paper titles; allow a titled holder to request a paper title at any time; exempt from fees the first paper title for a vehicle if the title was held electronically; amend KRS 186A.035 to outline procedures and forms for transfers of vehicles held in joint ownership; amend KRS 186A.115 to allow a person presenting a vehicle for inspection to present a current operator's license from Kentucky or another state; amend KRS 186A.190 to establish procedures for electronic submission of liens, security interests and satisfactions; allow use of electronic signatures; provide for holding titles in AVIS and not producing paper titles for vehicles for which liens have been filed electronically; allow the Transportation Cabinet to remove any lien from the certificate of title in AVIS if the lien expiries and is not renewed; amend KRS 186A.195 to allow the use of electronic signatures on title lien statements; amend KRS 186A.145 to exempt from the prohibition against transferring a vehicle in cases involving delinquent ad valorem taxes transfers between individuals when the delinquent taxes are owed by a previous owner not party to the transaction; amend KRS 186A.100 to allow the use a temporary motor vehicle tags on vehicles sold in Kentucky that are being transported to another state for registration; allow county clerks to keep an electronic record of temporary tags; amend KRS 186A.017 to set time frames for county clerk processing of title applications filed through the electronic system; amend KRS 186A.220 to allow motor vehicle dealers to dealer assign all-terrain vehicles; amend KRS 235.130 to allow a county clerk to accept an affidavit of ownership to process the application of a boat title; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2027.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Signed into Law
Mar 2025
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Signed Mar 27, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Current/Final · 6 edits
MODERATE
This bill fundamentally changes Kentucky's vehicle registration system from a paper-based annual registration model to a year-round electronic system. It eliminates paper title certificates for most vehicles, allowing owners to request physical copies only when needed. The system now distributes registration work evenly throughout the year based on owner birth dates rather than using fixed expiration dates.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope from a narrow title registration update to a comprehensive overhaul of the entire vehicle registration and titling system, affecting all motor vehicles including motorcycles and business vehicles.
REQUIREMENT

Paper title certificates are no longer issued by default; electronic records are now the standard, with paper copies available only upon owner request without fee for the first copy.

Year-round registration system distributes registration workload evenly throughout the year based on owner birth dates instead of fixed expiration dates.

ELIGIBILITY

Business-owned vehicles under 10,000 pounds and farm vehicles may still elect annual registration from April 1 to March 31 instead of year-round registration.

DEFINITION

New rules for jointly owned vehicles specify how ownership transfers work when one spouse dies, including fee exemptions and required documentation.

ENFORCEMENT

Registration renewal fees are now prorated on a twelfths basis, and owners receive email or mail notifications 45 days before expiration.

TECHNICAL

Electronic title records must include notation that no paper certificate was printed, and the system tracks registration based on owner birth month.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 4, 2025

How they voted

430
Passed
Total votes 43
Mar 4, 2025
D Democratic6
6 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican37
37 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
28
Key actions
10
Committee
9
Amendments
1
Mar 25, 2025
Introduced
filed without Governor's signature with the Secretary of State
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
passed 34-1
upper
Mar 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred in House Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Mar 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day
upper
Mar 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
posted for passage for concurrence in House Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Mar 13, 2025
Committee
to Rules (S)
upper
Mar 13, 2025
Upper · Passed
3rd reading, passed 90-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Mar 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1)
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Committee
to Transportation (H)
lower
Mar 5, 2025
Committee
to Committee on Committees (H)
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Upper · Passed
3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1), Floor Amendment (1), and Committee Amendment (1-title)
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Introduced
floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute
upper
Feb 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1) and Committee Amendment (1-title)
upper
Feb 14, 2025
Committee
to Transportation (S)
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
to Committee on Committees (S)
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
introduced in Senate
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.