HB 4881 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Relating to obtaining title to abandoned or junked motor vehicles abandoned on the property or place of business of an automobile dealer

HB 4881 removes a $9,500 value limit that previously prevented automobile dealers, licensed auctions, repair facilities, or towing companies from obtaining titles for abandoned or junked vehicles on their property. The bill allows these businesses to apply for title and registration for any abandoned vehicle - regardless of its value - after following standard notification procedures to the owner and lienholders. If the vehicle isn't claimed within 10 days (or after publication notice if the owner can't be found), the business may sell it. This change directly affects dealers and related businesses handling abandoned vehicles, streamlining title processing for all such vehicles.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Jan 28, 2026 Signed Jun 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Version Enrolled Version · 3 edits · Mar 14, 2026
MINOR
The bill was finalized and formatted for official enactment. The core policy language regarding abandoned vehicle procedures, notification timelines, and title issuance thresholds remained substantively unchanged from the engrossed version, with the primary differences being the removal of draft headers and the addition of standard enrolled version signatures and certification clauses.
Scope change
The scope of the bill's applicability did not change; it continues to apply to automobile dealers, licensed auctions, repair facilities, and towing companies regarding abandoned or junked vehicles.
TECHNICAL

Removed draft-specific headers, page numbers, and committee referral notes that were present in the working version but are not part of the final law.

Added standard enrolled version elements, including certification signatures for the Clerks, Speaker, and President, and a statement confirming the bill is in effect 90 days from passage.

Consolidated the text into a continuous format, removing the line-by-line amendment markup and extra whitespace found in the previous draft.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

How they voted

330
Passed
Total votes 33
Mar 10, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
31 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
36
Key actions
7
Committee
6
Mar 17, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/17/2026
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/17/2026 - House Journal
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/17/2026 - Senate Journal
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 404)
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Feb 17, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 94)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Feb 6, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
To House Legal Services
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 28, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors