49 U.S.C. § 33110 — Verifications involving junk and salvage motor vehicles

(a) Definition — "Vehicle identification number" means the unique number a manufacturer assigns to a vehicle under applicable regulations, or a derivative of it. (b) General Requirements — (1) If an insurer selling comprehensive coverage takes possession of and then transfers a junk or salvage vehicle, it must (A) verify, under Attorney-General procedures set under section 33109, whether the vehicle is reported stolen, and (B) give the buyer written verification of the vehicle identification number, and confirmation either that the vehicle isn't reported stolen, or — if it was — that the insurer recovered it and holds proper legal title. (2)(A) This doesn't stop an insurer from transferring a vehicle if, despite reasonable effort within a reasonable business timeframe, it (i) hasn't been told the vehicle isn't stolen, or (ii) otherwise couldn't establish its theft status. (B) In that case, the insurer must give the buyer written certification that it couldn't establish whether the vehicle was reported stolen. (c) Regulations — Consulting with the Secretary of Transportation, the Attorney General must set regulations ensuring insurers' verifications under (b)(1)(B) are uniform, effective, and resistant to fraud.