Electronic liens for Maryland dealers: Guidelines from the MVA
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) has contracted with four vendors to provide Electronic Lien Service (ELS). The MVA has also created a website providing complete instructions for obtaining a lien code, signing up with an ELS vendor or making changes in lien codes and vendor assignments. The website also contains the required form and the dedicated email address for the MVA ELS unit.
ELS will be implemented in phases starting this month. The Maryland title and Security Interest Filing (SIF) will continue to print at the time of recording (same as current process). During the first phase, all ELS vendors will receive a daily file notifying them of any liens filed on their participating lien holdersê behalf. ELS lien holders will also be able to send their lien releases to the MVA through their vendor. When a lien holder releases a lien electronically, they may request that a clear title be sent to a dealer who paid off the lien or an insurance company that has paid off a lien on a salvage vehicle.
Phase 2 development will begin in the first quarter of 2015. During the second phase of ELS, titles and SIFs will not print when a lien is recorded by a lien holder who is signed up with an ELS vendor. Also during this phase, lien holders will be notified, through their vendors, of any changes made to a vehicle title and of any lien holder succession changes.
In the future, the ELS system will facilitate the move to fully electronic titling in Maryland. Lien holders are encouraged to sign up with a vendor to receive the benefits of participating in the program.
Direct any questions to the MVAês ELS unit at mvaelsinfo@mdot.state.md.us.
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