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Read. Follow. Verify.Indiana bill establishes bonded title process for vintage vehicles and sets Level 6 felony for false applications
Last action · January 6, 2026: First reading: referred to Committee on Roads and TransportationSponsor: Lorissa Sweet
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What This Bill Proposed
Indiana House Bill 1304 establishes a formal procedure for applying for a for vintage motor vehicles at least 25 years old with a fair market value of $20,000 or less. The measure requires applicants to purchase a title bond, pass a vehicle inspection, and notify previous owners or lienholders via certified mail. Additionally, providing false information on the application is classified as a .
Vehicle owners seeking registration for older cars without standard documentation gain a legal pathway to obtain a title, while facing criminal penalties for fraudulent applications and new fee distributions across state funds.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
vintage motor vehicle owners
Vehicle owners gain a regulatory mechanism to secure titles for older vehicles by purchasing a bond and completing specific inspection and notification requirements.
bureau of motor vehicles
The bureau is required to process bonded title applications, conduct database searches, issue titles at license branches, and amend administrative rules.
police officers
Authorized police officers may conduct vehicle inspections and are permitted to charge an inspection fee up to $5 under local ordinance.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies a vehicle as a vintage motor vehicle under this bill?
How long is a bonded certificate of title valid?
What happens if no claims are made against the bonded title during its validity period?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 6, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst reading: referred to Committee on Roads and Transportation
- Jan 6, 2026HouseAuthored by Representative Sweet
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Vintage Vehicle Value Threshold
The bill directs the bureau of motor vehicles to raise the administrative vehicle value threshold from $5,000 to $20,000 by June 30, 2027.
Connected Entities
Sources
iga.in.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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