HB144
Log in to followAN ACT relating to motor vehicle titles.
Amend KRS 186A.295 to exclude the cost of parts and labor to make cosmetic repairs to a motor vehicle from the cost of repair calculation for the required surrender of the certificate of title for a motor vehicle or trailer that has been destroyed; require a motor vehicle that is exempt from title surrender to be issued a salvage title; amend KRS 186A.190 and 186A.520 to conform.
Introduced: January 7, 2026
Last action: April 13, 2026
In effect since July 15, 2026
Acts from the 2026 Regular Session that don't carry an emergency clause or set their own effective date took effect 90 days after the session adjourned (Ky. Constitution § 55).
Plain-language summary
This law changes how Kentucky calculates whether a damaged vehicle must have its title surrendered as destroyed. Cosmetic repair costs, such as parts and labor for surface-level fixes, will no longer count toward that threshold. Vehicles that fall below the threshold and avoid title surrender will now be issued a salvage title instead. Who it may affect: vehicle owners with damaged cars, auto repair shops, insurers, and county clerks who process vehicle titles.
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Legislative History
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Co-sponsors (9)
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