PA Electronic Lien & Title Change: Is Your Member’s Address Current?
A change to PA’s Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Program makes address verification especially important when releasing vehicle liens.
Lienholders can no longer change the mailing address when electronically releasing a lien. The PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will mail the title to the address on its vehicle record. This means that if the address in the credit union’s system doesn’t match, the title could be sent to the wrong place, creating delays and additional work for both the credit union and its member.
What Can Credit Unions Do?
Credit unions have several options to help ensure that titles reach members at the correct address:
- Request a paper title through your ELT service provider. Credit unions can request a paper title without releasing the lien. The title is mailed directly to the credit union, allowing staff to release the lien and forward the title to the member’s verified mailing address, following applicable requirements.
- Verify member addresses. Compare the address in your system with the address on the ELT record before processing lien releases. Confirm any discrepancies directly with the member.
- Encourage members to update their PennDOT records. PA requires vehicle owners to report an address change within 15 days of moving. Members can do so online or by submitting Form MV-63. There is no fee to update the registration address.
- Review your payoff procedures. Consider incorporating address verification into your loan payoff process to identify discrepancies before the lien release is submitted.
If you have any questions about these changes to the ELT Program, reach out to our Compliance Hotline by email or phone at 800-932-0661 (option 3).