LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 473

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 13, 1996

      Senate Bill No. 473(1R) of 1996 permits motor vehicle rental and leasing businesses to obtain from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the Department of Transportation the driving records of persons seeking to rent or lease vehicles. These records would be used by the requesting businesses to determine the prospective renter or lessee's risk of violating a motor vehicle law, causing or becoming involved in an accident, or damaging a rented or leased motor vehicle. The bill authorizes DMV to charge a fee, not to exceed $6, for each driving record request.

      Information provided by the rental car industry indicates that approximately 100,000 requests for driving record information could be made annually by that industry. Information regarding vehicle lessor record checks was not readily available.

      Information provided informally by DMV suggests that it would cost approximately $22,000 to reprogram the computer system to provide the requested records; data on other potential DMV costs are unknown.

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) would accept these estimates. However, OLS would also note that the bill permits a fee of up to $6 per driving record request which should provide sufficient revenue to defray DMV's costs.

      The legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.