Federal Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Standard

The final rule extends NHTSA's anti-theft parts marking requirement to two different groups of vehicles. First, the Anti Car Theft Act of 1992 required the Attorney General to make a finding that NHTSA "shall apply" the parts marking requirements to below median theft rate passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less, unless the Attorney General found that the extension would not substantially inhibit chop shop operations and motor vehicle thefts. The Attorney General did not make that finding about the extension. Accordingly, the Attorney General found that the standard should be extended. Since the Attorney General found that the standard should be extended, NHTSA is required by the Act to issue this final rule extending the parts marking requirement to all below median theft rate passenger cars and multipurpose passenger vehicles (MPVs) that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less, but have not been exempted under 49 CFR Part 543 on the grounds that they are equipped with an effective anti- theft device as standard equipment. Second, to increase the effectiveness of the first extension, this final rule also extends the parts marking requirement to below median theft rate light duty trucks with major parts that are interchangeable with a majority of the covered major parts of the below median theft rate multipurpose passenger vehicles and other passenger motor vehicles made subject to the requirement by the first extension. If this additional extension were not made, it would reduce the ability of investigators to treat the absence of intact markings on these multipurpose passenger vehicles and other passenger vehicles as a "red flag" indicating a need for further investigation.