26
May 26, 2016

Mississippi Vehicle Identification Number

The Attorney General of the state of Mississippi maintains a website which contains information on Motor Vehicle Services and Motor Vehicle e-services. This webpage also has information on Tags and Titles, Registration FAQs, Registration Forms, Title FAQs, Title Forms, Records Inquiry, and Motor Vehicle e-services. To request vehicle history information you must fill out the Motor Vehicle Records Disclosure Form (Form 77969.) In order to get information on the history of a vehicle, the state of Mississippi has a regulation, Miss Admin Code Title 35.VII.1.01, which is similar to the Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.

The Motor Vehicle e-services page allows residents to view your accounts, renew accounts, make payments and secure file title applications. There are also pages of forms regarding titling and registration of vehicles.

Mississippi Department of Revenue:

Tags and Titles

Form 77969 – Motor Vehicle Records Disclosure Form

Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act

Miss. Admin Code Title 35.VII.1.01:

Title 35 Mississippi State Tax Commission

Mississippi Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle e-Services Page:

Motor Vehicle e-Services

Should you run VIN Checks when buying a car in Mississippi?

Yes, when purchasing a vehicle you should always run a vehicle history check. The Mississippi Attorney General Consumer Protection Division has an Insurance Fraud/Stolen Vehicle Database. The state of Mississippi recommends using VIN Check, a database which is recommended by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. NICB is a free service which allows the public to search to see if a vehicle has been reported stolen and not recovered, or if it has been reported as a salvage vehicle by a cooperating NICB insurance company. You can perform a search with a VIN number and search a maximum of five (5) searches within a 24-hour period.

Another searchable database that is very useful is the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System. This database is mainly for cars that have been in the possession of auto recyclers, junk yards, and salvage yards. Places such as salvage yards and auto recyclers are considered easy prey for thieves, and therefore they are more heavily regulated by the government and the data to be reported is mandated, including:

  • The name, address, and contact information for the reporting entity;
  • The VIN;
  • The date the automobile was obtained;
  • The name of the person or entity from whom the automobile was obtained;
  • A statement of whether the automobile was crushed or disposed of, or offered for sale or other purposes; and
  • Whether the vehicle is to be exported out of the country.

There are also private companies which will run VIN checks which may cost you some money. However, in the long run it would be worth it to spend the money on a VIN check which alerts you to any possible liens currently on the car, if the car is stolen, if the car has been previously declared a lemon, or has been in a flood or a car accident in which it was declared totaled.

Mississippi Attorney General Consumer Protection Division Insurance Fraud/Stolen Vehicle Database:

Insurance Fraud/Stolen Vehicle Database

Online Consumer Complaint Process

To Print The Consumer Complaint Form

Coalition Against Fraud:

Scam alerts

Brochure from the Mississippi Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division “A Consumer’s Guide to Mississippi’s Lemon Law:

The Lemon Law

VINCheck – Recommended By The NICB

VIN Check

NMVTIS

Lemon Laws in Mississippi

The Mississippi Lemon Law is formally called the “Motor Vehicle Warranty Enforcement Act” and can be found in the Mississippi Code, Title 63, Chapter 17, Section 63-17-151 et seq.

The Mississippi Lemon Law covers consumers who:

  • Purchase a car, not for the purpose of resale, a motor vehicle which is primarily used for personal, family, or household purposes;
  • Any person whom the motor vehicle is transferred to for the same purposes during the manufacturer’s warranty; and
  • Any other person entitled by the terms of the warranty to enforce its obligations.

Under the Mississippi Lemon Law there are specific details you must meet when trying to resolve a lemon law issue. First, your car must qualify as a lemon under the Mississippi state law. To achieve this, your car must meet the following criteria:

  • The car must have a substantial defect which either:
    • Impairs its normal functions;
    • Makes it unsafe to drive; OR
    • Impacts the resale value of the vehicle.

It does not cover any defects that are due to abuse, neglect, or unauthorized modifications of the vehicle by the consumer.

  • The law covers vehicles sold in the state of Mississippi, those which operate on the public streets and highways of Mississippi, and used to transport people or property in the state. This includes demonstrator and lease-purchase vehicles if they were sold with a manufacturer’s warranty. Used vehicles are covered as long as the manufacturer’s warranty is still valid and vehicle converters are covered as well. It does not cover off-road vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, or parts of a motor home or recreational vehicle that were added on and/or assembled by the manufacturer of the motor home.

As long as your vehicle is covered by the express warranty or it is within the 12 month period after the purchase of the vehicle, you may well have a case with the manufacturer which can result in either a refund or a replacement. If you have given the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s representative a “reasonable number” of attempts to fix the defect, which in Mississippi is defined as three (3) attempts OR if your vehicle has been in the shop for a reason related to the defect for at least 15 days, then you must legally notify the manufacturer in writing by certified mail, that you plan to file a lemon law case against them regarding the vehicle.

At this point the manufacturer has one more attempt to repair the vehicle and must notify the consumer immediately of a reasonably accessible repair facility. After the vehicle is delivered to the repair facility the manufacturer has ten (10) working days to repair the defect or nonconformity. If the manufacturer does not respond to the written notice or is unable to repair the car within the ten (10) days then you can proceed to the next step, the Consumer Protection Division.

If you are unsatisfied with either the response from the manufacturer, or lack thereof, or the attempts at fixing the defect, you must submit a complaint form to the Consumer Protection Division with all of your documentation attached and mail it to:

Consumer Protection Division

P.O. Box 22947

Jackson, MS 39225

(601) 359-4230

(800) 281-4418

The Consumer Protection Division will investigate your claim and may act as a mediator in resolving the dispute with the manufacturer. They will not act as your attorney so it is suggested that you consult with an attorney if you are not satisfied with the results. You must try to settle the dispute with the vehicle manufacturer’s informal dispute program before going to court.

The remedies available to the consumer are either repurchase or the vehicle or replacement. If the vehicle is repurchased then the manufacturer must pay:

  • The full vehicle purchase price of the vehicle, including any taxes, registration, certificate of title, license and other fees, and charges for accessories and their installation, delivery, servicing, repairing or improving the vehicle; and
  • All reasonably incurred collateral damages such as charges for dealer preparation, undercoating, transportation, towing, and replacement car rental costs.

From this amount is subtracted a reasonable amount ($0.20/mile) multiplied by the number of miles driven by the consumer in the repurchased vehicle.

If the vehicle is replaced, the manufacturer must replace it with a comparable vehicle which means an identical or reasonably equivalent motor vehicle. The consumer is responsible for paying a reasonable allowance ($.20/mile) to the manufacturer multiplied by the number of miles on the repurchased vehicle.

Mississippi Lemon Law

Lemon Law in Mississippi

Better Business Bureau

Mississippi’s “A Consumer Guide to Mississippi Lemon Law:”

Should you hire an attorney for a lemon law case in Mississippi?

While many consumers handle vehicles that are lemons on their own, you have the right to hire an attorney to represent you. If you choose to retain an attorney, be sure and find one who is familiar with the lemon laws in the state of Mississippi and has experience working with lemon law cases.

Here are some good questions to ask before you sign a contract with an attorney:

  • Have they handled any lemon law cases previously?
  • How many lemon law cases have they won and lost?
  • Do they require payment upfront or do they work on contingency? and
  • If they work on contingency then they only get paid if you win your case, what percentage of your settlement do they get?

If you don’t know any lawyers or any lemon law attorneys you should ask for recommendations from friends and family or, do you know any other lawyers that you could ask? If not, you can contact the Mississippi Attorney Referral Service for lawyers in your area.

Mississippi Attorney Referral Service

Pearl Driver’s License
Driver’s License Office
3851 MS-468
1 601-420-6342

Drivers License Testing Office
Department of Motor Vehicles
36 J M Tatum Industrial Dr
1 601-582-4744

Department of Public Service Headquarters
Department of Motor Vehicles
1900 E Woodrow Wilson Ave
1 601-987-1281

Drivers License Bureau
Driver’s License Office
130 N 12th Ave
1 601-425-3802

Mississippi Drivers License Station – Walnut Grove
Driver’s License Office
108 Park St
1 601-253-0487

DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles
16741 MS-67
1 228-396-7400

Jackson County DMV
Department of Motor Vehicles
7886 MS-57
1 228-818-8340

Mississippi Motor Vehicle Commission
Department of Motor Vehicles
1755 Lelia Dr #200
1 601-987-3995
Open until 5:00 PM

Mississippi DMV
Driver’s License Office
35 J M Tatum Industrial Dr
1 601-582-3814

Drivers License Bureau
License Bureau
1280 E Lee Blvd
1 662-323-5316

Drivers License Testing
Department of Motor Vehicles
101 Center Ridge Rd
1 662-236-2066

Drivers License Bureau
Department of Motor Vehicles
589 Coley Rd
1 662-844-2408

Columbus DPS Driver’s License Office
License Bureau
17 Airline Rd
1 662-327-1833

Jackson Drivers License
Driver’s License Office
1101 Metrocenter #1
1 601-352-6928

Drivers License Bureau
Department of Motor Vehicles
1103 Bratton Rd
1 662-534-8619

Driver License Office
Department of Motor Vehicles
708 S Laurel St
1 601-684-2567

Commercial Drivers License
Department of Motor Vehicles
3935 US-82
1 662-332-4734

Mississippi Highway Patrol
Driver’s License Office
523 Old Hwy 15
1 601-683-2576

Brookhave DMV Office
Driver’s License Office
160 U.S. 84
1 601-833-0808

Drivers License Examining
Department of Motor Vehicles
236 Sharkey Ave
1 662-624-2650

Department Of Motor Vehicles-Driver License
Driver’s License Office
917 Goodyear Blvd
1 601-799-1428

Desoto County Driver License
Department of Motor Vehicles
159 Lisense Dr
1 662-429-1353

Forest Drivers Licenses
Department of Motor Vehicles
477 W 3rd St
1 601-469-2101

Tylertown Drivers Licenses
Department of Motor Vehicles
707 Union Rd
1 601-876-4609

Grenada DPS Driver’s License
Department of Motor Vehicles
2140 S Commerce Street
1 662-226-2341

D’Iberville Drivers Licenses
Driver’s License Office
10393 Auto Mall Pkwy
1 228-392-1183

Drivers License Office
Department of Motor Vehicles
920 Chestnut St
1 601-656-6120

Lucedale DPS Driver’s License
Department of Motor Vehicles
7102 MS-198
1 601-947-6587

Mississippi Department of Public Safety – Driver’s License Office
Driver’s License Office
1301 Cypress Ave
1 662-453-4515

DPS Driver’s License Office
Driver’s License Office
6569 MS-305 #1
1 662-890-7211

Drivers License Bureau
Department of Motor Vehicles
406 N Martin Luther King Jr Dr
1 662-846-0749

Drivers License Bureau
Department of Motor Vehicles
200 Dallison Dr
1 662-728-1782

Batesville DPS Driver’s License Location
Driver’s License Office
22000A Hwy 35 N
1 662-563-8125

Jefferson County Tax Assessor
Department of Motor Vehicles
1483 Main St
1 601-786-3781

Jasper County Tax Assessor
Department of Motor Vehicles
27 E 8th Ave
1 601-764-2813

Kemper County Tax Assessor
Tax Department
100 Main Ave
1 601-743-2693

Mississippi Department of Public Safety
Department of Public Safety
910 US-11
1 601-693-1926

Hancock County Tax Assessor
Tax Collector’s Office
854 US-90 Suite C
1 228-467-1669

Neshoba County Tax Assessor / Collector
County Government Office
401 W Beacon St #105
1 601-656-4541

Desoto County Tax Collector’s Office
Department of Motor Vehicles
8525 US-51
1 662-469-8030

Marshall County Tax Collector
Local Government Office
1311 MS-309
1 662-838-5395

Mississippi Hwy Safety Patrol
Department of Motor Vehicles
201 2nd St
1 601-736-6688
Permanently closed

Bay St. Louis DPS Driver’s License
Driver’s License Office
3016 Longfellow Rd
Permanently closed

Comments 0