Truth in Mileage Act of 1986
Public Law 99-579 · S. 475 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Oct 28, 1986 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Sen. James Exon (D-NE)
Cosponsors (6): Sen. Wendell Ford, Sen. Donald Riegle,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Truth in Mileage Act of 1986 - Amends the Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act to prohibit the licensing of motor vehicles when the ownership is leased or transferred unless: (1) the application for a new certificate of title is accompanied by the prior owner's title; and (2) the new certificate of title is printed in a specified manner indicating the odometer mileage.
Authorizes States to submit alternative mileage disclosure requirements for the approval of the Secretary of Transportation.
Provides that auction companies selling motor vehicles must maintain records showing: (1) the name of the most recent owner; (2) the vehicle identification number; and (3) the odometer reading on the date the auction company took possession of the vehicle.
Requires such mileage information to be disclosed by the lessee to the lessor of a leased motor vehicle when the lessor transfers ownership of the vehicle.
Increases the civil penalty for violations of the odometer requirements from $1,000 to $2,000, and increases the criminal penalty for such violations from one to three years maximum imprisonment.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Energy and Commerce Committee · House · discharged from, referred toSubcommittee: Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Oct 28, 1986Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-579.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 17, 1986PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Oct 8, 1986Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
- Oct 6, 1986FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Called up by House by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Dec 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Dec 16, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Dec 13, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- May 14, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Apr 18, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Feb 19, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.