The department must keep and organize title-related vessel and outboard motor records, share them with government entities on request for safety/security/law-enforcement purposes, and send acknowledgments when requested.
Text of section effective on January 01, 2028 Sec. 31.0563. RECORDS. (a) For each record relating to a certificate of title submitted to the department, the department shall maintain a file that includes: (1) the hull identification number of the vessel or the serial number of the outboard motor; (2) all the information submitted with the application under Section 31.046, including the date and time the application was submitted to the department; (3) the name of each secured party to the vessel or outboard motor; and (4) the name of each person known to the department to be claiming an ownership interest in the vessel or outboard motor. (b) In addition to the information described by Subsection (a), the department shall maintain a list of all title brands known to the department and stolen-property reports relating to vessels or outboard motors made known to the department. (c) The department shall maintain the information described in this section in a manner that is searchable by hull identification number of the vessel, the motor number, the vessel number, and the name of the owner of record. The department may maintain the information described in this section in a manner that is searchable by other methods. (d) The department shall provide to federal, state, and local governmental entities the information described by this section, on request of the governmental entities and for the purposes of safety, security, or law enforcement. (e) The department shall retain the evidence used to establish the accuracy of the information in its files relating to the ownership of a vessel or outboard motor and the information on the certificate of title in accordance with the record retention schedule established under the department's records management program. (f) The department shall retain in its files all information regarding a security interest in a vessel or outboard motor for at least 10 years after the department receives a termination statement regarding the security interest. The information must be accessible by the hull identification number of the vessel or serial number of the outboard motor and any other methods provided by the department. (g) If a person submits a record to the department, or submits information that is accepted by the department, and requests an acknowledgment of the filing or submission, the department shall send to the person an acknowledgment showing the hull identification number of the vessel or serial number of the outboard motor to which the record or submission relates, the information in the filed record or submission, and the date and time the record was received or the submission accepted. A request described by this subsection must contain the hull identification number of the vessel and serial number of the outboard motor and be delivered by means authorized by the department. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 185 (S.B. 1267), Sec. 21, eff. January 1, 2028.