Senate committee hears bill to align Alaska vehicle titling with federal 25‑year import exemption

Senate Transportation Committee Chair Senator Bjorkman heard testimony on Senate Bill 239, a narrowly focused statutory change to vehicle titling intended to align Alaska practice with the federal ‘‘25 years or older’’ exemption for legally imported vehicles.

Heath Hilliard, staff to Senator Kathy Tilton, told the committee the problem arises from a Department of Motor Vehicles regulation that uses a fixed model‑year—1981—rather than a rolling 25‑year standard. "There's a federal motor vehicle safety standard exemption ... a vehicle that's 25 years of age or older is exempt," Hilliard said, and the current regulation's fixed date can prevent otherwise eligible vehicles from qualifying. Hilliard said the bill provides a statutory fix for 2026; he also noted the Division of Motor Vehicles is undertaking a regulatory amendment process independently but the bill would ensure the correction occurs.

Committee members asked whether the federal exemption could permit vehicles without modern safety features, including seat belts. Senator Tobin asked specifically about seat‑belt compliance; Hilliard said he could not give a specific answer because it depends on the scope of the federal safety‑standard exemption. Senator Rauscher observed that very old cars sometimes lack seat belts and that such vehicles are often used in parades, but he did not offer a legal conclusion about highway use.

The committee also sought clarity about the term "imported." Hilliard clarified that the bill targets legally imported vehicles manufactured in another country, not merely vehicles transported from the Lower 48. No formal committee action was taken on SB 239 at this hearing.