TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Auto Data Direct announced plans Thursday to begin providing a free vehicle reporting option to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System for the auto recycling and insurance industries.

Executives believe ADD is the first to offer a free reporting option that can allow users to satisfy federal reporting requirements by uploading junk, salvage and total loss vehicle data to the national database. ADD maintains it's also one of three approved data consolidators.

The company stressed the NMVTIS database is designed to protect consumers by creating a single source for vehicle title and brand data to be stored, shared and retrieved. ADD went on to mention that while the program is more than a year old, database administrators indicate that across the junk, salvage and insurance industries, only 7,800 entities have registered with NMVTIS. Furthermore, of those, the company said less than half are actively reporting.

Executives reminded the industry about federal rules that went into effect in March 2009. The guidelines stipulate that all businesses that handle junk, salvage and total-loss vehicles are to report them to the national database through a data consolidator. Also, the rules provide for a civil penalty of up to $1,000 fine for each reporting violation.

ADD said that, to date, more than 16 million vehicle reports have been submitted. The company mentioned NMVTIS information is available to consumers as a part of a NMVTIS Vehicle History Report that contains state titling information, odometer readings and state "brand" information such as flood or rebuilt in addition to the junk, salvage and insurance reports.

"ADD's goal is to increase NMVTIS compliance by providing a simple no-cost reporting method for the more than 20,000 regulated businesses required to submit junk, salvage and total loss vehicle data," explained Jim Taylor, president of ADD.

"What we're trying to do is help every affected company, large and small, provide data to this valuable vehicle information system," Taylor continued.

"With a free option available, there's no reason not to report," he added.

ADD highlighted that its new basic service accounts can provide Web-based individual VIN reporting with confirmation receipts sent via e-mail. The company said it has rebranded its current accounts to full service accounts. It made the change in order to continue to offer advanced business tools such as batch upload and business-to-business connections to expedite reporting as well as full report archives and management system compatibility.