Sec. 80130a.

(1) Except as provided in this section and section 80130c, personal information in a record maintained under this part shall not be disclosed, unless the person requesting the information furnishes proof of identity considered satisfactory to the secretary of state and certifies that the personal information requested will be used for a permissible purpose identified in this section or in section 80130c. Notwithstanding this section, highly restricted personal information shall be used and disclosed only as expressly permitted by law.

(2) Personal information in a record maintained under this act shall be disclosed by the secretary of state if required to carry out the purposes of a specified federal law. As used in this section, “specified federal law” means the automobile information disclosure act, Public Law 85-506, 15 U.S.C. 1231 to 1232 and 1233, the former motor vehicle information and cost savings act, Public Law 92-513, the former national traffic and motor vehicle safety act of 1966, Public Law 89-563, the anti-car theft act of 1992, Public Law 102-519, 106 Stat. 3384, the clean air act, chapter 360, 69 Stat. 322, 42 U.S.C. 7401 to 7431, 7470 to 7479, 7491 to 7492, 7501 to 7509a, 7511 to 7515, 7521 to 7525, 7541 to 7545, 7547 to 7550, 7552 to 7554, 7571 to 7574, 7581 to 7590, 7601 to 7612, 7614 to 7617, 7619 to 7622, 7624 to 7627, 7641 to 7642, 7651 to 7651o, 7661 to 7661f, and 7671 to 7671q, and all federal regulations promulgated to implement these federal laws.

(3) Personal information in a record maintained under this act may be disclosed to any person by the secretary of state as follows:

(a) For use by any government agency, including any court or law enforcement agency, in carrying out its functions, or any private person or entity acting on behalf of a government agency in carrying out its functions.

(b) For use in connection with matters of watercraft and operator safety or watercraft theft; watercraft emissions; watercraft product alterations, recalls, or advisories; performance monitoring of watercraft; watercraft research activities including survey research; and the removal of nonowner records from the original records of watercraft manufacturers.

(c) For use in the normal course of business by a business or its agents, employees, or contractors to verify the accuracy of personal information submitted by an individual to the business or its agents, employees, or contractors, and if the information as submitted is not correct or is no longer correct, to obtain the correct information, but only for the purposes of preventing fraud, by pursuing legal remedies against, or recovering on a debt or security interest against, the individual.

(d) For use in connection with any civil, criminal, administrative, or arbitral proceeding in any court or government agency or before any self-regulatory body, including the service of process, investigation in anticipation of litigation, and the execution or enforcement of judgments and orders, or pursuant to an order of any court, administrative agency, or self-regulatory body.

(e) For use in legitimate research activities and in preparing statistical reports for commercial, scholarly, or academic purposes by a bona fide research organization, so long as the personal information is not published, redisclosed, or used to contact individuals.

(f) For use by any insurer, self-insurer, or insurance support organization, or its agents, employees, or contractors, in connection with claims investigation activities, antifraud activities, rating, or underwriting.

(g) For use in providing notice to the owner of an abandoned, towed, or impounded watercraft.

(h) For use by any licensed private security guard agency or alarm system contractor licensed under the private security guard act of 1968, 1968 PA 330, MCL 338.1051 to 338.1085, or a private detective or private investigator licensed under the private detective license act of 1965, 1965 PA 285, MCL 338.821 to 338.851, for any purpose permitted under this section.

(i) For use by a news medium in the preparation and dissemination of a report related in part or in whole to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety. “News medium” includes a newspaper, a magazine or periodical published at regular intervals, a news service, a broadcast network, a television station, a radio station, a cablecaster, or an entity employed by any of the foregoing.

(j) For any use by an individual requesting information pertaining to himself or herself or requesting in writing that the secretary of state provide information pertaining to himself or herself to the individual's designee. A request for disclosure to a designee, however, may be submitted only by the individual.

History: Add. 1997, Act 102, Imd. Eff. Aug. 7, 1997 ;-- Am. 2000, Act 194, Eff. Jan. 1, 2001 Popular Name: Act 451Popular Name: Marine Safety ActPopular Name: NREPA