Can I Sell My Car Without the Title?
What DMV rules say about selling a car if you’ve lost its original title
Selling a car is more than just exchanging cash for the keys. Relinquishing ownership of the vehicle to a new owner requires jumping through many hoops — and filling out lots of paperwork. Part of that transaction involves handing over the official title to the new owner. But what if you don’t possess a title for your car?
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What is a car title?
A vehicle title is an official document created by a state’s DMV and distributed to every brand-new car sold in that state, identifying the corresponding unit by its VIN. It affirms that the possessor of the certificate — whose name and address are printed on it — legally owns and operates the vehicle. The title is what makes you the car’s legal owner.
Why is a car title important?
You may be able to show many other forms of proof to show that you own a vehicle — receipts, service records photographs, testimonies — but ultimately the government considers the name on and possessor of a car’s title to be crucial for proving ownership.
Thus, by having that document, you can prove that the car you say is yours is actually yours. That’s why the bank’s name is on the vehicle title until you’ve paid off the loan and actually have full ownership.
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How might you lose a car title?
Many things can happen that would result in a car’s title vanishing. The most obvious reason is that you misplaced it and can’t find it. Unfortunately, that can happen if you don’t properly file the documents associated with your car.
It may have burned in a car or house fire (if you didn’t keep your crucial documents in a fire-proof safe), been stolen out of the glove box when the door was unlocked, or accidentally been torn apart.
You may not have even had possession of the title in the first place. Perhaps a family member gave you the car but didn’t give you the title with it. Or, when you paid off the loan financing for the car, you never went to the DMV to get a title printed with your name on it.
What can I do if I don’t possess my car’s title?
The good news is that it’s not impossible to have another vehicle title made. The Department of Motor Vehicles can be forgiving (within reason). Visit your local office for the rules and requirements of title replacement. Most likely, you’ll have to provide your information and the vehicle’s, and they’ll confirm that the car isn’t registered to anyone else.
That’s the best solution to this predicament since it results in you now possessing a title for the car you intend to sell, which makes the transaction easier for you and for the buyer. And if you can have the buyer meet you at the DMV to file all the paperwork for the passing of ownership together, you’ll have a far less frustrating experience.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.