Ok guys, im sure someone on here has had to have done this sometime/where. What loops do you have to go through and how can you check to make sure that before I buy it, it was not stolen or anything like that? all info is nice. I know people say never buy a car without a title.... but 3/4 of the last cars i have looked at on craigslist in reno say "bill of sale only" can you get vin checks if you write down the vin number off the car? and what other things should i worry about?? car is a 62 pontiac bonneville. If this is off topic...i understand
Well, what does Nevada want, do they use titles on cars that old, what does their DMV say about getting one? California it can be done, but you'd have to omit that it came from out of state; search the board -
Well officially i am not a resident of Nevada...i just go to school here full time at UNR. In california i know you dont NEED the title and you can get one. BUT, if the car does turn out that it has been stolen or whatnot, the car automatically goes back to its owner and you're out of luck. But is there a way to check and see if the car has been stolen or anything?
Don't know how it is there but here, they are very particular. My advice would be to speak with an authorized agent [somebody who knows the laws] at your county's DMV and treat each car you look at on a case by case basis. Sometimes it matters what state the car came from when it comes to a ' bill of sale' and always get a notary involved when you do buy. Good luck.
Have your local cop shop call the numbers into the DMV & have them check if it's stolen or has a lein against it before you buy it. If you know an officer from the state patrol they can check out a vin number very fast.
There are many non title states.....from back in those days. Georgia is one of them that I have come up against. The old stuff was a bill of sale only into the mid 60s I believe. If the car comes from one of these states, you may need to ask the DMV what they want to see.
Kentucky was the last state to enact a title law, which they did in the mid '70s. GA started issuing titles starting with '62 model year but doesn't require titles on cars 20+ years old. Alabama is also bill of sale only on the older stuff, having started titles in the late '60s. At the other extreme, you have states like Maryland which probably issued titles for oxcarts.
In NC , the DMV has a License & Theft division...If I were you, I would contact the Nevada DMV L&T division,about tracing the history. Once you've done that , then contact the DMV in the state you're gonna tag/register/operate the vehicle (since you don't live in Nevada) and find out their proceedure for an untitled/bill of sale vehicle. BTW ,Just a hint, a respectful attitude towards a DMV officer gets you a long way in the process...Let them know up-front you're interested in doing it the right way. Just my 0.02 worth Stan
i bought one in NC without a title and havn't tried to get one yet, but my uncle who is a retired highway partol man said if it is an older or antique car just write the state dmv office and explain how you got the car with a copy of the bill of sale and they will probably send you a new one with no trouble. also i'm not sure how legal it is but any car dealer and make out a lost title form and a get a new one if it is missing but they might want a fee for it.
Get the VIN &/or Licence Plate number, Call The DMV & TALK to a person, Automation will not help you. Tell them you are interested in buying a car, Pink Slip is lost & you need to know status of the Car ... Stolen ? Liens? Tickets ? .... ETC Give them the VIN &/or Tag # and they will tell you Everything oyu need to know. People make this WAY to hard for themselves. If your Sick .... Call the Doctor If your Pipes are stopped up .... Call the Plumber If your Car has no Papers ......... CALL THE DMV !!! Its pretty simple
In California you can now go online and with license plate and VIN numbers you can check if in the system and what fees have not been paid. I have done it before and it works pretty easily. I'm looking at a '56' IHC pickup today that has no title, so I can go online or go to the Auto Club to see what will be needed. Typically pretty straight forward to register with a Bill of Sale and a form that explains history of truck as far as you know. Good luck.
Not sure about NV but in MN we have to pay reg. fees. Then the state sends paperwork to Bond the title which usually cost around 150-200. Then wait 3 years for a clear title.
god i love alabama. no titles for old cars. just a bill of sale.just take the vin.#s to the cop shop and they will either tell you its clean or tell you sorry if you bought it cause its now ours.
I cannot speak for any other state other than florida but if you have a police buddy he can run the VIN on NCIC. That said if it isn't stolen it will pop an error that it is not the standard 17 alphanumeric VIN. At that point it won't tell the officer shidt. DMV will likely be your best bet.
I had a go-'round the the Virginia DMV over an altered title back in the '80's, whcih didn't turn out well. A woman I worked with about 5 years later said she was able to get a title for an abandoned car without much difficulty. I guess it all depends on which gummint worker you talk to.
Just spent the last 2 days on this very thing. I bought a car without a title I had to go to the bmv get paperwork. have a cop come out look the car over. said cop fills out this paperwork.you go back to the bmv. the woman says theres more. you get the #s off the engine transmission etc.etc. in turn you get an assembled title just like you were to build a trailer or custom bike. Well thats the way it is in the Hoosier state. after its all said and done its really not that bad. Its just gonna take some time..
Ok thanks guys i appreciate it. I am not sure if nevada is or not but that is where the car is...i bet NV was a nontitle state for a long time. Not sure tho... i know in california tho that i wuold have to get the vin checked. I know i had to on my 53 so since i went thru the hoops once i bet i could get it again
I am really gunshy now. I had a 41 Chev coupe with no title i had purchased and the DMV lady here in Idaho went batshit on me. I tried every trick in the book and ended up reselling the car before I did anything. Since then I have talked to several friends that have ran into this too, Idaho has gotten to be a real pain to get anything done title wise if its out of the ordinary at all. Definately check with the DMV first to see what it wil take.
Nevada DMV will do a free VIN check. https://www.nicb.org/theft_and_fraud_awareness/vincheck/vincheck Also information on how to check on a Title. http://www.vehiclehistory.gov/ Buying A Vehicle Title If you are buying a vehicle from a private party or receiving a vehicle as a gift, you must have a properly signed-off title to register the vehicle and transfer ownership. A Bill of Sale by itself is not acceptable. If the seller does not have a title, the owner of record will have to apply for a duplicate from the state where the vehicle was last titled. History Checks Use the Vehicle Identification Number to query the following services. There are also any number of commercial services available. NICB VIN Check for stolen and total loss vehicles - free NMVTIS Title Information from most states - small fees apply
I actually went to the dmv today to see what could be done about a '50 GMC I just got without a title. I went up there let the guy now that I had picked up a vehicle without a title, he cringed. Then I told him I had researched the process and asked for the forms I thought I needed, cringed again. So at this point I'm thinking I may be screwed. Then I brought up how cars in oregon have been titled and when they started using vins. Then he got up and said I've got a form in the back. comes back with a form to establish ownership (how I got the car and all the history I know) and a title transfer form. The best part is there is no extra fee. As far as other states give this a read, http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/How_to_title_a_hot_rod. I hope it may be able to help you.
I know all states are different on the way they handle this situation,but after years of experience,I would say don't buy the car without proper paperwork.I had a dealer screw me on a title some years ago,and Penndot would not help at all.They will not release any info on Vin's or titles if you are not the registered owner. At least nobody suggested using a "title service".I can verify that a close friend came real close to going to jail after buying a title from a Hemmings advertiser.This was from a NJ title service and the car was to be registered in Ohio.
easiest way to make sure its not stolen... write down the vin and bring it to the cop shop, they run it and can tell you if its stolen or not...
Guys, he has his answers! To the OP, 1. thanks for asking BEFORE buying! 2. You are probably looking at the low end of the food chain. That's okay, I've got a folding chair with my name sharpie'd on tape there! Just be aware of the process, know what's involved for your area and price it so you still come out okay and the seller will maybe think twice about not having their stuff together next time (i.e. get it cheap)!
Have you guy's ever been to a swap meet where a guy has tons of titles to old cars and has the vin tag from the firewall to boot?
yes. i buy them all the time. get new title for $150 adds $500 to the value. 57 example: 57 chevy truck long bed no title v8 3 speed on tree, might start $900 you say to owner NO TITLE! HMMM. will you take $700. he says yes. buy 350 tranny new gaskets $250 cut frame, buy bed sides, make it a short bed $250 gasket kit for engine, orange high-temp paint, carb cleaner, misc $300 set of used/good tires $200 get title $150 total cost $1850 another $150 for misc. equels $2000 quick sale for $4000 before anyone says BS. i live in southern oklahoma i can find these trucks all day. i have no trouble getting titles this is how i make b-day and christmas money these days. just saying this is why a vehicle without title is good for me.
get the V.I.N.#s and go to your local D.M.V.and they will run them for you. i bought this '33 willys in sept. of 2011 no title with just a state bill of sale from Conn. and had the owner have it noterized. sent it in to Harrisgurg, pa. in 6 weeks i had the tritle. everyone was afraid to buy it no title.
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