The Expert Podcast

We hear a lot from our customers that they're having trouble getting good answers from their local DMV. A lot of times, we hear that they called the DMV or went in person to the DMV, and they were told something they could do—"Hey, if you do this, you'll be able to get a title." They follow those instructions, but when they go back, they find out that it didn’t work, and now they have to do something else.

Why is that? Is the DMV trying to mislead you? Well, not really. It’s just that sometimes, for more difficult or complex title issues, the DMV employee you spoke to initially may not know the right answer. A lot of times, DMV employees are not necessarily trained on all the possible scenarios, so they might just give a guess or say something they think is correct. Then, when you come back, they look it up and realize it was wrong.

We deal with the DMV 80 to 90 times per day, and a lot of what they tell you is incorrect. Again, it's not intentionally misleading—it’s just vague or incomplete information.

It gets worse. There are DMV offices that have actually been shut down due to non-compliance. Sometimes, these offices operate so poorly that the main DMV office has to step in and close them down. This happened in Texas, where a county office was shut down for non-compliance and had to undergo training to correct their practices. And it’s not a one-time event—it’s an ongoing trend of violating rules and statutes.

So, don’t be surprised if you go to the DMV and receive incorrect information. You might not want to take what they say at face value. Instead, get it in writing. If they tell you that you can do something, ask them to provide it in writing. That way, if you go back later and they tell you something different, you can say, “No, I have it right here.”

Another option is to look up the statute yourself to understand the rules or get third-party verification of the procedure needed to obtain a vehicle title. This can prevent you from ending up with a car that you can’t get a title for.

If you found this video helpful, be sure to check out other videos on our channel. We may have more information that can help you resolve your particular situation.