The Expert Podcast

So, how can you get rid of your car if you don't have a title? Many times, a person is looking to sell their vehicle, trade it in, maybe put it on Craigslist or Facebook, and they don't have their title document. The title document is a paper certificate that goes along with the vehicle. It shows the vehicle's identity, including the VIN number, year, make, and model, and it lists who the owner is. When you sell a vehicle, you're supposed to give that title to the next owner and sign it to show that you actually transferred it.

If you don't have the title, it's going to be very difficult to sell that vehicle. It'll be impossible to trade it in because dealerships don't take vehicles without a title. So, what do you do? First, you need to determine if that vehicle title record is already in your name. If this is a vehicle that is titled in your name, registered in your name, and you simply lost your title certificate, it's a simple process of requesting a duplicate title certificate or lost title certificate from the governing body. Titles are issued by a state-level agency.

It's not a federal government document like a passport or some other federal-level document. Most states issue titles from an agency called the Department of Motor Vehicles, Departmental Licensing, or Department of Transportation. Every state has a different name, but you all know what it is—it's the place where you get your driver's license and license plates. If you had a title or at least the record is listed with your name on it, you can simply apply to that agency to get a replacement title certificate. They’ll print out a paper document, which is a legal certificate, and then you can use that to transfer the vehicle.

Now, what happens if it's more complicated than that? What if the last title was not in your name? Or what if it was in your name but in a different state? Maybe you've moved, and the state where you live now is not where that title record is. Suppose you lived in California, had a title to your vehicle in your name, and then moved to Montana but never switched it over to Montana. If you lost that title, you can't go to the Montana Department of Motor Vehicles and ask them to give you a title because they have no record of you owning that vehicle. What you're going to have to do is go back to the California DMV. You can do it by mail; you don’t have to drive back to California. They can issue a replacement and mail it to you in Montana.

There are forms for all these things. You have to fill out some forms, get them notarized, and send them in. Every state has a fee for doing this—most states charge between $5, $10, or $15, though some states are a little more. You also have to plan for the amount of time it will take. If you're looking to urgently sell your vehicle, this may take a few weeks depending on the backlog at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Now, what if the vehicle is not in your name? Let's say you bought the vehicle and never transferred the old title into your name. That's a little more tricky because you're not eligible to apply for a duplicate replacement title since you're not the legal owner, as far as the records show. In this case, you have to find a way to generate new ownership proof in your name. Most states allow you to do this using what's called a surety bond or bonded title. You provide evidence of why you believe you're the owner. If the name on the title record is "John Smith" and you're not John Smith, how is the DMV going to know you own the vehicle? You're asking them not only to give you a title but also to take away the title ownership from the last owner.

This is why it's a challenging process. Giving you a title might be easy, but taking it away from somebody else in the process is the bigger problem. You know you're the rightful owner, but the DMV doesn’t. They have to take your word for it, and that's where the surety bond process comes in. You can put comments below if you have questions about how to do this.

What if it's more complicated than that, or if your state doesn't allow surety bonds? Thirty-two of the 50 U.S. states have a version of a surety bond title process, but the other states don’t. Even in states that do, sometimes you run into problems with surety bonds. In that case, you can pursue what's called a court-ordered title. You use the court system to declare yourself the owner of the vehicle by court order, and then that court order is delivered to the DMV to issue a title.

Hopefully, the reason you're watching this video is because you're asking the question, "How do I sell my car if I don't have a title?" If the answer is that you just lost it and it was in your name, the process is relatively easy—well, easier. You still have to deal with the DMV and wait a few weeks to get paperwork done, but it’s simpler than other options. If you can do a bonded title, that's not too bad either. However, if you have to pursue a court-ordered title, we've seen cases take eight, nine, or even ten months for the court to process the paperwork.

Try to find that title if you had it and lost it. Go back and trace your steps to see where it might be. If you purchased the vehicle from another person and the title was in their name, try reaching out to them to see if they can get a duplicate title. This would be much easier than you jumping through hoops. Sometimes it’s hard to get someone else to do this because they’ve already sold the vehicle, have your money, and might not want to deal with the DMV. Still, it’s worth asking.

Leave us your comments below and let us know what you think. That’s the answer to the question: Can you sell a car without a title?