The Expert Podcast

Can you get an instant title for your vehicle? Well, in some states, you can. As you know, a title is a legal government document issued only by a government agency. In most cases, that agency is called the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), or in some states, it’s called the Department of Transportation. Applying for a title is a process where you prove your ownership by having the last title from that vehicle signed over to you properly and presented to that agency so they can change their record to reflect that you are the owner and give you a new certificate with your name on it.

The title isn't just about the vehicle; it's also about the person. A title doesn’t just show the vehicle; it shows who's the owner. It's not a bearer instrument; it’s not whoever has it in their hand is the owner, it’s whoever’s listed in the records. So, if you have the right paperwork—the old title signed over and some other documents—you can go to the DMV and they’ll issue a title. Now, in most states, that may take a week or two, according to the DMV in North Carolina. Here's an example: it takes 10 to 15 days for processing, but the Division of Motor Vehicles offers expedited title servicing referred to as an instant title, in which titles are processed the same day.

Now, a couple of caveats: You have to have the right paperwork. You can’t show up with missing documents. In most states, a bill of sale is not sufficient to get a title; you need the old title. There are some ways around that, as you can see on our website, where we provide solutions if you have a title that's lost and you need to get something with just a bill of sale. But that's not what this is talking about—this is about a proper title transfer. The other thing is, you have to pay a fee—$105. That’s a little higher than a regular title, but there’s convenience. You also have to go to a certain location. There’s a list of locations here where you can go to get an instant title. Not every DMV location can issue you an instant title.

Here's why: That certificate, that legal document, is printed on special paper. It's got watermarks, it’s got scrollwork, and it looks kind of like money. It has very severe security features in that document. So those blank titles are considered equivalent to currency. They only let locations issue those if they have proper security features, like a vault where they can store them at night. They don’t want to leave all these blank titles laying on a counter somewhere or putting them in a file cabinet that somebody can get into with a crowbar. Because if you have blank titles that you can just type up and print out, you could own any car you wanted. So, a title is considered like currency, and they consider the security like that. All these locations you see on the screen have some type of security in their location to store these blank titles before they’re typed up. It may be a vault, a safe, or another type of facility.

So, if you are in a state that issues instant titles—and many states do—this happens to be about North Carolina, but many states do the same thing. You want to check the procedure first. Do you have to go to a certain location? Don’t just walk in the door anywhere and say, "Hey, I want my title," because you may not be able to get it. If you apply for a title at a location that does not issue instant titles and they take your paperwork, it’s going to be submitted to the mail, and you won’t be able to get it instantly somewhere else. Make sure you’re going to a location that does instant titles. You may have to make an appointment— not every place does this.

And when they do, you can’t just walk in the door and wait in line. You may have to make an appointment in some states. Be prepared for the fees. The fees for instant titles are usually higher. In this case, it’s $100. Now, it says there may be additional fees; sometimes you have to pay tax or registration fees. But the title fee itself is $105.75 in North Carolina. You can do this all yourself. On our website, we have all the forms, all the documents, and even instructions so you can do this yourself for free. We're a free consumer resource. You don’t have to pay anybody to get your title. If you want to pay somebody for convenience to do paperwork, you can, but titles don’t require you to pay anybody except for the government to get your title.

If you have questions about how to do this, check out our website. We have a customer service department at help@cartitles.com. You can email us, or you can call us if you want to use our website as a free consumer resource. There are over 1,000 documents you can download for free, and over 800 videos that give you instructions. You can use those for free, and if you have questions, you can contact us. The best way to do it is through our help desk email.

Instant titles are important for customers in many scenarios. If you're selling your vehicle, if you need to trade it in, if you need a title for your insurance, or if the car is impounded and the tow truck company won’t give it to you until you get your title, these are all valid reasons to get an instant title. Plus, you don’t have to wait for the mail and be at risk that it gets lost in the mail. If the title gets lost in the mail, it’s very difficult to replace. So, an instant title may be an option for your scenario. Check with your state, check with our website, and see if it applies in your situation.