Ok I gotta get to the bottom of this.

A lot of you guys say your state does not require a title. Some say for cars before 1980. Some say on old cars...........each state seems to have different rules.

So, what's to keep someone from stealing your car and selling it?
If you don't need a title, then the person who posseses the car would be the owner? How can that work?

Please explain to me how you guys have $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 cars in your garage and you're not nervous that tomorrow it might be someone elses car without your permission? What's to keep someone from selling your car?

Please enlighten me on how this works. What do you have to prove the car is yours? Just the registration?

Here in CA, and (WA, where I used to live), we have a title for all motor vehicles.

state farm

state farm

David,
please explain in detail.......

well state farm has my cars VIN numbers. plus they are all have full covraged so if one gets stolen well state fram cuts me a check for what they think the car is worth when they inspect for your insurance package.

its like this say i see my car at a store or somewhere in IL and i call the cops and the person says its not there well i take so many photos about 10 to 30 of the same part or the car that i have so many photos to prove that i did the work and if the person still says its his car well i know that the car and who ever is around me is going to well lets say not be to happy with me.

David
this doesn't explain it.
State Farm is an insurance company and everyone doesn't use State Farm. I don't think Sate Farm Insurance has anything to do with the vehicle title.

And I am sure everyone does not have pictures of their car and I am sure they would not have to furnish pictures to prove they own the car.

I'm a little perplexed by the notion of not having a title for a vehicle.

There has to be an explanation.

The states that do this must be losing a lot of revenue. Or they make up for it somewhere else???

thats true it is crazy here in IL they have titles, where are you living at. but that is odd i was just saying that if it was stolen state farm would pay what they think its worth, but they wont help find it. i would call your local police station and see what they say

where are you living at.
read the last line of the original post

Read this entire thread and you'll see what I mean.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=210745

old cars in RI

1980 and older in CT

wow looks like i know il never move out east. i see your point

I'm sure there is a logical explanation.

A piece of paper isn't going stop a thief. You do realize you live in a state with a very high vehicle theft rate. In most states that don't require a title they STILL require some sort of paper transaction through DMV for a sale and for registration. Also last time I checked when a vehicle is stolen the VIN is logged in a national database. It is not like you could just drive the car out of that state to another and just re-register free and clear. it doesn't work like that. That is why when you see a vehicle get recovered they usually find folks tampering with VINs. Pretty sure too that if you tried to insure a car that was stolen in another state the insurance companies have access to find out about stolen rigs too.

BTW are all your rigs registered or titled in your name?

When I lived in NY, all you had was the registration card.
That was how you transfered ownership.

On the back was a area to sign it over to the new owner. Essentially the registration card was the title to the car.

When I lived in NY, all you had was the registration card.
That was how you transfered ownership.

On the back was a area to sign it over to the new owner. Essentially the registration card was the title to the car.

:yes:
As I have mentioned before, NY state didn't even issue vehicle titles until the 1973 model year.

GA and AL don`t use titles for 1985 and older vehicles, and on 1963-85 once the chain of ownership is broken. Both still require registration and fees of vehicles. The tag receipt and bill of sale are required.

NJ issues and requires a title for EVERYTHING with wheels regardless of year of manufacture.

Alabama doesn't title 1974 and older.

GA and AL don`t use titles for 1985 and older vehicles, and on 1963-85 once the chain of ownership is broken. Both still require registration and fees of vehicles. The tag receipt and bill of sale are required.

Finally a question I can answer,New Jersey you need a title,NY you get a bill of sale for older vehicles,Missouri you get a bill of sale that gets signed/sold three times before you need to get a new one.Any vehicle stolen in this country has its vin number listed in the NCIC system ,if the vin show up anywhere it listed stolen the vehicle and/or its part are repossessed and the actor possible arrested .There are also customs checks at the borders/ports to stop stolen vehicles from leaving the country.In states that do not require a bill of sale/title ownership falls back to the last documented owner or person in possession of the last registration card.It is impossible to register a stolen vehicle unless the vin has been changed,although i have run into a few stolen vehicles with the license plates from a different vehicle of the same type,year,color.

if it was stolen state farm would pay what they think its worth,

What they think its worth & what you think its worth will probably differ by a fair sum. You may want to check with them to make sure you both agree. I thought I was ok on my 57 as I told them what I wanted for value. The person I talked to said ok but when I checked later, nothing had changed.
I just transfered an old car in Minnesota that had never had a title, only the reg card. The person at dmv at first told me that I needed a title.

Title is proof of ownership and has the same value as a Bill of Sale. I assume that some states have decided that it is more trouble than what it is worth to track ownership, so they don’t.

There are lots of assets I own that I do not have title for. I have a few thousand dollars in tools sitting in my garage. Not only do I not have title, I do not even have my original bill of sale.

If someone steals my tools or my car… I would look to State Farm to reimburse me and I would report the theft to the local police. I would probably cry a lot, but there is little else I can do.

I happen to have a title for my car, but someone could strip it and sell it for parts. You don’t need the title to do that. They could take it to a state that does not require title and sell it there.

In my opinion title to a vehicle is of little value and should be eliminated in all states. It does not stop car theft. It does not aid recovery when the car is stolen. It is my responsibility to look after my assets not the governments.

NJ issues and requires a title for EVERYTHING with wheels regardless of year of manufacture.
Same with Nevada; no title no registration. All cars and motorcycles must have a title or you cannot get plates; even if you have a moped it must have a title.

even in this backward state (new mexico) you ned a title.

Missouri you get a bill of sale that gets signed/sold three times before you need to get a new one.

Missouri has titles. I have one for my 66. Even ran a title search, to see who else owned my car.

In Pennsylvania, Like Jersey. If it has wheels it has a title, Even mobile homes in Pa. have titles. Also in Pa. when you junk a car the title has to be with it, or the junk yard may be in trouble. To junk a car in Pa. without a title, You must take it to the yard in small cut up pieces. And this is also something that you must use caution.
Then again, a lot of scrap yards are not so honest.
Due to the rising thiefts of different metals, Most junk and scrap yards want photo I.D. to complet the transaction.
Bob

Finally a question I can answer,New Jersey you need a title,NY you get a bill of sale for older vehicles,Missouri you get a bill of sale that gets signed/sold three times before you need to get a new one.Any vehicle stolen in this country has its vin number listed in the NCIC system ,if the vin show up anywhere it listed stolen the vehicle and/or its part are repossessed and the actor possible arrested .There are also customs checks at the borders/ports to stop stolen vehicles from leaving the country.In states that do not require a bill of sale/title ownership falls back to the last documented owner or person in possession of the last registration card.It is impossible to register a stolen vehicle unless the vin has been changed,although i have run into a few stolen vehicles with the license plates from a different vehicle of the same type,year,color.


i lived in Missouri for 50 years and every vehicle gets titled. i have severa missouri clients that i furnish paperwork to get a Missouri title. a MO title can be reassigned several times before new issue but it is dealer only.

I agree with Nate...

If all you need is the registration card and a Bill of Sale (I think thats what someone mentioned above), then what's stopping someone from creating a Bill of Sale, and saying YOU sold them the car??? Your word against theirs, and likely you will prevail...

Lets say you go on vacation and someone grabs the car with the registration, and sells it to someone else... In California, the seller needs to sign the title to release ownership interest, AND fill out a separate Bill Of Sale...

Do these "no title" states require the registration card be kept in the vehicle? Where someone could access them if the broke in?


In California, the title is a separate piece of paper, often locked up in safe's, safety deposit boxes, hidden away in shoe boxes, etc. Its NOT usually with the car... With out access to the Title Paper, a Bill of Sale and registration card do little good (you can apply for a "replacement" title, but not sure if it has to be the "titled" owner that applies, and it can take alot of time to get anyway)...


Sure, there are always ways around it, and people have to be deceitful, but just seems a Title offers more protection...

Having a title can be helpful in some ownership disputes - but it will not stop outright theft. I am not aware of any state that does not check vin numbers against the national database of stolen vehicles. California goes an extra step with out of state vehicles required to have a vin verification when being registered in California.

In California a replacement title is done in the owner of record name - a name change implies a sale or transfer...and that requires a title.

If you want to have real DMV fun in California try bringing in an antique car with old style serial number plates - especially if those plates were originally attached with screws, or if the serial plate is attatched to the frame but not on the body like newer cars. The CHP often gets involved in registration inspections when there are "issues" - yet they often lack info on older cars.

Thomas