Simple Breakdown Of Car Title Transfer Process

Often car owners are seen talking to their fellowmen about difficulties they face in taking up the car title transfer process. Experts believe the task appears to be overwhelming to those who are not aware of the knick-knacks of the process.

Possibly, all of you reading this piece of content are familiar with the fact that DMV is the department or agency that takes care of all motor vehicle registrations, their renewal, issuing titles and driver’s license and a lot more. Now the thing is, every time a car or any motor vehicle for that matter is bought or sold, vehicle title needs to be transferred from the current owner to the new owner.

It is applicable in other cases besides buying and selling where owner of the car is changing such as divorcing, gifting car to some family member or donating the vehicle for a noble cause. No matter you are the seller or buyer, previous owner or the new one, you ought to be serious towards the matter of transferring car title.

Why Vehicle Title Transfer Is Significant?

Title transfer changes the title of ownership to the person who is the new or changed owner of the car. The car may have been sold or gifted to him/her. Title transfer is also important for people who change their names after marriage or divorce.

It is important to give due importance to transfer the car title because the person whose name is there on the vehicle title is considered as the legal owner of the car. Buyers should be keen to get the title transferred in their names since till they get it in their name they would not be the legal owner of the car.

Sellers should be determined to facilitate the complete and proper transfer of car title because until they do that they can be summoned for any kind of illegal involvement of car.

Is Vehicle Title Transfer Identical Across States?

It would have been much easier if that would have been the case. But the fact of the matter is it is not so. The process of title transfer varies from state to state. For understanding the specific DMV requirements of your state, you will have to get in touch with the local agency. For doing this, the most reliable source is the official website of the state DMV. There you will find the steps and title applications both. You can either post it or can take an appointment at the local DMV office.

What Are The Documents Required For Car Title Transfer?

It takes the enlisted documents to successfully complete the transfer process of car title:

• Duly signed and notarized complete title transfer application form
• Car insurance proof
• Documents confirming the sale of car including bill of sale
• Driver’s license
• Required title transfer fees in acceptable payment form

Title Transfer Requirement When Buying A New Car

When you are buying a brand new car from a dealership, it is quite different from buying a used car from a private seller. While in the latter case, transfer formalities are to be completed by the buyer and seller together, in the former one, buyers can sit back and relax. Dealerships get the title in the name of the car buyer and send the papers on their contact address.

What Happens In Different States?

Required documents differ from state to state and change from case to case. Below given are a few examples for your understanding:

In New York, sellers are held responsible for transferring car title documents. It is the seller who is supposed to fill out the transfer of title by seller form along with a mention of the odometer reading, date and sales price.

Also, he ought to give away a statement of transaction and produce a bill of sale with particulars like year, VIN, make of the year and both signatures. Not only this vehicle history, description of repairs and accidents is also to be provided by the seller.

In North Carolina, seller is supposed to provide a bill of sale which is completed and notarized, completed title application, odometer disclosure statement, damage disclosure statement. Additionally, an eligible risk statement and proof of liability insurance are to be submitted. Depending on whether lien is there on the vehicle or not, additional requirements can be levied upon.

Title Transfer Deadline

DMV customers who fail to complete title transfer before a given date are penalized with a late fee.

If you are expecting new title to come via mail, it can take maximum of 2 weeks. It is important to take hold of all documents at the time of buying a car from a private seller. As you may have already realized it is the matter of providing a different car, buying related documents that make title transfer of car easy or tough.