When you buy a car, the title is often registered by the dealership. The dealership has access to DMV/DOT records and the website. They can quickly type in the VIN of the vehicle, pull up the title, and transfer it into your name. As a business, they have that kind of connection to the DMV/DOT. Here are a few other ways your car title is involved in transactions and the registration processes. 

Car Title Loans

Car title loan businesses prefer it when you bring your title with you because it makes it much easier to place the lien against the title. However, these loan businesses are also able to look up your title, and then request a lien on the title prior to giving you a loan. They can request the lien online, and then print the title with the lien listed on it right from their desks. When you pay off the loan, they can lift the lien and mark it as "satisfied," but only the DMV/DOT can send a clean title back to you. It usually takes about a week before you receive your clean title in the mail. 

Duplicate Titles for Collateral or Proof

Some businesses, like banks and credit unions, will request your title for collateral. You will need to provide a duplicate title, but these businesses are able to request that as long as you can provide the VIN number for your car. Some of these businesses are able to print the duplicate titles from their desks; others have to wait for the DMV/DOT to mail the title if you are not willing or unable to retrieve the duplicate title from the DMV/DOT yourself. 

Bail Security

If you have a car and want to use it for bail bond security, you present the title of the vehicle to the bail bond agent. You have to sign off on the title attesting to the fact that you have temporarily traded the vehicle for the bail bond to release a family member or friend from jail. If and when you should get the car back, the bond agent requests a clean title for you. If the bond agent already placed the title in his/her name (which is often legal to do under these circumstances), then the bond agent has to sign off on his/her new title to your old vehicle and then help you transfer the vehicle back into your name. 

Contact a local company for more information about car title services

Share