If you’re thinking about buying a kit car or an assembled vehicle, you’ll want to learn how to title it as well. Understanding the process of titling a kit car or an assembled vehicle is important before you commit to building a new ride. The laws for titling these vehicles vary from state to state and there may be special processes that need to be followed. Knowing about these processes will help you to complete the steps needed and avoid any potential delays.
Before registering your vehicle, however, it is important to know whether your vehicle is considered a kit car or an assembled vehicle as this will determine what documents are needed for registration.
A kit car is built by the owner or someone else. Kit cars are replicas of certain models of vehicles and are made in small numbers. The pieces are usually shipped to the buyer who assembles the vehicle or they can be purchased pre-assembled from the manufacturer. Vehicles that are made from kits, whether they are assembled by the owner or not, must be titled as a kit car or replica car.
An assembled vehicle is made when someone takes two or more separate vehicles and combines them into one using parts from each vehicle. Assembled vehicles also include rebuilt salvage vehicles where parts from other vehicles have been used to repair the original damaged vehicle after an accident.
The most important factor to consider when titling an assembled vehicle or a kit car is the VIN. Having a VIN is a prerequisite to getting a title. Before you apply for title and registration, you must have a VIN.
If the VIN is on one of the major components of the assembled vehicle such as the body or frame, you can use that VIN for your vehicle as long as it’s not logged in the NMVTIS database as junk or nonrepairable. If you don’t have the VIN from the body and frame or you have a kit car, you will have to apply for a new VIN from the DMV.
When you apply for a new VIN, this automatically triggers an inspection of your vehicle. Each state has specific requirements for kit cars and assembled vehicles. If your vehicle meets any of the general criteria, your vehicle may be denied a new VIN.
Kit cars are different from the conventional vehicles you drive every day. They are not regulated by the same standards as normal vehicles and have specific emission requirements. If you are rebuilding a kit car that is a replica, you only need to meet the safety and emissions standards of that model year. For example, if you purchase a 1956 ford model car kit, you only have to abide by the safety and emissions standards of that model year.
If your kit car is not similar to an existing vehicle model, then it needs to be inspected for emissions compliance at an approved smog check station after it is assembled and registered by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
If you are looking to get a kit car titled or even an assembled vehicle titled, the best advice is to do your research. Before you take any action, make sure to get your vehicle plans approved by your local DMV. Whether you bought the car from someone, built it yourself, or rebuilt it, if it’s your car, you deserve a title.
CarTitles.com takes the hassle out of applying for a title for your vehicle. Our team of title experts can help prepare your paperwork for any title recovery method provided.
Want to discuss your complex title problem with a car title expert? Schedule a private, no-obligation consultation with a title expert through TelaClient.com.
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Buying a used car is an excellent way to get a great vehicle at a fraction of the price you’d pay for a brand-new model. When you buy from a dealership, they are responsible for getting you your title. However, when you buy from a private seller, some of that responsibility falls on you.
The vehicle title is the most important document in a vehicle transaction, but it’s also frequently overlooked. Before jumping into the private seller online market, be sure that you’re clear on your responsibilities in obtaining your title and what red flags to look out for.
The only title that is valid is the original certificate of title. The seller cannot provide a copy of the current title or a prior title with a former owner on it. If the seller cannot produce the title and refuses to get a duplicate title, this is a major red flag. This could indicate that the seller doesn’t have the title, there are title problems, or that the vehicle isn’t actually theirs to sell.
Always make sure that you have the valid original certificate of title in your hands at the time of purchase. If you pay the seller without getting the title signed over to you, your money is 100% vulnerable to being lost. Without the title signed over to you, you are not considered the legal owner. Until that title is in your name, you have no legal claims to the vehicle, you’ve just spent a few hundred or thousand dollars. If that vehicle ends up having a VIN problem or a title problem, you could be out of that money because those vehicles typically don’t end up back on the road.
If there’s no title, don’t continue the transaction.
Unless there is a special circumstance that you are aware of and have documentation for, such as a power of attorney, only the current owner listed on the front of the certificate of title can assign ownership to someone else. If they are not listed as the owner of the front of the title, they should not be assigning ownership of the vehicle to you. If there are two names on the title, but only one person is the seller, you must get the other owner to sign the title as well. The transfer is only considered valid if all owners sign off on the title transfer.
Request to see the seller’s photo ID before signing anything. If the photo ID doesn’t match the name on the title and there isn’t a power of attorney, this is a big red flag.
A title that has any sort of defect, whether it be physical or historical, may be ineligible to obtain a title.
Physical title defects are defects to the certificate itself. A certificate of title will be considered void if it has any stray marks, rips, tears, tape, staples, spills, coffee rings, or any other sort of alterations not made by the DMV. Even if you can clearly read the text on the title through the soda stain, it is still considered void. In this case, the seller will need to obtain a duplicate title before it can be transferred.
Historical title defects are considered title brands and liens. If the vehicle has a lien on the title, the seller cannot legally transfer it until the lienholder has been removed from the title. The lienholder’s name will be listed next to the owner’s name on the certificate of title. In this instance, the seller will need to obtain a vehicle lien release.
One of the most common historical title defects is a salvage title brand. Many vehicles look perfectly fine and normal but will have a salvage title due to prior insurance loss claims or theft. A vehicle with a salvage title brand will have SALVAGE printed at the top of the title. Most vehicles that receive a salvage title brand or other nonrepairable or junk brand are not intended to go back on the road. Salvage title vehicles can sometimes be repaired and reconstructed, but this involves a lengthy inspection process and detailed repair reports and receipts to be approved. The salvage inspection and repair process often ends up costing more than the vehicle was worth, to begin with.
Additionally, vehicles can also have back taxes associated with their VIN. In many states, if the prior owner lapsed the registration and failed to pay taxes on the vehicle, the new owner can be held 100% responsible for the back taxes before the vehicle can be titled and registered.
If the vehicle title is the most important ownership document, the VIN is the most important vehicle identifier. The VIN of a vehicle decodes to show the year, make, model, factory location, manufacturer, engine specs, trim, etc. Every vehicle has a specific VIN and no two VINs are the same. A VIN is 17 characters long and at first glance may look like a normal set of numbers that matches what shows on your new car.
However, it can be easy to misread a VIN by just glancing at it a few times. Take the VIN on the title and make sure it matches up in all places where the VIN is shown on the vehicle and on all associated documents. In addition, write down the VIN and run a VIN check through the NMVTIS before buying to make sure it matches the vehicle and to look for historical defects.
If the VIN on your title doesn’t match the VIN on the vehicle, one, you don’t own the vehicle, and two, you’ve just lost your investment in the car because now it can’t be titled and the ownership is under investigation.
If you’re planning to buy a car online from a private seller, consider these four tips when it comes time to hand over your money. Title scams are far too common, and the best way to keep yourself safe is to know the best practices for legal vehicle title transfer. Remember, until you have a title in your hand, the vehicle you bought is nothing more than an expensive lawn ornament. If it’s your car, you deserve a title in your name.
If you bought a car with a salvage title, oftentimes the first question is can you turn a salvage title into a clean title? The short answer is no, but the long answer is that there may be an option in your state to get your vehicle back on the road legally.
A clean title is a vehicle title that has no title brands, temporary or permanent, and has no other security interests outside of the vehicle owner. This means, there is no active loan or financing on the vehicle. A clean title shows the vehicle owner’s name, free of title branding.
A salvage title is a vehicle that has been damaged, wrecked, or destroyed and claimed as a total loss by an insurance company. To be considered salvage, the insurance company will deem that it is uneconomical to repair the vehicle. This means that the vehicle owner at the time of the damage or wreck did not have the vehicle repairs made and the insurance company paid out a total loss claim for the vehicle instead.
Once an insurance company pays out a total loss claim, they become the owners of the newly salvaged vehicle. Salvage vehicles are most commonly sold at insurance auctions such as Copart or IAAI. Vehicles are sold with the salvage title brand to alert the buyer of the prior claims and damages. You cannot sell a salvage title as a clean title or claim it to be a clean title.
A nonrepairable title, also known as a junk title and certificate of destruction, is similar to a salvage title and is often used interchangeably. However, a nonrepairable title is a vehicle that has been damaged, wrecked, or destroyed, claimed as a total loss by the insurance company, and has no resale value other than scrap metal or parts. This sounds similar to a salvage title, nonrepairable titles are sort of a step up in severity from salvage titles. Nonrepairable vehicles are often burned, crushed, or damaged beyond repair. These vehicles, however, can be sold for parts or scrap metal often only to certified wreckers or crushers of vehicles.
A reconstructed title, also known as a rebuilt title, is a title brand that can be applied when a salvage vehicle or nonrepairable parts are reconstructed together to create an entirely new vehicle. For example, if you had a salvage Toyota Camry, after reconstructing the vehicle with new parts, the vehicle will no longer be considered its original make/model because of the substantial changes to the vehicle. These substantial changes must be made to ensure the safety of the reconstructed vehicle.
Reconstructed vehicles are required to receive a brand new vehicle identification number (VIN) from their local DMV agency. When a vehicle is branded salvage or nonrepairable, the VIN goes into the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System as never being eligible for a title as is again. These vehicles, however, can typically be sold for parts and scrap metal depending on the type of damage.
Every state has its own laws regarding reconstructed titles and the inspection process that accompanies them. Before purchasing a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle to reconstruct, make sure that the vehicle parts are eligible for a title, it’s worth it to fix up the vehicle, and that your state allows for this process.
Looking to get a title for a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle? Visit JunkTitle.com to get started!
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Realizing that you bought a car with a lien on the title is frustrating to learn, to say the least. If the title has a lien leftover from the prior owner, why should you be stuck with it? If you bought a car with a lien on the title, don’t fret, here are some steps you can take to get a clear title in your name.
If the vehicle you bought has a lien on the title, you will be able to identify the lienholder printed on the front of the title above or below the individual owner’s name. Take note of the name of the lienholder and research their name in your state’s Secretary of State corporation database. Once you have the addresses and names of the lienholder, send by certified mail a request for lien release and a letter of non-interest.
It’s important to note that you cannot transfer a title that has an active lien on it. At this point in the title process, the prior owner is still the registered owner. If you can get their assistance in this process it will make the process more streamlined. Without the registered owner, you may have problems receiving information from the lienholder. It is illegal to contact the lienholder impersonating the registered owner to obtain a lien release.
If you can get the registered owner to obtain a lien release or letter of non-interest, they can then apply for a duplicate title in their name without the lienholder and then sign the new title over to you.
If you don’t know the prior owner or you are unable to find their information, CarTitles.com can help you find prior owner information.
First off, you should request the prior owner give you the certificate of title. When purchasing a vehicle, the vehicle certificate of title is the most important document of the process. The prior owner should obtain a lien release or letter of non-interest, then apply for a duplicate title to transfer over to you without the lien.
If you bought a car with a lien on the title, but you don’t have the prior title and can’t contact the prior owner, submit a DPPA motor vehicle records request form to your local DMV or have CarTitles.com help locate the prior owner. Not much can be done to remove the lien without the knowledge of the registered owner, the lienholder, or the original certificate of title. Before proceeding with your lien release process, you will need to attempt to contact the prior owner and pursue an alternative method of title recovery if needed.
Keep in mind that in most jurisdictions, it is illegal to sell a vehicle with a lien on the title. If the title has a lien, this means the vehicle is technically owned by the bank or lender, not the individual owner. A lien is only removed once the loan is paid back in full or released willingly by the lender. If it’s not your lien, don’t get stuck with it on your vehicle title.
Need to remove a lien? CarTitles.com makes it easy to send a request for lien release to your lienholder. Our team of title experts can help you release your lien or prepare your paperwork for any other title recovery method provided.
If you are a Wisconsin resident and don’t have sufficient evidence of ownership, a bonded title can be an effective way to get a vehicle title.
A bonded title is a brand of vehicle title that is available when the vehicle owner does not have sufficient evidence of ownership such as a signed certificate of title or prior title with their name. The vehicle owner is required to purchase a surety bond, also known as a title bond, to secure their claims to ownership. The title bond is required because, in a bonded title process, the DMV or comparable agency is essentially taking your word that you are the legal vehicle owner. The value of the bond comes into play if there is a discrepancy in ownership after the bonded title is issued.
To get started on the bonded title process in Wisconsin, make sure that your vehicle meets the above requirements and that you have obtained the necessary official documents. If your vehicle is eligible, complete the required official forms in their entirety, have them notarized, and submit them to your local Wisconsin DMV location.
After submitting, the Wisconsin DMV will look over your application and run a title search to determine the prior owner of the vehicle. If an active title record is found in the Wisconsin database, you must request the official motor vehicle records and contact the registered owner of the vehicle. If an out-of-state title record is found, the DMV will tell you the last titled state and you will have to request the motor vehicle records from that state to make contact with the registered owner. If no active title record is found, you may proceed with your bonded title application.
If no title record is found in state or out of state, the DMV will inform you of the bond value to purchase. Do not purchase a title bond until you’ve received confirmation from the DMV. Title bonds are nonrefundable. Most DMVs will calculate the value of the bond based on the value of the vehicle. While many surety bonds are valued at $10,000+, most of those bonds only cost around $100-$200 to purchase.
Once all of the above steps have been taken and the title bond has been purchased, you can then submit all of your ownership documents, official forms, and photos to the DMV to issue your bonded title.
A bonded title is a very valuable alternative method to getting a vehicle title. After receiving your bonded title, the certificate will have BONDED stamped across the top. After 5 years of having this title brand, you will be able to remove it from your title record to give your vehicle a clear title.
CarTitles.com takes the hassle out of applying for a title for your vehicle. Our team of title experts can help prepare your paperwork for your Wisconsin bonded title or any other title recovery method provided.
Looking for a quote for your title bond? Check out ProBonds.com!
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