Free Solutions for Obtaining a Duplicate Vehicle TitleIn every case where there’s a vehicle that you don’t have the title for in your hand, this is the document you’re trying to get right. You want to have this in your name on your vehicle.
Do-It-Yourself Title ReplacementThere’s always a do-it-yourself solution to that process. Anything that can legally get you a title, you can do yourself. You don’t need to pay an outside company, you don’t pay a title agent. There are forms available from every state DMV, and you may have to go to a different state before you pay any fees for a car title.
Clarifying Fees and PaymentsFirst, ask who actually are you paying. Are you paying the DMV? That’s legitimate. They may have a fee to give you one of these documents; it might be 20, 30 bucks. But if you’re paying a third-party title agent, what are you paying for? Why do you have to pay them? They’re not a government agency. They’re doing something you can do yourself that maybe you haven’t discovered how to do yet. That’s what these videos are about.
Exploring AlternativesYou can find these solutions online. You can call your DMV. You can call even places like the local courthouse; they may have a court-ordered solution. You can get a bonded title. Title agents are only doing something you can do yourself. Now if you want to pay somebody to do that, that’s fine. There are places that might charge thirty or forty dollars for the convenience of doing something you can do yourself.
Empowering YourselfBut to pay hundreds of dollars for a service just because you don’t have that knowledge, it’s simply a matter of doing some research or going to our website cartitles.com. You can ask a question; we can walk you through the process of how to get a title yourself using existing DMV processes where you don’t have to pay a third party.
Government Issued Titles OnlyRemember, car titles are only issued by government DMV offices. Nobody can print the car title; no third-party agent can create a title for you. The only legal documents come from the government, and that’s something you can do yourself.
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Beware of Car Title ScamsHow do you avoid car title scams that might affect the legal title to your car or even losing money? This is Dave at Consumers Title Org. There are thousands of people who have vehicles that they’ve acquired legally that you bought maybe on Craigslist, but you don’t have one of these. You don’t have a legal government-issued title, and there are companies out there that will charge you money claiming to get one.
DIY Methods for Obtaining TitlesRemember every single method to get a title for a vehicle, you can do yourself. You don’t have to pay somebody to do. There are legal government documents you can fill out, there’s processes you can use, but there are scams out there that charge you money to do it. There’s been dozens of companies and then put out a business. There was AI TS, there was Broadway, a bunch of other companies, and were shut down. There was lien solutions out of Indianapolis, were shut down by the US Secret Service.
Avoid Mechanic’s Liens MisuseThese are companies that will take your money to do something that you could do if it could be done legally. You can do it yourself, and they’ll either not do it or though using a legal method to do it. Things like mechanic’s liens, mechanic’s liens is a process that allows a licensed body shop or garage to get a title for them to sell off a car that somebody abandoned on their lot. It’s not designed to get a title for a specific person. They have to auction it off and go through a process, but some companies use mechanic’s liens to get people titles who already have the car.
Risks of Registration TitleSometimes it’s required you have to transfer your car to this company and then they put in their name and then transfer it back to you. There’s other companies that use a registration title meaning that they don’t actually get you a title, they get you a registration for the car that then you have to go transfer into a title if your state allows it. Remember these companies may be fly-by-night. Make sure they have an address, make sure they have a license.
Verify LegitimacyThese types of legal government services require licensing in almost every state. Get their license number right. Remember they have your personal information, they have your driver’s license, they have your credit card information, they have your VIN number of your car, sometimes even get a power of attorney from you to authorize them to sign documents on your behalf. Make sure they’re not fly-by-night.
Avoid Fake TitlesIn some cases, there have been issues of a fake title being printed where these companies will create a title that’s not real. It’s just a printed up fake version that gets caught by the DMV. So avoid these scams. In most cases, you can do these things yourself. You don’t need a title agent to do it. You can do it yourself. If you have questions about how to do these things, go to our website Consumers Title Org, ask a question, and we can walk you through the process for your specific scenario.
Here are the instructions for getting a replacement vehicle title in the state of California.
Accessing the FormCalifornia is a true DMV state, which means their Department of Motor Vehicles is not part of another entity within the state. They have a form that you can access online.
Filling Out the FormYou can find the link on our website or through the video link. It’s a document that needs to be filled out by the current legal title donor.
Notarization RequirementSo, it’s a true duplicate if you’re the title owner and you lost your document. If you have moved and you want them to send the address and the title to a different address, you have to appear in person at a California DMV. You can’t do it by mail.
Verification ProcessIf it’s the same address, you can do it by mail. It does need to be notarized. There’s a place at the bottom which requires a notary verification of your signature.
Reason for NotarizationThe reason why is they don’t want to be sending the title, the legal document of your vehicle, to the wrong person. They want to make sure that you actually signed it. It’s for your protection.
Electronic Title OptionCalifornia is also an electronic title state, meaning that your vehicle may have had a prior electronic title. You didn’t have a paper title. This form will allow you to get a paper title if you need it for some other reason.
Submitting the FormSo fill out this form. You can go in person to a DMV if you’d rather do it by mail. And if you’re at the same address that you were when the title was issued, you can send it in, and pretty soon you’ll have this title document mailed to you at your address.
Arranging a Lost Title Replacement in AlabamaIn Alabama, the Department of Revenue handles all vehicle titling. They have a division, the motor vehicle division, within the Department of Revenue. It’s essential to note that they do this as a revenue-generating option. If you’ve lost your title or need to get a registration, they use that money for generating revenue for the state.
Accessing the FormThey have a form available for download online from their website. You can also obtain the link from our website at cartitles.com.
Tracking Title StatusOnce you send in this form, you can track the status of your title online with the Alabama Department of Revenue. It’s one of the very few states that allow you to track the progress of your title being issued.
Receiving the TitleOnce it’s done, the title will be printed out. It’s going to look something like this. They’ll mail it directly to your house, and you’ll have the legal title document for your vehicle.
Did you lose a title for a vehicle that was not yet in your name?
Contact the Seller FirstIf the title was lost or misplaced, the first thing to do is, do you still have access to that seller? That’s your first thing. More importantly, is that seller the actual title donor? If they are the ones who are the legal title owner, it’s very simple.
Seller Can Obtain DuplicateThey can go down to DMV, get a duplicate, and then sign over to you again like they did before. Now, the process sounds simple. Getting that person to actually go to DMV and do it, that’s another story.
What If the Seller Isn’t Available?If the prior owner is not available or if the seller wasn’t the legal title owner, now it’s a bigger problem.
Look for Other RecordsYou need to look for what other records you have – a bill of sale, registration – and look for what legal process you can do to get the title in your name.
Special Case: Vermont ProcessIn most cases, you need that legal title document to get a title. However, there’s a process in the state of Vermont if the vehicle meets certain qualifications where they will issue you a title based on just having a bill of sale. And it does not have to be from the legal title owner.
Straightforward ProcessThe car doesn’t have to be in Vermont. It doesn’t have to ever been titled in Vermont. You don’t have to be in Vermont. It’s a very straightforward process.
DIY SolutionYou can do it yourself. You don’t have to pay anybody or hire anybody to do yourself process. And it’s a document you can download from our website at cartitles.com.
Additional AssistanceYou can also ask questions about particular title problems at our website consumers title org. If you have a tricky title problem you need some free assistance with, we can give you some advice.
Start with the DMVThe main thing is start with the DMV. You might have to be persistent, but they can give you some answers. But if they can’t help you, contact our website.
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