A new development in automotive registration in California has paved the way for digital license plates for all vehicles.
What does a digital license plate mean? Well, you normally expect to see a license plate being a piece of metal that’s stamped and painted and put on your car. That metal plate is provided by the government agency in the state, which issues registrations normally called the department of motor vehicles or department of transportation. Well, California is now allowing for digital plates. It’s kind of like an E-reader. It’s got that E ink on it as you’d read like a tablet. It’s protected by a piece of glass that’s really strong and resists chips or breakage. It can be programmed with an app, so you can change the plate number on your vehicle.
Now originally this is designed for corporate fleets, so if you have a registration and you’re changing it from one state to another. But it also allows for different types of tracking of the vehicle. It can also be changed if the vehicle is reported stolen or if it has some type of violation against it, that may show up on the screen.
So what are your thoughts on the privacy implications of having a digital license plate? Would you put a digital license plate on your car? Some other states are also looking at this technology and the big proponent of this or the big reason for doing it is the play can display information other than a car’s license plate number. Meaning that you can put notifications about that vehicle or notifications about the cargo, maybe if it’s a commercial vehicle, or notifications about the driver if it’s in a fleet. So what are your thoughts on this and is this something that you think is going to be good in the long run or is it going to create more difficulties for registration and titling of a motor vehicle?
Want a CarTitles.com professional to do it for you?
For as little as $159 for most processes, we will save you the headache and prepare all of the car title paperwork needed to get you a new title. Simply choose the title recovery method you’d like to use and we’ll get started!
Select your title recovery method:
Order Vermont Title LoopholeOrder Deceased Owner Title TransferOrder Bonded Title ProcessOrder Abandoned Vehicle ProcessOrder Prior Owner ContactOrder Lien Release Request LetterPGlmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vYXBwLmFjdWl0eXNjaGVkdWxpbmcuY29tL3NjaGVkdWxlLnBocD9vd25lcj0xOTQ4ODEyNiZhcHBvaW50bWVudFR5cGU9MjMwNjY0MTAiIHRpdGxlPSJTY2hlZHVsZSBBcHBvaW50bWVudCIgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iODAwIiBmcmFtZUJvcmRlcj0iMCI+PC9pZnJhbWU+PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vZW1iZWQuYWN1aXR5c2NoZWR1bGluZy5jb20vanMvZW1iZWQuanMiIHR5cGU9InRleHQvamF2YXNjcmlwdCI+PC9zY3JpcHQ+
Vehicles have always increased the technology that they’ve used from manufacturers. In fact, even in the late eighties-early nineties, there were cars that talked to you and it would tell you your door’s open or your battery is low. But now technology is creating another evolution in the automotive profession and that has to do with repairs.
Many vehicles now do not need a mechanic to diagnose the vehicle. There are computers, chips, and sensors scattered all throughout the vehicle that will give a diagnosis of what might be happening with the vehicle. This is beyond just plugging into a diagnostic port that most vehicles have had for 20 years, this is very advanced technology. In fact, some of these new technologies don’t even require a mechanic to fix them, the repairs can be done with software with upgrades and downloads to a system’s computer programming.
As we get more into electric vehicles, the mechanical components will be less likely to be what’s wrong with the car. With an internal combustion engine, you’re going to find that most of the things that break are mechanical like valve trains, lifters, rods, internally lubricated parts, and transmissions. Those are the things that break a lot of times or their accessories like O two sensors or EGR valves. With EVs electric vehicles, the components that drive the vehicle, the electric motors are much more reliable. They don’t have as many violent motions inside the engine that makes it break. Internal combustion is literally what it sounds like, it’s combustion internally to that engine. There are explosions, there’s metal moving back and forth very quickly; in an electric motor it’s very smooth, and it’s not quite as violent of vibrational energy.
So what happens to the car mechanic? Will there even be auto mechanics? And is it going to be better or worse for a vehicle owner? Well, one of the things that could be worse is how long you have to wait for a repair. Without a need for constant maintenance and repairs, there may not be as much availability of replacement parts. With internal combustion engines, you’ve got to have a lot of parts laying around because you know you’re going to need them. With electric vehicles, there are not that many parts. Think about your cell phone. When was the last time your cell phone broke where somebody could actually fix it? Maybe you can replace the screen, but other than that there are not many repairs you can make to a cell phone. Usually, when your cell phone stops working, what do you do? You get a new cell phone. Is that going to be how vehicles are done in the future?
In addition to that, what about collision repair? Meaning body repair. If you get in an accident, God forbid, you bring it to a body shop collision repair shop. They pull off the dented panels, pull the frame straight, put on new panels, repaint it, and send you on your way. With electric vehicles, or even vehicles that are still gasoline but computerized if you get in an accident that damages the vehicle substantially, it may not be possible to fix that vehicle in a way that’s safe for the road. In electric vehicles, the battery is an integral component of the chassis. It’s literally the floor pan of the car, all battery. So if the cars hit and that floor pan is dead then the battery may become breached damaged. And you saw what happened to batteries that were damaged in the Florida hurricane. They caught on fire. So these vehicles may not be repairable.
You may also find the electronics and the sensors in the vehicle are worth more actually than the body. So if you crash your car, the insurance companies might look at it like well if we can recover all these electronics and these motors it might be cheaper just to total the car. Take out the motors and electronics, sell them for parts and give the person money for a new car. So this conversion to electric vehicles, electronics, and computers might actually completely change the way automotive repairs are done both on the mechanical side and the collision side.
Let us know what you think in the comments about the future of automotive repairs. And if you’re in the business, what are you seeing or already fixing for newer vehicles?
When you’ve paid off the balance of an auto loan, your bank or lender should send you one of two documents: either a certificate of title or a lien release. But what’s the difference between the two and how do they relate to one another?
Your lender, who has loaned you money to purchase a vehicle, places a lien on your title until the loan is paid off in its entirety. A lien is a claim on the property for the security of payment. When a lender loans a borrower (you) money to purchase a vehicle, they want to make sure that they are paid back plus interest. Your lender, also known as your lienholder, will remain printed on the front of your vehicle title until the loan is paid off. A lien on a vehicle title is a cloud on the title that places a hold on ownership; once it’s paid off, you can get a title for your car or you can sell it or trade it in.
A vehicle lien release is a document that officially declares that the lien on your vehicle title has been removed and you will be free to take action with your vehicle. This document removes any restrictions on what you can do with your car. A person is typically eligible for a vehicle lien release when the loan on the vehicle has been paid back to the lender.
The vehicle title, also known as the certificate of title, is a legal document issued by the department of motor vehicles in your state that assigns ownership over a particular vehicle. In addition to serving as proof of ownership, the vehicle title may also be used to transfer ownership of a car.
No, the lien release and certificate of title are two different documents. While they both state the official owners of the vehicle, the lien release is needed to remove the lienholder from the title. Until the lienholder is removed by providing a lien release to the DMV, they will remain as a security interest on the title.
Some states, known as title-holding states, require your lienholder to retain your certificate of title until the lien is satisfied. Once the lien is satisfied, the lienholder should not only send a lien release, but also the certificate of title that was retained. Both of these items will be used to transfer the title out of the lienholder’s name.
Non-title-holding states will send the vehicle title with both the owner’s name and the lienholder’s name to hold onto until the loan is paid off. A lien release is still required in this case to remove the lienholder’s name, even though the title resides with the owner.
All in all, a lien release is not the same document as a certificate of title. The lien release document is what is needed to clear the lienholder from the title and transfer it to a clear title in your name once the lien is satisfied.
If you are a New Mexico resident, a bonded title can be an effective way to recover your vehicle title if you don’t have sufficient evidence of ownership.
A bonded title is a type of title recovery method that requires the purchase of a surety bond, also known as a vehicle title bond, to secure the ownership of the vehicle. This is because, in order to receive a bonded title, you must have a major lack of proper documentation. The DMV in your state is essentially taking your word that you are the owner of the vehicle. The vehicle title bond provides security for the DMV to assign ownership in the event that there is an ownership discrepancy after the bonded title is issued.
Before beginning your bonded title process, make sure that your vehicle meets the eligibility for a bonded title.
If your vehicle meets the eligibility requirements of a New Mexico bonded title, begin the application process by having your vehicle inspected.
Inspection
The bonded title process requires that all vehicles are inspected prior to the title being issued. To schedule your inspection, contact a Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) Certified VIN Inspector to conduct the inspection. Once your inspection is complete, the MVD Inspector who inspected the vehicle will complete the Affidavit of VIN (MVD-10861).
NCIC Clearance
Obtain the NCIC Clearance form (MVD-10468) and have a law enforcement officer complete it and return it to you. Keep a copy of this completed form for your records. This form indicates that the vehicle described is not listed as stolen prior to the completion of the title process.
Odometer Mileage Statement
The transferor (seller) of the vehicle must state the odometer mileage upon transfer of ownership. Complete the Odometer Disclosure Statement (MVD-10187) and if the seller did not provide the mileage, select the third box on the form (NM).
Request for VIN Verification
Submit a request for VIN or HULL verification using form MVD-10705. If your vehicle was last titled outside of New Mexico, be sure to indicate this on the form. Mail this document via USPS-certified mail and keep the receipt for future DMV use.
Title bond
Once your vehicle has been inspected and approved move on to the next step to purchase your bond. This value is typically based on the book value of the vehicle. New Mexico bonds are required to be 2x the value of the vehicle, however, that doesn’t mean it costs that much to purchase. Most title bonds cost around $100-$150 for average-value vehicles.
Once you’ve completed the official documents, passed inspections, and obtained your title bond, submit all of your documents and any state title fees to the DMV in your county. They will process your application and return to you a bonded title in your name.
After 3 years of having BONDED stamped on your vehicle title, the bonded title brand will dissipate and you will have a clean New Mexico title in your name.
A VIN (vehicle identification number) is a specific 17-character string of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies a specific vehicle. Every car has its own VIN, no two cars are exactly alike. But what exactly does the VIN reveal? Is it possible to find out the identity of a car’s owner by looking at its VIN?
Each VIN is like a unique fingerprint that can be used to trace the history of a vehicle through its life. The VIN contains all sorts of information about the vehicle, including what country it was made in, what type of engine it has and even it’s color.
The first three characters of your VIN will tell you where the vehicle is from and where it was manufactured. The next five digits describe the vehicle, the engine, the transmission, and other technical features. The next three digits contain the vehicle’s security digit, model year, and assembly plant location. Finally, the last six digits are your vehicle’s serial number and identify your specific vehicle trim level and other specifications.
No, the VIN does not reveal the owner of the vehicle. The name and information regarding the owners of a vehicle are protected by the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) of 1994. Under this act, the DMV agency in each state heavily safeguards driver information. In some cases, depending on the VIN decoding program, it may tell you the state in which the vehicle was last titled, but not the owner’s name.
Since vehicle ownership information is not public, there is an official process you must undertake to request this information. Each state has its own method to request DPPA-protected information. To find the owner of a vehicle, you must request this information directly from the DMV agency and have a legitimate reason for doing so.
The DMV won’t just give out information when it’s requested, you must have a legal or comparable purpose for requesting this information. Oftentimes, the DMV will not provide DPPA-protected information to private individuals, instead there typically must be a third-party involved that will handle the sensitive records.
In short, the VIN provides a full history of the manufacturing and titling of the vehicle but does not reveal the ownership. If you are needing to request the vehicle ownership records, submit a DPPA request to your state DMV agency along with the VIN. Remember, to request this type of sensitive information, you must have a valid reason for doing so. Before proceeding, make sure you’re following all applicable state and federal privacy laws.
Tell us about your vehicle and we'll direct you to a title recovery method that matches your scenario.
"*" indicates required fields
