Do you have to title a car before you can sell it?

[LovingPerson]

Dear all:

I bought a 95 Prelude back two months ago. I still haven't titled it, since I don't drive it. It just sits in my car port.

I live in Maryland, but I am close to D.C. and Virginia. I have decided that I want to sell this car instead of keeping it. Therefore, it would make little sense for me to title it, pay the taxes and registration, just so I can sell it. I would like to avoid having to title it to me before selling it, if I can help it.

My question is: do I have to title it to my name before I can sell a car? Or is there some way I can sign a bill of sale to someone else? The pink slip has already been signed over to me. So, the block under the "new Owner" has my name on the original pink slip. The previous owner signed that pink slip to me.

Also, as far as making it road legal so that potential buyers can legally test drive it, I was thinking of getting a temporary registration. I have heard that these temporary tags are like transit tags. Do you think that this will work? I want to make the car road legal for buyers to test drive the car. Which state or (district, as in D.C.) is the best place to get transit tags. I want the longest possible time period for this temp tag so that I can wait for the right buyer with the right offer to buy the car.

Another idea is getting a dealer tag, but I have no idea what is involved or how much it would cost. I just know that it seems that dealers are able to take any car and put their dealer tags on there and drive any unregistered cars.

Please help. I really need it. Thx in advance.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

I live in Maryland, but I am close to D.C. and Virginia. I have decided that I want to sell this car instead of keeping it. Therefore, it would make little sense for me to title it, pay the taxes and registration, just so I can sell it.

In my state, title and registration are two entirely separate issues. You can title the car without registering it.

Taxes are paid upon titling it.

In general, yes, you must own the title before you transfer it to someone. Right now you probably have the original owner's title that he signed over to you, right?

 

[Joey Tribiani]

My question is: do I have to title it to my name before I can sell a car? Or is there some way I can sign a bill of sale to someone else? The pink slip has already been signed over to me. So, the block under the "new Owner" has my name on the original pink slip. The previous owner signed that pink slip to me.

since the title has been signed to you then YES you do have to have it transfered to you before you can legally sell it...(i am in virginia but i would *THINK* that most states are similar)....selling one that has not been transfered is done sometimes when the title is "open", meaning that the seller did not put the new owners name on the title...it is not exactly legal to do so, but it does happen alot...
JT

 

[Jafir Elkurd]

In my state, only a user car dealer can do that.

 

[LovingPerson]

since the title has been signed to you then YES you do have to have it transfered to you before you can legally sell it...(i am in virginia but i would *THINK* that most states are similar)....selling one that has not been transfered is done sometimes when the title is "open", meaning that the seller did not put the new owners name on the title...it is not exactly legal to do so, but it does happen alot...
JT

JT: Thank you for helping me on this. So, my next question is: once I hand over the title to the DMV, doesn't it take up to 4 weeks before the new title is printed and mailed to me? So, does this mean that I will have to wait all that time before I can sell the car? What if buyer comes right away before the new pink slip has been printed by the DMV?

I don't think that it would be fair for the DMV to force me to wait to sell my car. So, in that case, what can be done?

thx in advance.

 

[Larry (2)]

You've probably already violated your state's rules of transfer of sale. What you need to do is pony up the $$, go to your local DMV and register the car. It has to be registered in the state where you reside...or the car is garaged and used. You can't pick which state suits your needs. Don't blame the DMV for ating up time to handle the paperwork....you've already lolygagged for 2 months doing anything. Have you added this car to your insurance policy so that coverage exists should a prospective buyer get into an accident? Dealers, btw, pay DMV fees for those dealer plates and its not cheap getting those as you must be a registered dealer with dealer's bond and insurance in place.

since the title has been signed to you then YES you do have to have it transfered to you before you can legally sell it...(i am in virginia but i would *THINK* that most states are similar)....selling one that has not been transfered is done sometimes when the title is "open", meaning that the seller did not put the new owners name on the title...it is not exactly legal to do so, but it does happen alot...
JT

JT: Thank you for helping me on this. So, my next question is: once I hand over the title to the DMV, doesn't it take up to 4 weeks before the new title is printed and mailed to me? So, does this mean that I will have to wait all that time before I can sell the car? What if buyer comes right away before the new pink slip has been printed by the DMV?

I don't think that it would be fair for the DMV to force me to wait to sell my car. So, in that case, what can be done?

thx in advance.[/QUOTE]

 

[ravelation]

You've probably already violated your
state's rules of transfer of sale.

That's what I was thinking, too. Be prepared for the possibility of a fine. In CA, you have ten days to inform the DMV of the sale...and to pay the sales tax on the purchase. This is one area you can play with. If the seller is agreeable, you can alter the selling price so as to lower the tax you'll have to pay.

 

[Scott in Aztlán]

I don't think that it would be fair for the DMV to force me to wait to sell my car.

I don't think it's fair that you made the DMV wait two months (and counting)
before submitting your title.

So there.

 

[Richard]

Dear all:

I bought a 95 Prelude back two months ago. I still haven't titled it, since I don't drive it. It just sits in my car port.

I live in Maryland, but I am close to D.C. and Virginia. I have decided that I want to sell this car instead of keeping it. Therefore, it would make little sense for me to title it, pay the taxes and registration, just so I can sell it. I would like to avoid having to title it to me before selling it, if I can help it.

My question is: do I have to title it to my name before I can sell a car? Or is there some way I can sign a bill of sale to someone else? The pink slip has already been signed over to me. So, the block under the "new Owner" has my name on the original pink slip. The previous owner signed that pink slip to me.

Also, as far as making it road legal so that potential buyers can legally test drive it, I was thinking of getting a temporary registration. I have heard that these temporary tags are like transit tags. Do you think that this will work? I want to make the car road legal for buyers to test drive the car. Which state or (district, as in D.C.) is the best place to get transit tags. I want the longest possible time period for this temp tag so that I can wait for the right buyer with the right offer to buy the car.

Another idea is getting a dealer tag, but I have no idea what is involved or how much it would cost. I just know that it seems that dealers are able to take any car and put their dealer tags on there and drive any unregistered cars.

Please help. I really need it. Thx in advance.

Actually, having the "pink slip" doesn't mean that much as far as the state is concerned. The state does not know that you own the vehicle. Yeah, you can probably sell the car without registering it since you never plated it. So if whom you sell it to wants to plate it, he'd have to register it as his.

 

[Joey Tribiani]

JT: Thank you for helping me on this. So, my next question is: once I hand over the title to the DMV, doesn't it take up to 4 weeks before the new title is printed and mailed to me? So, does this mean that I will have to wait all that time before I can sell the car? What if buyer comes right away before the new pink slip has been printed by the DMV?

once again i don't know about maryland, but i just titled a vehicle this past saturday here in virginia...walked in with the title from the seller(happened to be an auction vehicle from maryland, how ironic) and walked out with the new one...there is no wait, it is printed on the spot...(here in virginia)
JT

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

JT: Thank you for helping me on this. So, my next question is: once I hand over the title to the DMV, doesn't it take up to 4 weeks before the new title is printed and mailed to me?

In my state, no. They handle that right at the counter in about 3 minutes.

You're thinking of the whole car dealer thing. That's entirely different than you walking into the county offices and having them print you a title.

 

[Shawn Me Hearn]

Dear all:

I bought a 95 Prelude back two months ago. I still haven't titled it, since I don't drive it. It just sits in my car port.

Why don't you call your local DMV office and ask, or at least check the DMV's web site to see if the info is there.

 

[Woody]

Better take some bail money with you. Failure to pay the sales tax could land you in jail...

since the title has been signed to you then YES you do have to have it transfered to you before you can legally sell it...(i am in virginia but i would *THINK* that most states are similar)....selling one that has not been transfered is done sometimes when the title is "open", meaning that the seller did not put the new owners name on the title...it is not exactly legal to do so, but it does happen alot...
JT

JT: Thank you for helping me on this. So, my next question is: once I hand over the title to the DMV, doesn't it take up to 4 weeks before the new title is printed and mailed to me? So, does this mean that I will have to wait all that time before I can sell the car? What if buyer comes right away before the new pink slip has been printed by the DMV?

I don't think that it would be fair for the DMV to force me to wait to sell my car. So, in that case, what can be done?

thx in advance.[/QUOTE]

 

[Dave C.]

JT: Thank you for helping me on this. So, my next question is: once Give or take, depending on the efficency of your state's (CA?) DMV. Their website should say how long to expect. NY took abut 5 weeks, NJ 3, and I can't remember CA although I think it was quicker than NY. If you have a decent and not crowded local DMV you might call/visit and ask them about your situation. You're more likely to get reliable answers about your options there, although I'd be sure to get it in writing in addition to whatever they tell you. (aka get a brochure, form, etc. which details possible things you can do, rather than relying on someone not having their head up their ass and giving you verbal misinformation.)

You also could call a lawyer who works with traffic stuff.

Unless he/she's comfortable giving a complete stranger money for a car she/he'll have questionable legal ownership of, you'll probably have to wait. Even if you find out an answer to your dilemma, the buyer might be uncomfortable. I sure would be unless you had ample documentation of how it was a binding sale. Then again many car buyers are dumb.

Fair? DMV? Same sentence? Oh wow, that's a good one. You haven't been to many DMVs, have you?

I was in a similar situation about a year ago - I had a disabled car street parked in Brooklyn and no title expected for a couple of weeks. Luckily the local blizzards caused street cleaning suspension several weeks in a row, preventing me from getting parking tickets, and by the time it thawed the title had arrived and I could dispose of the vehicle. Also luckily for me I still had an old CA license plate, which allowed me to surrender the plates and keep the car street parked (illegally of course but what cop is going to dig a convertible out of the snow to examine and run a check on not suspicious looking out of state plates?). However, if it wasn't for my good luck, I would have been quite screwed with parking tickets and waiting for the title.

Dave

 

[Mike Romain]

They give you a temporary paper if they don't up and print the permanent one right there.

Here in Canada, they just print up a new registration paper on the spot.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's