No Title - Sold on Bill of Sale

[Corey Bowcutt]

I live in Maryland and am looking at a car that is sold with no title - sold on bill of sale only.  What will this mean to me as far as registering the car in Maryland?  Can I get a title in Maryland off a bill of sale on a 60 year old car?

Thank you,

Corey

[FL SAAC]

I don't know in Maryland but in Floridaland:

For the buyer, the bill of sale serves as a basic requirement for either registering the vehicle or transferring the title of the newly-purchased vehicle.

I guess if you have all documents authorized or notarized showing seller , buyer amount of transaction you will be OK.

In FL we have one more step when it comes from another state,  we need to have law enforcement verify its v.i.n. vs the title.

Best of luck

[67 GT350]

Why does the "owner" not have a title....?

Is it the old, "I never got the title from the previous owner." Which translates to ,I tried to "open title it" because I am flipping it...gig.

If he is the last registered owner, there is no excuse they cannot get a title for you.

[Coralsnake]

Several states are "no title" states for old cars.

[Royce Peterson]

I live in Maryland and am looking at a car that is sold with no title - sold on bill of sale only.  What will this mean to me as far as registering the car in Maryland?  Can I get a title in Maryland off a bill of sale on a 60 year old car?

Thank you,

Corey

In Maryland the owner needs to have a title in order to operate or sell the car. You need the seller to get a legal title. Otherwise don't buy the car.

A Maryland car title is a legal document that establishes vehicle ownership. As such, motorists must apply for an auto title whenever a vehicle changes ownership. However, drivers need to obtain both a vehicle title and a registration certificate before they may operate a motor vehicle on state roads.

https://www.dmv.com/md/maryland/new-car-title?tg1=DVA&utm_content=dmv.com&utm_medium=dmv_&tg7=dmv_&utm_source=dmv.com&tg9=dmv.com&utm_term=organic_dmv&utm_campaign=organic_dmv

[98SVT - was 06GT]

Here is the info straight from MD DMV: https://mva.maryland.gov/vehicles/Pages/registration/title-registration-info.aspx#:~:text=If%20the%20title%20was%20issued,submitted%20as%20proof%20of%20ownership.
Proof of ownership - The vehicle's current title has to be properly assigned to you. If the title was issued in Maryland, it can be used as your application for titling and registering the vehicle. If the vehicle is from a state that does not issue a title as proof of ownership, a registration document and a bill of sale may be submitted as proof of ownership.

They might issue you a "transferable registration" and not a title. In CA if you want the title you need to post a bond for the value of the car - I think it was for 3 years (a guy at work brought a car from NY and had to do this). If no other claim shows up in that time you can quit paying the bond and they will reissue a non-branded title.

All that said Pennsylvania requires a valid title or a manufacturer's certificate of origin in order to transfer ownership of a car. If the vehicle is coming from a state that does not require a title (as with some older model vehicles), contact PennDOT to determine how to satisfy this requirement.
It appears that PA is a state that issues titles for everything - A title could have been surrendered to DMV is the car was junked at some point so a bill of sale from a salvage yard may help getting a new title issued.

[Bill]

I live in Maryland and am looking at a car that is sold with no title - sold on bill of sale only.  What will this mean to me as far as registering the car in Maryland?  Can I get a title in Maryland off a bill of sale on a 60 year old car?

Thank you,

Corey

Corey,

   What state are you buying the car out of? This will make a big difference as to whether you will be able to title it in Maryland.

Bill

[67 GT350]

I forget to mention, possibly Maryland is a non-title state for vehicles that are a certain age.....NY is a non-title state for pre-1973 cars.....Joke.

[Corey Bowcutt]

I live in Maryland and am looking at a car that is sold with no title - sold on bill of sale only.  What will this mean to me as far as registering the car in Maryland?  Can I get a title in Maryland off a bill of sale on a 60 year old car?

Thank you,

Corey

Corey,

   What state are you buying the car out of? This will make a big difference as to whether you will be able to title it in Maryland.

Bill

The car is in Pennsylvania but I do not know if it is registered in PA or not.  I am going to look at the car on Friday and will learn a whole lot more.

Corey

[Royce Peterson]

If this is a non-operable car coming from another state, you are OK getting a bill of sale. One of those and an insurance card with the vehicle VIN will be needed to get a Maryland title and yes Maryland will require a title as they have for decades. Depending on your insurance policy there might be a bond needed too.

[Bill]

Corey,

   What state are you buying the car out of? This will make a big difference as to whether you will be able to title it in Maryland.

Bill

The car is in Pennsylvania but I do not know if it is registered in PA or not.  I am going to look at the car on Friday and will learn a whole lot more.

Corey
[/quote]

If the car is registered in PA, then it MUST come with a title to legally sell it.
https://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Vehicle-Information/Pages/Selling.aspx

If it is from NJ, Ohio, Maryland, it too must have a title, in NY state, anything earlier than 1973 did not have a title, but a transferable registration card where the seller would sign the back of it in the appropriate spot....It too will have the VIN associated with it.

Otherwise, a VIN search will be required by the PA state police, paperwork filled out (google it), and then the seller can sell you the vehicle in question. I personally do not suggest swapping any funds until a legal ownership of the vehicle can be established.

Bill

[gt350shelb]

 i would be very leery of that deal / titling it in md will be a pain in ass  if it can  be done at all.  what era is the car .? I look at these cars as parts cars only. because the problems  that can surface  former owners ect . are not worth the trouble . and i live in md .

[Corey Bowcutt]

Has anyone ever used one of these titling services like Broadway Title or getnewtitle.com? They presumably for a substantial fee get you a title in 6 weeks.

The car I am looking at is a 60s convertible Mustang.

Corey

[67 GT350]

i would be very leery of that deal / titling it in md will be a pain in ass  if it can  be done at all.  what era is the car .? I look at these cars as parts cars only. because the problems  that can surface  former owners ect . are not worth the trouble . and i live in md .

PLUS 1

[Bill]

Has anyone ever used one of these titling services like Broadway Title or getnewtitle.com? They presumably for a substantial fee get you a title in 6 weeks.

The car I am looking at is a 60s convertible Mustang.

Corey

Corey,

    You'll have to jump through lots of legal hoops, with the seller involved. Broadway title and Getnewtitle are not the answer towards legal ownership. If the seller is not willing to go through Harrisburg to get a new title in their name (if it was even in their name, or from PA), then you need to walk away from the car, or risk loosing your money should the car come up as stolen in the past, or part of a legal proceeding in the past (Divorce, bankruptcy, or other loss of real property). At this point, before you do anything else, I'd call your attorney and ask him/her what they think......

Bill