Registration without a title Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2008: Registration without a title By on :
This week I registered my new 1923 touring. I got a title with the car, but didn’t submit it because it had some unrecognizable number on it. If it was an engine number, I think it would have been for a 1912 car. Not wanting to open that can of worms, I just submitted the bill of sale and proof of insurance. It took only about fifteen minutes to register the car and I walked out with the new registration and the new antique plate. In a few weeks a new title from the state will come in the mail. The bill of sale was printed, and the signatures of the buyer and seller were notarized, but last year I got a title for the TT using a very simple handwritten bill of sale with nothing notarized. After reading horror stories of what a bureaucratic nightmare this process can be in some other states, I really glad that it’s so simple and straightforward in Kansas.
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Steve,
Wow! From where I live (California) I’d just have to say,
“Gee Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore!”
Hmm, wonder if Calif. would accept a Kansas title?
T’
David D.
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Michigan is also very reasonable about Bill of Sale registrations. Thank you Sec. of State, Terry Lynn Land!
Hi, I went in to AAA with a weight slip for my 1935 truck and walked out with a Title. Did the same for my 1925 TT C Cab. California is the easiest to get a Title that I have seen. But dont take it to much paper as it will open a can of worms.
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Don’t believe anything about California being the easiest to get a title. Remember, this is the state that Boyd Cottingham came from. If you have no paper work at all, and want to get your car registered without the state riveting a plate to your car, I suggest a title service. The one I went to was straight forward, and took care of everything for me including original 1925 plates. I think the whole thing cost me around 5, which was well worth it to me. Have you ever seen the idiots they have working at the DMV? I think they hand picked most of them from the welfare office!
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I agree about the California DMV. When I moved from California to Colorado the the morons kept sending me THREATNING letters asking why I had not renewed my license plates or paid the non-operating fee and they sent them to my COLORADO ADDRESS. How bright do you need to be.
Paul
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Be careful or Arnold the Governator will come and get you.
What you need in California is a notarized slip stating that your grand father left you the car and that he last drove it during WWII and you can’t find the pink slip or any registration papers. Or, have a bill of sale with your price hand written on an old piece of paper. Then show them the engine number as stamped into the left front side of the frame and you are clear. If it was given to you they will want to see restoration costs and all bills so that can attach a value to the car. Then they will depreciate it down to a minimum tax of about $80 a year after the ten years. Another way to do it is to write a check and pay for the car and use the cancelled check as your bill of sale. Creative money exchange can lower the evaluation for tax and fee purposes. Yes we not only have taxes we also have fees and services costs here in California.
The DVM computer only holds cars in the records for three years and then they are removed unless you have registered it as a non-operated car. So barn fresh cars have a new start and are treated as new Assembled cars. This is why they want all the bills and costs. It is because of the T-Buckets and Motorcycles being assembled out of stolen parts so we have to ride that train too.
Horseless Carriage plates are permanent and there is no annual fee so they tax the car as personal property and can make you have it appraised. Many years ago this was a big issue. I think it was about 1975. We all took our permanent plates off of the cars and used to pay about $14 a year so that we did not have to get them appraised every few years and have our fees raised annually.
My knowledge of this is from over 35 years ago but I know it was really touch and go back then.
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I bought a 26 touring which was all disassembled and probably the parts of several cars. I had a bill of sale from the previous owner. I could not drive the car anywhere to be registered, but before spending anymore time or money I wanted to get the title in my name. We had in town a company that got the registrations for cars. Not the DMV but a car registration company. I called him and he came out and looked at the parts. He used the engine number as a vin number and I got the title, but I didn’t actually get the registration for several years until I was ready to drive the car. It was in “non operation”. In California you can have a car registered in your name in “non operation” and you don’t need insurance on it. But when you actually register to drive the car you need proof of insurance.
Norm
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I bought another car a 22 runabout. This car was purchased from an estate sale. The engine number did not match the vin number shown on the title, in fact the engine was manufactured in 1925 and had the same block as a 26. The engine number which was in the car was shown for this license number on the insurance papers but not on the title. This time I took it to the CHP who inspected it and I got the car registered as a 1922 with the vin number same as the 1925 engine number.
