Title question - help from US Phers

[WouldBWelder]

Hi

If a car comes with a bill of sale only in the States, how difficult is it to get a title?
I ask cos I see many older cars I'm thinking of importing but some have bill of sale and no title - can a title be obtained easily allowing the car to be exported?

Thanks y'all

[GavinPearson]

This is a tough one. I'll explain for my state - Michigan.

When you buy a car from a private individual you are supposed to get the old title. You then take this to the Secretary of State office - this is where they do driving licenses and voting related stuff. There you pay the sales tax for the car and then pay a further fee for the plate and "registration" - a piece of paper that is about 4"x3" with the vehicle details on the front, license plate number on it and the owner's signature on the back. To get the plate and registration you need a Drivers License.

In the case of a foreign national not keeping the vehicle in the state I would imagine you would take all the paperwork to the SoS office, pay your sales tax and have the paperwork sent to the owner's address abroad.

[Trooper2]

Be very cautious if offered any cars with salvage titles.

If the cars you are looking at don't have titles it is very possible that they had a salvage title in one State and were taken to another State to hide that fact.

>> Edited by Trooper2 on Saturday 27th May 02:18