S/o How to get car title

[isabel]

I have a dumb question prompted by the other thread.

I paid off my car in November. This is the first time I’ve done this and I honestly have no idea what I did or how titles were handled with cars previously sold.

I know the loan company sent me some letter at some point about the title, but I never did anything about it. Do I have to call them to get the title turned over to me? Or is this done through the DMV?

[just]

Ours (for 2 cars) came in the mail from the DMV within 6-ish weeks of paying it off.

[mcmel]

I was mailed the title a month or two later I believe.

[neonpink]

I would contact the DMV. Also keep the letter that shows the loan is paid off. When you get the title it should just have your info on it but in my state sometimes it will list the loan even though it’s paid off. Your letter proves it’s owned out right by you.

[pinkplasticdoll]

We had to submit the paperwork to the dmv and we received a title that was free of a lien holder and listed us as the owner.

[styme46]

I think it depends on who held the lien (where you had your loan). I used to work at a credit union in Wyoming and we would hold the title until the vehicle was paid off. Once paid off, we would issue a lien release and mail the title to the owner. I'm not sure how it works in Colorado, though. All the vehicles we have titled here were paid off before we registered them here so we had free and clear titles to begin with. 

All that to say I would call whoever you had the loan through first, then call the DMV if that doesn't get you anywhere.

[Roc A Bee]

I’m in CA and I got the title in the mail. I can’t remember if it was DMV for the lien holder.

[WOT?*]

When our cars were paid off, we called the lienholders ("Manufacturer" Credit Corp. or our credit union, depending on the vehicle). They verified the loans were paid off and sent us the titles. I believe we had to then call or go to the DMV and then got title (and the lienholder removed from the registration.)

[al dente]

Lol I'm glad you asked this because I was thinking this too. We got a paper that looks like a title, but then in big red letters all over it says it is not the official title. It came from the bank. It didn't have any instructions about how to get the official title, and I had honestly forgotten about it until reading that thread.

[lilypad1126]

So when I paid off my car a couple years ago, I got a letter in the mail from the bank saying the loan was paid off, along with the title (which showed that the bank had been the lien holder). I then took both (the letter and the title) to the DMV to get a "clean title" with the bank removed from the title. At my DMV, they took both the letter* and the title and told me I'd get the "clean title" mailed to me within 4 weeks. I was a little panicked at having to hand those docs over, but they then mailed me my clean title 3 weeks later. I don't know that I had to do that (get the clean title) but I was selling the car to a relative out of state and I didn't want any hassles with the title when I was across the country at the DMV in my relative's state getting it registered to her.

*I made a copy of the letter for my records before I went to the DMV b/c I was afraid to let it out of my sight. But also, I later realized that I had a copy of the letter in my online banking account.

[isabel]

Mar 23, 2021 0:41:31 GMT -5 al dente said:

Lol I'm glad you asked this because I was thinking this too. We got a paper that looks like a title, but then in big red letters all over it says it is not the official title. It came from the bank. It didn't have any instructions about how to get the official title, and I had honestly forgotten about it until reading that thread.

Glad I’m not the only one! Lol

I think I got a similar letter, but it’s been a couple months and I don’t really remember what they sent now.

Sounds like I should call the loan holder first. Hopefully they can talk me through it.

[icedcoffee]

I think in my state (MD) the buyer holds the title and then once you pay off the loan they just send a letter and when you go to sell the car you bring the title with the lien on it and the payoff letter and you are good.

[just]

Also - you might want to update your insurance. I know that Geico wanted to know that we'd paid off our cars when it happened.

[mcppalmbeach]

We have bought and paid off several cars and...I still don’t remember how we got the title haha. We sold both of them when we got new cars so we clearly had them, but I don’t remember at all lol.

[pearls]

Also wondering if your title may be electronic? Maybe that is just in Florida, not sure if other states have that, but for mine if I wanted the title in hand, I'd need to submit a request to get it on paper (and I believe submit a small fee) because it is in the states electronic title system.

[beerlover]

I'm in PA and the title for our GMC that we just paid off came in the mail about a month later.

[followyourarrow]

I was just researching this. Here in KS you have to submit a form saying it's paid off, then they can issue the title. I need to work on this!

[ska]

We had an issue with this when we had to submit all of our financials to our lawyer. MN is a title-holding state, but we had moved from MA where the lien holder is issued the title. I knew none of this and our MN lawyer just kept insisting we must have the title in our possession somewhere if we just looked hard enough.

[waverly]

I feel like the bank sent us the title, but I guess given above posters maybe I was wrong and requested it from the DMV with the payoff letter.

[isabel]

Update: I called today and they sent it in November, which I now sort of remember and I’m sure I put it somewhere safe. It’s probably in our little safe box. But she said to get a lien free title I need a release letter from them and have to take it to the DMV, so I had her go ahead and request that. Should be good to get this wrapped up once I receive that.

I’ll have to ask DH about updating insurance.