Can I Sell a Car Without a Title?
Blog/ Can I Sell a Car Without a Title?
AuthorSarah RobinsonCategory Selling A Car
While it isn’t something that is often thought about, there is a possibility that one day you may just end up trying to sell a car that you don’t have the title to. This can actually happen fairly easily as you could either lose the title, live in a state where titles aren’t given to older cars, or even some other circumstance.
Even losing your title can happen innocently, without the proper knowledge, selling a car without a title can be difficult and even illegal if certain laws are broke. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible though. Depending on your state, there are a few ways to sell a car without a title.
How to Sell a Car Without a Title
Although it is illegal in many states to sell a car without a title, there are some where you can either receive alternative paperwork or sell without a title due to special circumstances. It is important to remember, however, that if you are not the owner of your car – and that includes if you are financing through a bank – you will not be able to sell a car without a title without first acquiring either the title or the right to sell.
How to Obtain a Title
The easiest way to sell a car without a title is to receive one. You can do this by applying for a replacement at your local DMV. If that isn’t possible, though, don’t worry; there are other options for selling a car without a title.
How to Sell a Car with a Lien
Before looking at other methods for selling a car without a title, it’s important to know if you are even able to. This means that you must actually own your car.
If there is a lien against your car due to the fact you are financing it through a bank, while it may be a bit more difficult, you can still sell your car even though the bank has the title. In this case, your bank technically is the owner of your car, as they hold the title and you are making the payments to them. To do so, you will need to arrange a meeting with your bank to speak to someone about acquiring the rights to sell the car. From there, you’ll just need to be open and honest with your potential buyer about the fact that the title has a lien against it and is not in your possession.
What Other Paperwork Can I Use in Place of a Title?
There are some places that won’t allow you to sell or scrap your car without a title. This is because the title is the ultimate proof that you own the vehicle in question. However, there are legal ways around this. For one, if you’re planning on selling your car to a junkyard, most of the time, they will accept a valid registration and driver’s license as proof of ownership. If you do not have your title, though, and you’ve lost your registration, it may be a bit more difficult to handle this. This is especially true if there is a lien against your car.
Sometimes you may find that none of these options are available for you. While this means that you won’t be able to sell your car in a traditional way, such as to a friend, local, or car dealership, it doesn’t mean that you’re out of options. Here are some other ways to sell you car without a title.
How to Scrap My Car Without a Title
Do I Need a Title to Scrap a Car? If you have the registration proving that your own your car, a driver’s license, and the spare time to potentially fill out extra paperwork, then you can scrap your car or sell it to a junk yard without your title.
How to Junk My Car with No Title
There are two options for junking a car without a title. You can either sell it directly to the junkyard to be used for parts, or you can sell it as scarp. These are also good options if the car without a title you are attempting to sell has mechanical issues that make it unappealing to ordinary buyers. Of course, though, as mentioned above, without a title, you’ll need a way to prove that you are the owner of the car. Remember, if you’re still paying on your car, the bank owns it, not you.
Who Buys Cars Without a Title?
As seen above, so long as you have your registration and license, you can legally sell your car to a junk yard. If that’s not an option, though, you can always sell your car to SellMax. SellMax is a company that will buy your car, whether it’s old, damaged, broke down, or, yes, even without a title. The only condition is that you need to be within the United States. If this sounds like the best option for you, you can contact us by either filling out the form on our website or give us a call for an instant offer of your car.
