How to get proof of ownership for a bike w/no title

[D0N]

I don't think this would work if you are dirtbag and were trying to title a stolen motorcycle. They're going to run the VIN and you're screwed if it comes up stolen.

You just bought a legitimate motorcycle with no title or you've lost your title. You want to register (or sell) your motorcycle but you can't because you can't prove that you own it. We've probably all run into this problem in our lifetime.

Here's what you need to do...
http://dmv.vermont.gov/help#VehicleRegistration It even tells you that you DO NOT need to be a resident of VT to register a vehicle there. Strange but true.

You can register your bike thru the mail in VT. Print out the proper forms from the VT DMV website, fill them out and mail them in. It cost me $89 ($41 reg fee & $48 tax) to title and register a bike I bought in NY w/no title. This includes a VT license plate & a 1 year transferable registration. Your VT license plate and transferable registratgion takes about 10 days to arrive in your mail after you send the correct forms and check out to them.

How do I know all this? Because I just received my new VT plate and transferable registration in the mail today!
You can be sure that if you ever decide to sell your motorcycle without a title (or transferable registration), it's worth about 30-40% less and your pool of potential buyers drops by about 50%.

[King_Panther13]

Very interesting. I recently purchased a 50cc scooter with a mistake written on the title, so I couldn't transfer it to me...it then turned out that the guy I bought it from wasn't the original owner, but his nephew or something. This might just score me a title.

[D0N]

This will work. It won't get you a "title" but it will get you a very similar "transferable registration" which you can surrender at your local DMV for a title (if they title small motorcycles in your state - many do not).

I emailed www.its-titles.com and they wanted $255. That's what spurred me to try the Vermont route. Low and behold... it worked.

[Uncle Pollo]

The pool of available motorcycles for me just jumped a zillion percent.

[RVDan]

I wonder if it will work if I'm out of country :)

I have three Honda Z50's that I can't prove I own

[Road Program]

Let me see if I'm reading this right...

You acquire a bike with no title. Do this thing through VT and get a tag and registration. Take said registration to your local (not VT) DMV and they'll give you a title?

Sounds too good to be true. If it IS true, though, I'm hitting up craigslist like it's my job.

[Tuna Helper]

I have a bike with no title, I'm going to give this a shot.

[D0N]

Originally Posted by Road Program

Let me see if I'm reading this right...

You acquire a bike with no title. Do this thing through VT and get a tag and registration. Take said registration to your local (not VT) DMV and they'll give you a title?

The bike obviously can't be stolen.

You get a full years worth of VT registration too. Depending on your states laws regarding when an out of state vehicle needs to be registered in state... you can ride around completely legal in your state on the VT reg and plate.

When you're ready to register it in your own state, you simply bring the transferable VT reg to your local DMV and register the cycle in your name. If your state titles smaller motorcycles, you'll get e new title in exchange for the VT reg.

VT doesn't even require you to have insurance prior to registration.

There's nothing illegal or wrong doing this. VT DMV is known for being easy to deal with. All states should be this easy really.

Now that I know this works... I've got 1 more bike that I'm going to do this with.

tuna let us know how it works out for you.

[Thanantos]

It's pretty easy in Michigan. Just pick up papers from SOS/DMV, cops verify VIN, back to SOS/DMV and good to go.

Sent from my SPH-M900 using Tapatalk

[Sir Not Appearing]

I wish I'd known about this before I went through ITS for my EX500. I bought it without a title and they charged about $150 or so in 2009 for bikes over 15 years old. I'm not sure what Indiana's laws are on riding on out-of-state plates, but I rode on the Maine plates until the expired in 2010 and was never hassled.

[D0N]

Originally Posted by Sir Not Appearing

I wish I'd known about this before I went through ITS for my EX500..

ITS is expensive! They do the bonded title thing. They wanted $255 from me to title my 1984 cycle. I ended up doing it myself through Vermont for $89.

It would have been much less but I was honest on the amount that I paid for the bike!

The 6% VT state sales tax on the $800 purchase price ended up costing me more than the registration fees did.

It's almost 9% state sales tax here in NY so I don't feel too bad. I could have just as easily told VT that I paid $200 for the bike instead of $800 and saved myself about $35-$40.

taxes suck

[bwringer]

It's worth pointing out again that this is only workable for vehicles older than 15 years.

Even in the enlightened state of VT, there's no way to get a title for a newer vehicle.

If I am trying to register a vehicle that is more than fifteen (15) years old what do I use for a title?
Your "bill of sale".
How can I change the ownership of a vehicle without a title?
This cannot be done without a title unless the vehicle is not titleable. If the vehicle is more than fifteen (15) years old this can be accomplished using the "bill of sale".

I can see where VT would be happy to collect the cash from out-of-staters, so I suspect they'll leave this loophole open for as long as they can.

BUT: has anyone successfully gotten a home state title and plate after doing this? I would, for example, be very interested to find out what the draconian shrews down at the Indiana BMV would do with a Vermont registration... they're well known to have no mercy here whatsoever.

[D0N]

Originally Posted by bwringer

Even in the enlightened state of VT, there's no way to get a title for a newer vehicle.

Have you actually tried or are you just poo-pooing the idea?

I realize what you've read may say we don't title bikes newer than 1996 and larger than 300cc's but try it. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Like I said above, they will not cash your check if they can't help you. You will get the check back in the mail.

[Mgbgt89]

Originally Posted by bwringer

BUT: has anyone successfully gotten a home state title and plate after doing this? I would, for example, be very interested to find out what the draconian shrews down at the Indiana BMV would do with a Vermont registration... they're well known to have no mercy here whatsoever.

Yeah, I'm curious about this as well. I have no doubt that i can get a VT plate, but wondering if i can get a Indiana title. (all my shit is titled/plated in indiana, not ohio.)

I got a mint CB200 with no title, for free. If i can start riding it around for 89 bucks, I'm in. Worst case i'll just keep renewing VT plates.

[leejosepho]

Originally Posted by bwringer

Has anyone successfully gotten a home state title and plate after doing this? I would, for example, be very interested to find out what the draconian shrews down at the Indiana BMV would do with a Vermont registration... they're well known to have no mercy here whatsoever.

They might claim they had never even heard of Vermont and then offer a reminder, "This is Indiana." I used to live there, and I am absolutely convinced those people take classes where they are continually taught their never-ending ways to make people have to go get another piece of paper or whatever and then come back another day.