Removing a Lien in Kansas
When you finance your car and agree to pay it off through a car loan, typically a lien is put on your car title issued to you by the Kansas Department of Revenue (DOR) Division of Vehicles. That means that the car is legally not your property. Once your loan has been satisfied, however, you can have the lien removed from the car title.
What Is a Lien?
A lien is a type of legal protection for a property owner. It ensures that the owner (the lienholder) will be compensated for their property should you the buyer (you) be unwilling or unable to complete payment on it.
A lien on a car title is an aspect of a car loan. It gives the lienholder the legal right to take the car back if you default on or cease to pay your loans.
Another facet of many car loans allows the lienholder to determine the level of car insurance that must be purchased for the vehicle until the time that the loan is paid off.
Who Is a Kansas Lienholder?
A lienholder is the person or entity responsible for writing your car loan. They can also be referred to as the legal car owner until the vehicle is completely paid off. The lienholder on a car title is typically a bank, financial firm, or credit union.
Until the car loan is satisfied—i.e. you have paid off your car loan—the lienholder will typically be in possession of the car title. The lienholder's name may also appear on the title during that time.
Remove a Lien from Your KS Title
Kansas is an electronic title state. That means vehicle titles issued in Kansas since the beginning of this program have been paperless, and are recorded entirely online.
Due to this process, the lienholder will automatically inform the Kansas DOR Division of Vehicles that a lien has been satisfied once the loan has been paid off. The DOR will, in turn, print out and mail the new lien-free title to you.
If you paid off your loan and received a paper title, you will need to apply for a duplicate title at your local licensing and registration office. Make sure to bring a copy of the lien release.
