Title Transfers

The title to a car is a legal certificate of ownership that is produced by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the District of Columbia. It contains vital information such as the name and address of the current owner; the make, model, and year of the auto; any lienholders; and the date the vehicle was first sold. Because it is such an important document, a title should be kept in a secure location―not in the vehicle itself.

You do not need to have a driver's license to be listed on the title, but you will need to show proper ID.

The Title Transfer Process

When you sell a car, you sign the title over to the new owner. The new owner must then take the title to the DMV to register the car in his or her name. Then the DMV produces a new title and mails it to the new owner with their information on it.

To get a fresh title for a car you have purchased, you'll need to provide the following documents to the DMV: proof of a valid DC driver's license, proof of vehicle ownership, the value of the vehicle, its mileage, proof of insurance, and proof of inspection.

If you acquired the vehicle because of the death of its owner, the DMV outlines the process to follow to obtain the title to the vehicle if you are not a surviving joint owner. This might happen when a spouse dies and the surviving spouse becomes the sole owner, for example.

Bring these documents to a DMV service location along with the required fees, and your title will be mailed to your address on record at the DMV.

The Importance of the VIN

The vehicle identification number (VIN), which is a unique number assigned to each automobile, is found on a thin, steel strip either on the driver's side dashboard, inside the driver's side door, or on the engine. The VIN also appears on the title.

When you purchase a used car from a private party, it's always a good idea to make sure that the VIN on the car is the same as the VIN listed on the title.

Another piece of crucial information found on the title document is the car's mileage the last time it was sold. This acts both as an important disclosure to the new owner as well as a way to prevent odometer fraud.

If the car was in an accident that resulted in it being claimed as a total loss by the insurance company, the title will have the word "salvage" on it. That means that this car was once sold off as junk, and then subsequently purchased by a third party to be fixed up and resold.

You can do a vehicle history check online using the VIN to trace the history of any car for a minimal price. The vehicle history report includes all the dates the car was sold, the odometer readings at each sale, and whether the car has been in a flood or an accident.

Keep in mind that just because a report does not indicate that the car has suffered flood or accident damage does not mean that this has not occurred. Car owners can fix a damaged car without reporting it to the police or the insurance company, in which case this damage will not show up on the vehicle history report.

So when you are purchasing a used car, don't forget to compare the VIN on the car to the one on the title, and run a vehicle history report. You'll rest easier knowing that you are not purchasing a lemon that will give you headaches later on.

Changing Your Name on the Title

In order to change the name on the title, you'll first have to change your name with the Social Security Administration. Once you've taken that step, bring your driver's license (or nondriver identification card) plus the newly issued Social Security card (or a print-out with your new name on it) to a DMV service center.

Also, be sure to bring along whichever one of the following fits your situation:

• Divorce decree (name change due to divorce)

• Certified marriage certificate (name change due to marriage)

• Passport (U.S. citizen with name correction)

• Official U.S. court change of name document (legal name change)

• Birth certificate (name correction)

• Green card or employment card (non-U.S. citizen with name correction)

Adding or Deleting a Name

If you need to add or delete a name on the title, the procedure varies depending on your situation. For instance, if there is a lien on the vehicle, the lienholder will need to grant you permission to make the change.

If there isn't a lien, you can add a name by completing a new title application. Both the current title holder or holders and the person whose name is being added must sign the title. Then, everyone involved should go a DMV service center to complete the transaction. Make sure to bring proper identification, such as a driver's license or identification card.

If the person whose name is being added cannot make it to the service center, then bring a copy of that person's license or identification card, along with the signed title application.

To take a name off a title, the person whose name is being removed will simply indicate the change on the back of the title. The remaining owner or owners will submit this document to the DMV to be issued a new title.

Gift Title Transfers

If you are giving your vehicle as a gift, be sure to complete the gift tax exemption form. However, this form applies only to certain relationships (such as parent and child), which are listed on the form. For all other relationships, the DMV will require the recipient to pay an excise tax based on the fair market value of the vehicle. The DMV will provide this estimation.

Then, the current owner should sign over the vehicle to the recipient on the back of the title.

For more information on this or other title transfer matters, contact the DMV at (202) 727-5000.