titleing a car in maryland

4

46international

Member
First of all hello to all! I am glad to say that after 35 to 40 years of owning antique cars and trucks I may soon buy a Model A!

Like I said, I may soon buy a model A, The problem is, the car has no title. The seller said the car came from New Jersey and he bought it with no title but has a bill of sale. he also will give me a bill of sale, but how do I get a title in the state of Maryland? I asked the owner to try to find a serial number so I can try to run it through the MVA to see if it has ever been reported stolen. Where is the serial number located?

What have others done with this problem?

Thanks for any help,
Tom
 
Does the car have a current registration? If it does, I would use the number shown and submit the old reg. to the DMV. The number is under the left front cowl on the frame and originally matched the engine number which is on a pad beneath the head on the left side of the engine.
 
Check with the Maryland DMV as to the requirement for a title for a vehicle from another state. Here is S Carolina, a "bill of sale" must be accompanied with some other paperwork, title, old registration, in the same name to prove that the seller is the rightful owner of the vehicle. Title situation may be the reason for present owner selling.
 
Check on the MVA website in the state you are purchasing, if a vehicle this old is even issued a title. Check the MVA website in Maryland, it tells you what you need to know. On vehicles this age in MD, they don't need a notarized bill of sale, but it may be very helpful for a notary to view the transaction and include in your bill of sale, wording of the transfer of current owner bill of sale. It would be great if you had a previous registration, but it sounds as though the current owner didn't register. As others stated the frame serial number is under the body, the engine number is on the pad under the head on the left. Maryland for me has always been very easy to deal with.
 
If it becomes an option, always go with the frame/chassis #, not the engine #. I know Model A's were the same, but don't limit yourself to just an engine #. You might find yourself changing engines at some point and starting the whole registration number fiasco all over again.
 
Start with YOUR state's DMV!! Each state varies as to requirements and what they will accept. Good luck.
Paul in CT
 
Make title a condition of sale---help the person selling go through the paperwork ---that way if it becoms a big problem it is not your vehicle without a title

many engines were changed, the real vin is on the frame--under the body, originally it matched the engine ---sometimes the original vin was used for a hot rod, then the engine and chassis was sold, another body put on --even though you have the numbers on the engine and frame you may not be able to use them ---possibly you should check with Nj also to see if the # is being used
 
Kurt: Some states such as CT do NOT issue titles for cars over 20 or 25 years old. When I registered nmine here 2 yeaRS AGO NO TITLE WAS ISSUED.
pAUL IN ct
 
heres where to find the frame #
 

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Maryland does issue a title, but I am not sure what exactly they require as proof of purchase. My Model A had a PA title, which had the original engine number on it and titling was a piece of cake. Also make sure you ask for the one time as long as you own the car antique (black sticker) registration, which runs $50.00.
Dave
 
jak, would Terry's tag be able to help me if I don't get a title when i buy the car? I will still have to come up with a title won't I?

Dave, Yes Maryland does issue a title but this car does not come with one so I will have to buy a title or trace down the old title and get a duplacate form New Jersey (where the car may have come from) or Pa. (where the car is now) or Maryland.

Does anyone know if New Jersey issue titles for cars that old?
 
I think Jersey has always been a "title" state,I have some titles from the 60s,50s it might be hard to search NJ records, they lost some of the old paper records in a fire,they can tell you if a # is being used, bill of sale isn't enough to get a title ---my car came from NY, the expired NY registration was enough to get a title in NJ, it could be possible to register the car in a state that doesn't title older cars---long time ago bought a car in Vermont--or New Hampshire ---cost 17$ to register it in that state---then transfered it to NJ, that resulted in a NJ title ---don't remember the rules, the seller did all the paperwork ----in NJ the NJ owner would have to file for the duplicate ---and I don't think they will tell you who has the title in their name--just that the # is being used
 
Avoid the headaches, buy a car with a good current title or make the seller get the proper title first. Without a title there is always the chance that it's a stolen car. There is nothing like buying a car without a title finding the serial numbers and discovering that it belongs to someone else and you end up with nothing.
 
I went through this headache with Maryland. If the seller is in a state that issues a title, you are going to be better off with him trying to get a title first. Expect a hassle, but it can be done. My suggestion is drive to a rural MVA where the staff are more consumer friendly and may take the time to work it out with you. I ended up getting my title in Massachusetts in my Dad's name since the last time it was registered was in Mass and MD was a pain.
 
46international I have never had to use her but from what I understand she will take the vin number and do a search for it, if it comes up not registered she will creat a title for the car that you can take to the MVA. Again this is just what I've been told I'd give her a call to make sure that is how it works. Good Luck.
 
I was told that I needed to trailer the car to Glen Burnie on, I think,one Tuesday a month.Get in line and wait.They'll inspect it and assign it a VIN.
 
In my opinion, you do NOT want an assigned VIN. The value of your vehicle has now depreciated and if you decide to sell, someone (I for one) would not be interested in purchasing it. It will also probably affect how much you pay for insurance. JMO
Paul in CT
 
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