Topic: Texas Titles

[MotoRico]

Anyone know how to get a title for a vehicle in Texas?  The DOT site mentions something about agents of the owner and such.  I have no idea what that means.  If I bought a parts bike would I then be the owner and all I have to do is provide an affidavit to that effect?

[Patrick]

It's a pain, but it can be done. You have to get two appraisals on the value of the vehicle, which usually can be done by taking pictures of the bike to a couple of local motorcycle dealers, or they will tax you on the bluebook value. Then you are going to have to get title insurance, which is priced based on the value of the bike, and a special form you get at the local Texas Department of Transportation office. Call you the tax assessor-collector in the county in which you live and they'll tell you what you need. I did it once and it's time consuming and a pain. A better alternative is to find a crappy bike with a good title and use parts from both to put together one good bike.

Good luck,

Patrick

[AR-Guy]

I would agree with Patrick and go by the tax office and ask what ya need and get all the forms you need.

Buck

[medic09]

Remember, Texas used to be an independant republic.  Sometimes they think they still are, hence the bureaucracy.

 

[Heirborn]

It does take some work but is not too bad. It depends on how important having a title for what you have and after it is all said and done is the bike worth it.  The sweet CL70 Scrambler was well worth it for me.

Get the paperwork from the Tax Assesors office. Fill it out, get it appraised, take it to TxDot and they will basically refuse to grant you a title. They will give you more paperwork which you will need to take to an insurance agency that issues title bonds. The insurance company will usually run your credit and check you out. If granted you take the bond and all your paperwork back to the tax office.

Make sure you read the instructions carefully, call if necessary to prevent unnecessary repeat trips.

There are also groups that will do all the work for you...usually for around $200.00. The bond for my bike ran $100.00 and is based on the value and a multiplier.

[AR-Guy]

Remember, Texas used to be an independant republic. 

 

Use to be??

[Patrick]

And when it was an independent republic, Medic, Santa Fe was in it. Everything north of the Rio Grande, including half of New Mexico and a big chunk of Colorado and Wyoming.....

Patrick

[medic09]

Remember, Texas used to be an independant republic. 

 

Use to be??

Spoken like a true Texan!

So now I've got to tell how learned about Texas.

I was recruited to come from Israel to work in the Jewish community in Houston.  The US had invaded Panama to capture that dope dealer Noriega.  The very day that Noriega was captured (remember, this was the reason for the war); Jerry Granville, the Oilers coach, went to Atlanta for a 'secret' interview to coach there.  All the headlines and leading TV news stories were about the football coach!  Oh, yeah, the Noriega capture got a little coverage further on.

That's not to say that Texans don't care about patriotic issues.  They do, like nobody's business.  But they didn't let that get in the way of the state religion- football.   

Texas really is a whole nother country!

[ChippK8]

Does anyone know if having a bill of sale from a dealer helps the process at all?

I bought a CB500t from a guy who owns a body shop who sold it for a friend who bought the bike at auction. I don't suspect that a bill of sale will do anything except prove who I bought the bike from.  The original story was that the guy had all the auction forms and all I would need to do was pay the taxes on it to get a title, but I guess that was a fabrication. 

The bike has a lot of potential, the only thing it is missing is a side cover and the tail light.  So I figured it was worth risking and bought it for $150.  I don't want to start working on it until I know I can title it.

[Patrick]

The bill of sale will only establish the value for the purposes of sales tax. Things have changed a bit in Texas since this original posting. You still need to get a bonded title, but it's not nearly the pain it once was. You need to get bonding insurance. When I titled my Shadow in January I got the bonding insurance from my local State Farm agent, but you no longer need the appraisals. They will charge tax on blue book value unless they accept the bill of sale to set the value for taxes. Get the forms at your local TxDOT office. The bonding insurance means that if the bike turns out to be stolen (TxDOT will check Texas, but not the other states) and the rightful owner turns up and can prove that the bike was stolen, then you will have to pay the original owner the fair market value of the bike. TxDOT will tell you how much that is and how much insurance you have to buy. In any case, however, you get a title and you keep the bike even if the owner turns up.

It's really not that hard anymore.

Patrick

[Wayne Meuir]

For more information google: "Texas Bonded Title"  It will go to the TexDot website and there is an explanation of the forms needed, etc.  Yoku can actually ge the forms on line.
It stats in there somewhere that a bill of sale will help.

Wayne

[greenjeans]

And then there's always the option of registering it as an antique....  good for 5 yrs, no inspection necessary
you're not supposed to ride it much, but I've yet to have a problem...

[ChippK8]

http://www.txdot.gov/txdot_library/publications/government/doing_business/bulletins/2007/010-07.htm

That page  pretty much lists the whole process.  Sounds like I can get an appraisal and the bond from an insurance agent.  Hopefully the bill of sale will allow me to not have to pay taxes on the blue book value, but I'm sure the BB value is not that high anyway.

[Really?]

Man, all the Texans (or residents of) came out of the woodwoork on this one.

[Bodain]

Actually it's easy. Anyone can apply for a title on anything. I can apply for a title on your car that you drive daily. Naturally I would not be successful because the record clearly shows you as the owner.

Go to your local subcourthouse office and ask for the form that details the steps you need to take to apply for a title. The form is available to anyone and details the steps to take.

For the sake of of example lets assume you working with a 1970's bike.

The requirements are.......
Bill of Sale
Proof of Insurance
A written estimate of the bikes value ( from any Bike shop)
Pics of the bike
Pics of the VIN
A signed statement by two of friends stating you bought the bike from xxx on date xx.

Now take all this to TexDot office and give them $2.50                   They do the VIN search....
If it's a 60's / 70's bike. They will probably come up with no record. This is GOOD!

If they find no record, they now complete a form stating the did the search and found no record. Now you take all this evidence to your County Court house to request a title hearing.  Hearing date arrives. You take all your paper evidence to a gal in a cube. She looks it over and in 10 minutes I'm walking out with current registration and title in the mail.

I've done this twice...

Now if the record search at TexDot turns up a previous owner record, this get alot more expensive and nasty. Now you enter the realm of Bonded titles and trying to find last recored owner. So if your considering buying an old wreck. It might be wise to do the vin search first.


Second method...  Fact is .... You don't need Texas title to be legally registerd.
I have a 1985 Yamaha RZ 350. I am legally registered in the state of Texas, Inspected. I don't have a title. Nor do I care...

Using this method we work with a title company who utilizes the wonderful laws in the state of Maine.... This method costs about $150.00 takes about 4 weeks. Gets you legally registered in Texas, without a title.