News in 2015

Does the state know something about a car title that you don’t? For businesses (and individuals) purchasing a car with a “clean” title, it can be a costly and unpleasant surprise to discover that a title transfer or new title issuance is going to result in a branded or salvage title. With the increase in online sales and auctions, unscrupulous sellers intentionally avoiding the disclosing of title brands or a salvage history in order to sell the vehicles for a higher price has become a very real problem.

For used car dealers especially, if the seller of a vehicle is an insurance company, the chances are very good that the “clean” title advertised is either in the insurance company’s name or has been endorsed over to the insurance company as the result of a total loss payout – and there’s a danger that neither the purchasing dealer nor the eventual buyer will be able to get a “clean” title on the vehicle.

The federal National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) was designed to allow state title agencies to research a vehicle’s title and salvage history before issuing a new title. Using the NMVTIS system, DMVs can see information about older titles issued in other states – including title brands and salvage histories. That means that a prospective buyer may not know that Texas has applied a FLOOD brand to a truck title, but when it’s sold at auction and re-titled in Minnesota, the MN DMV is going to see that brand and issue the new title accordingly.

The bottom line is that it’s always a good idea to protect yourself and your business by verifying a vehicle’s title status before purchase. A NMVTIS report can tip you off to potential issues before you close the deal, and help avoid an unexpected salvage title from the DMV.

Make sure the state doesn’t find a title problem you didn’t anticipate- low- cost NMVTIS title check reports are available in all ADD accounts.

For more information about NMVTIS title records, email ADD or call one of our friendly and knowledgeable customer service representatives at 855-300-3455 . Se habla español.