Contactless Vehicle Title Transfer
 

I just thought I would share with the group a recent experience I had with the California DMV transferring a vehicle title to my name.

I didn’t want to deal with going to the DMV or AAA to transfer the title after purchasing a clean low mileage 2000 996 Triptronic Cabriolet.

The California DMV had an option on their website for a virtual title transfer, so I was naturally interested.

The process is quite simple;

1) First you start the application by filling in all the pertinent information: Your name, drivers license number, address, the vehicle VIN number, mileage the sellers information etc. etc. then submit.

2) Maybe two hours later I got an email asking for a scanned copy of the signed title.

3) After an additional two hours I got another email asking for a scanned copy of the smog check.

4) Perhaps four hours after that I got an email that the DMV had calculated the taxes and registration fees that were due. I received a link to pay the registration fees.

5) The next day I received another email congratulating me that the process was nearly complete and that all I had to do was send in the actual documents previously submitted via email (signed title and smog check paperwork.)

6) The final part took a little more time. Six weeks after mailing in all the documentation I received an email that the process was complete and that they would be mailing me my registration and title within two weeks.

Yes, overall it did take a little more time then going in person, however I was in no rush and it certainly saved me a lot of time by not having to go to the DMV or the AAA.

Obviously a service that was borne out of the worldwide pandemic.

I wonder what happens if the signed title gets lost in the mail.

Scanned documents? Here in TX, the state knows within seconds of me getting my car smogged. I'm somewhat surprised that Cali doesn't have that level of database communication.

California is the same.
When you get your car smogged it is instantly transmitted to the state. You don’t mail anything in.

Believe me, I was thinking the same thing. If it gets lost then you have to fill out the paperwork for a request for duplicate title, probably adding at least a month. Fortunately mine got through.


I was wondering why they wanted the hard copy since it was electronically transmitted, but they asked for the hard copy anyway.

Huh? The scan is in the system. They have no reason to want the original other than wanting the original. Scams you know, but the DMV lives in the Middle Ages technically speaking.

They are on a IBM system that IBM doesn't support. Ping time ranges from 6 MINUTES to nearly 1/2 hour. And the system crashes so often that they actually do need the original.

Today, I received the vehicle registration in the mail, 12 days after the transfer was finalized.

I sent an email to the DMV specialist working the case asking if the title would come separately. I received a reply 2 hours later, this is what they said;


“Yes, the title will arrive separately and typically takes 30 days from the date the transfer was finalized which in this case was 9/15/21.”

Overall not a bad option to transfer the title. It does take a little more time but definitely avoids long lines at the DMV or a trip to AAA

Did one this morning. In and out in 15 minutes.