Texas resident? Buying a car with no title? How to do a Texas Bonded Title step by step! 

Excellent video Mr. Buton. Clear and concise. Thank you.

Great video and thanks for being so detailed and patient! Keep up the good work .

Just wanted to say that I appreciate your video very much. It helped me out greatly. Thank you for your service to the community.

I appreciate a lot all of your videos, sir! They're really very useful and informative!!

Tom. Thanks so much for your help. Grateful to you. Dad's CJ7 means the world to me to get restored and back on the road. Jim

I would like to personally thank you for such a clear and concise video on this issue. THANK YOU for taking your time to school the unknowing in this. It helped me so much that if you were here I would hug you. Again THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!!!!!

Thank you! for the videos it help me get a lost tittle on my 2011 Nissan Sentra. I just follow your instruction on the video and had no problems ...Thank You! Mr. Buxton

Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

good information. Thanks for taking the time to run this down

Very interesting and informative. I've passed on some deals for lack of knowledge. Thanks

wow what a thorough video, thank you!

Nice clear run down thank you!

Thanks from a fellow Fate resident. Appreciate the FACTS Tom!

Clear and helpful information

Hey Tom great video very informative

My man, you just saved me some trouble. Thanks!

Great Job That was the best info 👏 I found. Gracias

Great video!! I definitely know What to do now! Thank you.

Thanks for the info, this is good stuff

awesome step by step vid thank you

I found your video very interesting and detailed

Thank you for this video

Great explanation ❤

Trying this! Thank you so much. Finally got my bill of sale even though my own mother refused to give me a copy of her ID

Thank you very informative

Good info ...like your informational videos

Thank you. It was helpful

Bro. Thanks so much for this video. I am the person in this case that legitimately bought a car, bill of sale and title in hand, but lost the title before registering and transferring the title to myself and can’t contact the seller anymore. I think I can use this info, maybe even link this vid, to assure possible buyers that it’s okay to buy my 06 Pontiac solstice if they just do a little leg work

Tom, I purchased a vehicle from a used car lot in Alvin Texas. The original owner of the used car dealership had died, and a few of his relatives are currently overseeing his used car dealership. The used car dealership REFUSES to present a title, saying, "the title is in our safe and we will transfer it into your name.". I also asked if any leins were on the vehicle, they said, "no.". I did have my cellphone on speaker as a retired accountant/CPA a friend of mine was listening in on the conversation and who also asked the used car dealership "if there was a clear title with no liens?". The used car dealership said to my friend, "no liens, and clear title.". My concern is, Why the used car dealership refuses to allow me to see the title. The used car dealership did, obtain an inspection sticker and registration, along with new plates. Is it customary for used car dealerships to not show the vehicle title and take care of the title for the buyer? I did sign a form for Texas title and registration at the used car dealership. I never seen the title or signed it. Any feedback from you Tom would help me to better understand.

What an excellent informative video, kudos to you. We have a truck purchased at auction from the Texas A&M and we’ve done all you stated. However the Waco DMV assigned an excessive value.to the vehicle based on their “blue book” value search. Can we challenge the value assessed? Please advise. When do surety bonds expire.?

I bought a project truck and lost my title for it this helps so so much

Thank you Tom

Thanks for the video! By any chance do you know of a good place in DFW to buy the surety bonds? I don't have a "go to guy" for insurance and would rather not get ripped off going to random place.

Thanks man!

I'm in TX with a complicated situation. I know I potentially screwed up, I bought from a private seller and got the title, bill of sale and a blank application for transfer and/or registration without the signatures (I've never bought a used car before always bought new from dealers). Come to find out the Title is clear which is good but the car came originally from a repo off a small loan company that I guess sold it to their repo guy that then sold it to the guy I bought it from but no one registered it so the title is signed by the loan company and I have the lease that the repoed it and the loan company agrees the title is good and the car was sold. I try to register it and the state wants the loan company since they signed the title to fill out the application for transfer and/or registration plus write a statement that they accidentally signed the front of the title. Once that's done the state said I can register it to myself. Problem is the loan company seems hesitant to sign anything and has to get with the District Manager for approval, what options do I have to still register it in my name if they don't sign it???? I assume the repo guy and the guy I bought it from was just trying to avoid paying taxes and fees. IO just want to pay what I owe the state get it registered and move forward and learn a valuable lesson.... Any advice or guidance would really help[p......

Completed all of these steps.. went to Tax assessor. You will also need a copy of current inspection. Even if it’s current. You need a copy of it.

Very helpful video sir. One question, where do you mail the bonded title form and corresponding documents? Thanks in advance.

I did a bonded title on a motorcycle, I learned the process throughly and down pat. It was my first bike and got it from my neighbor super cheap, it was crashed, long story here, he moved several states away, kept saying he'd get me the title, he was a over the road truck driver, gone most the time, he got home one day and his girlfriend burned all his stuff (and my title). I will tell you if you want to this, you better really want the motor vehicle bad, like really want it. Took me almost 11 months, 150$ for the bond(10 cents on the dollar) then I had to buy new tires, battery, all the parts to make it road worthy because you need to go in for a state patrol vin and vehicle inspection. Then ofcourse you have a fairly large pack of papers to fill out and learn about, send all of that packet in the mail CERTIFIED TO THE LAST LEGAL OWNER, and it must come back to you undeliverable (took about a month or more to make it back to me and the last legal owner in my case was my old nextdoor neighbor from a year before.. keep in mind that the last owner has a chance to take back the vehicle during and up to I think 3 or 4 years even after you get your bonded title. So make sure if you do this that your are rightfully doing so. I might have left out some little things and the order of a couple processes but this guy in the vid fully explains it well, watch it. I'm just telling my real life story. I did get my title after that 11 months approximately, I will say even though I was lawfully doing it, i was scared i was going to lose all the money i had put into that bike the whole process (about 1,500$) because if the last owner wanted to be a d#ck or the state just says no I would have been screwed. Well anyways, I loved that bike, put more work and money into it, road it for 7 years then sold it with no issues. Told myself I'd never do it again..mainly because the part in my state where it had to be road worthy..that's alot of money in an old fixer upper to put in on a gamble like a bonded title. If I remember right you can also have the bonded" word removed from the title after a few years or so. Not that that word on the title really madders.

Really appreciate the video! I do have a question for you. I purchased a vehicle in Texas, got a bill of sale and the title. When I drove home to Tennessee, I went to the dmv to register it in my name but the former owner had pulled a duplicate title. I called the former owner and he is saying that he wasn't the one who pulled the title. Would a bonded title be the way to proceed for me? I paid 20k for this truck and now I can't register it.

Great Video, I have a question what if I buy a Junk Car and just want to scrap it, can I just go through the bonding process or do I need to apply for the title. Thanks for your time

I purchased a 1989 Chevy Caprice from someone that did not have the title he never registered under his name. I moved to fort bliss in El Paso, Texas 2 weeks ago so I'm not a resident of Texas. my wife is an active-duty military so we're going to do the bonded title under her name and we also got a bill of sale and a picture of his driver's license. So I hope everything goes smoothly! -Your video motivated me to buy it plus it was a great deal that I couldn't pass up.

Hi Tom! I live in Kansas but I’m looking at an 81 Mercedes in the DFW area. The guy said he doesn’t have the title so I’d have to do a bonded title. My question is, do I need to do a bonded title in Texas, or will a Kansas Bill of Sale work? In Kansas, vehicles over 35 can have ownership transferred via only bill of sale. However, I’m curious if there are there any hoops I need to jump through in Texas, or if I could get that bill of sale and just take care of everything here in Kansas?

Thanks for this

Awesome thank you

You sir are a godsend

Bought a 73 charger in Oklahoma, last registered in 1985. Got a bill of sale, not running but complete. Do I have a good chance of getting a bonded title? Thanks for doing the video, it was a great help

Thank for all this information. My case I was trying buy a car at Storage Treasure Auction and they only give a bill of sale .. I'm not sure about .. and I don't have access to the Vin number for a simple verification...

Great video man. It was very helpful. One question. If a seller puts a transfer notification on the vehicle, does that in any way help the process for the bonded title easier?

Thanks!!

This a great video and just what I needed! How does it affect the process if you don't have a bill of sale and the vehicle was abandoned at your property? We have received a certified letter from the líen holder stating they no longer have any financial interest in the vehicle. Thank you! 🙏

Good afternoon, I really liked this video and found it helpful. I wanted to ask if I bought my car off Copart from Georgia and got it rebuilt here in texas and sold it to someone as a salvage title but the deal fell through, then would I have to get a bonded title? I spoke to my county tax assessor and they only gave me a packet to fill out a bonded title. Keep in mind I still have the brown salvage Georgia title under the insurance name (I never put it under my name that is my mistake) and have two boxes signed. One over to me and another over to the person that was going to buy it. The reason why they wouldn't do the transfer in his county is because I'm not a dealer so I couldn't transfer the vehicle as a salvage title, id has to register it in my name and then be able to sell it.

Another question on the application for title, the last link on the video, it says signature of seller/trader. Would I fill that out or only the section right under it where it says owner? I say that because there’s also a box that needs to be checked above the mentioned signatures that states the title was lost or damaged. I know I would check that box but don’t know if I would sign the section under it because I’m not the trader/seller. I ask you as you have experince filling out these sections. Would I leave the trader/seller area blank and just fill out the owner section?

This video was so helpful. Thank you so much. Question, is it a red flag if a seller won't tell you the VIN number?

Good job

Thank you. A question I have, I have a title that is super dried out kind of broken up was folded up with other registration paperwork in a plastic bag in the glove box. The car hasn't been registered since 1985, and the title is damaged because of it being superheated and dry for so long. It's brittle. What can I do with that situation?

Thank you for the breakdown. Do you know how it works to purchase a vehicle (boat) with no title in Texas, but then bring it to another state? We live in Arkansas, but found a boat in Texas.

Thank you for your video. got a motorcycle (paid $600 for the motor and the guy gave me the frame and front forks) I did a BOS for the motor for $600 and did one for the frame as gift for the price. Do you think that will work? Same VIN for both the frame and engine.

Great video!!! Do you mail the forms to the Houston address or the Austin address?

I have a travel trailer I just bought and it’s a Louisiana salvage title and I’m in texas it’s an auction one that I bought from a guy that bought it from a dealership. I have the title signed from the dealership and the buyer part is blank cause I don’t wanna mess it up. What do you recommend? I need to get tags for it.

Thank you so much! My dad has this car his been driving around for 2+ years with no title. He said he would give me the car if I can take out the bound title. We’re still in contact with the person who sold the car to him. But we don’t have any proof my dad bought it 2+ years ago bc it was through cash. Can we still fill out the bill of sale?

Me again thanks again for the reply. I completely screwed up on this. I just told him that I just want him to give the 2800 I gave him , because he got an attitude and said " I will just give you the money back if that's what you want!". He's said that to me twice now. The ad said he had a clean title, but I didn't check until after I gave him the money. I told him that saying he had the title but he didn't was fraud, and I found out he was also title jumping , and I told him that was illegal. Something tells me I'm not going to hear from him again. I'm going to call the DMV to see if it has a lien when they open. I went to a website and entered the vin a it came back as not stolen so , we will see what the DMV says. I really appreciate you reply.

Hi! Thank you for the informative video. I have a few questions about a situation that I am in. I bought my first car from a private seller. I made a mistake and didn't realize that the person I bought it from didn't register the vehicle and didn't have the title in his name. The name on the title is someone else not the guy that I bought it from. I'm not sure what to do, any advice would be helpful. also I ran a report on the vehicle and everything came back clean. There is no lien, the car wasn't reported stolen, no accidents, etc. I'm in Texas too. Would this situation call for a bonded title?

Hey Tom, I am buying a car from Colorado, do I have to take it for inspection physically to my local law inforcement office to make sure that it is not stolen or just the VIN # would do the trick? Please let me know. Thanks !

I recently got a 30 year old f250 passed down from a person that I work with , no title .the truck was a Texas truck for most of his life until he gave it to his son but he gave it back to his dad , and his dad gave it to me without the title , he can’t find the title and when I went to the dmv it said it’s a Oklahoma title with Texas plates . My question is can I still be eligible for a bonded title or will a bill of sale from his son will due in the state of Texas ?

It looks pretty straight forward, not easy but doable. What I don’t understand is why some supposedly professional people, recommend not to buy without a title unless the original owner can be reached.

Thank you one More Question How Much I will pay for Tax Office for Title

Hi! First time car buyer here. I bought a car a while ago from a guy who got it from an auction and did not get the title, therefore I did not get the title when I bought it from him. He did give me the auction bill of sale under his name as well as a bill of sale from him personally. Would this be enough for a bonded title application?

Hello, on the application for the title registration it requires seller's signature. Do I have to get it even though I bought the car a while ago? I have the bill of sale.

I got a 96 Buick Roadmaster Hearse from a seller and they had the title in hand. Signed the back and took it to the tax office to get it transferred. Turns out the title I had was an older one and there’s a newer out of state title for it since the seller moved but came back to Texas. They don’t have that current title anymore just the one that they gave me. Would a bonded title be my safest course of action at this point?

Can lienholders sale a car ? I bought a car that had a lien on the title but the seller had the title in hand and signed it over to me only way he could get access to title and car is if he stole it or the lienholder sold him the car right ??? dmv rejected it cause the seller never registered the car in his name, the car nor title was reported stolen when I did the vin check what are my options ? I have the title in hand with lienholders signature on the release

Question: Say i get a bonded title for the 1967 Ford that i want, fix it up and get it going again, im moving from Texas to Montana before summer 2024 no matter what. Would having a bonded title be an issue to register it in Montana or what, if any loophole, can i legally use?

Thanks

I bought a car in 3/20/17 before harvey hit and i lost the title and never signed it over after looking through all my stored items i found the title. How much would the penalties be for not changing it over?

Does all of this information work for trailers as well? I’m trying to buy a trailer but the person i want to buy it from lost the title, so I was wondering if it would be the same process

Another question for you. If a vehicle has a clean title but on the Vin report under insurance records it says insurance company - progressive - disposition salvage. What does that mean? If I buy the vehicle I can't use progressive insurance? Or will it be hard to get insurance even though the title is clean? Under the salvage/junk section of the report it says green no issues reported.

What if I bought a brand new bike and it was never registered by the seller who sold it to me but he misplaced the title and I get a bonded title..will his name pop up as the original owner? Even tho he never registered it under his name and sold it to me? Sounds like a title jump ..but what’s your thoughts

Thanks. I apologize for the late response so the car is supposedly in the business name. Will he be able to stop the bonded title?

I have a question, I just bought a car and the person I bought it from did not sign the title and I forgot. I am trying to reach him but he won’t meet me to sign the title. I went to the DMV and they said that I have to get a bonded title. Is there a way to avoid getting the bonded title and somehow fix this one. He said he was a dealer and DMV needs his dealer number and sign but he won’t do it. How can I fix this? Thank you.

Thanks for the info I do have a question I do have a truck with that a bought And found out that it has a lean and o looked for the dealer where the truck was bought But the dealership closed

Hey brother you know any place to get a surety bond ? In Carrollton Texas

How about if the car was bought at an auction, but the person bought it under his LLC company and never transfer the title. He wants to sale it that way. Can I still get a Bond title.

I have the title to a vehicle but the original title owner tried selling it. So it has the og title holders name and the buyers named signed. I brought the title from someone who brought the vehicle from The buyer. So I'm basically the fourth person. I don't think we can get ahold of the original title holder since they signed it two years ago. Can I do a bonded title then

What if you don't have the seller ID but just the bill of sale with there name and signature.

Do you recommend any specific company for getting the bonds? Thanks

Hi.I am an Illinois resident that bought a 2010 Camaro from a Texas resident/seller.registered owner on title.I got it just with the Bill of Sale and an open title for me to be easy to flip it. Now in the meantime I did misplaced the original Title(TX) cause the vehicle went to a mechanic shop for different repairs and was there for 1 year...I do still the Bill of Sale beetwen me and the seller,the car is not stolen,how i can get the title directly in my name or how can i get a duplicate title from TX DMV?Thanks

My friend bought a car (abandoned/not paid at mechanic shop) using this bonded title process. He registered car but did not receive title for over 3 month. We sent inquiry letter to DMV and they responded that title was sent to the registered vehicle owner. Any idea what should be our next step? We are in Texas Dallas area

Hey how are you doing today I hope all is well I have a question how do you flip cars without a dealers license

I do have a title, and the bill of sell, but they still asking me for the bond insurance, why?

Hey so I had a car accident and the insurance wants to pay me out but when I bought the car they didn’t give me the title just bill of sale can I get a bonded title in this case ? So I can get the payout for my accident

I bought a 1972 Truck from from Mike , Mike never put the title under his name but sold me the truck with the Johns name on the title . The title is a bonded title. Mike bought the truck 10 years ago. No idea where the John , previous owner is or how to get ahold of him. I just want to have a clear title with my name on it since I’m keep it this 50th anniversary truck… any feedback ?

How would I get a bonded title for a 1978 z28 roller ?would I have to rebuild it and then apply for a bonded title and how would appraisal work

Have Bill of Sale and Old Registration is from out of State. Seller did not have Title and no Photo ID. Car is 15 years old, have Bill of Sale, Inspection and Insurance. Can I still get Bonded Title?

What about if the vehicle is clear of liens, isn't stolen, has been sold several times without the title, and has no license plates? That's my situation with a motorcycle I bought.

Thank you for the help. What if you paid 3000 down to a private seller who said they had the title but actually didn't have one. I asked the guy to send me a picture of the title and he couldn't, made up excuses. First time I bought a car .ty

Does the biss of sale have to be notarized? Also, the dmv websites says they will not accept a vehicle if it is over 25 yrs old and apprasied under 4000 dollars, what does this mean? I looked and my motorcycle i may do this process with is only worth like 3000.

If I have bought a vehicle and the previous owner did not bother to put the title In his name but I have the title and bill of sale does that qualify for a bonded title?

Do I need to bring the car to the agent to inspection, or I just call for Sheriff office to verify the car just like you said? Thx I live in Houston TX

I bought a 96 ford f350 from this lady that has the truck but she doesn’t have title, so would I need to do the bonded title route?

What if I bought a oldie truck and i found out later it was exported to Mexico before and never imported back to Texas and no title for it ? Thank you

Question i dont have a bill of sale I do have a title but some of the information is faded what can I do?