How to Title a Motorcycle With A Missing Title: Should You Even Try?

Titling a Motorcycle With A Missing One: Is It Worth the Effort?

Motorcycles are at the very heart of the Dirt Legal company. We started out as a dirt bike company that was here to help get bikes titled that had some title issues. Usually, they were either missing a title or it was an off-road dirt bike (or other OHV like quads, UTVs, and Roxors). 

Our old way of doing this was through Vermont, but as of July, 2023, the State of Vermont closed its loophole allowing out-of-state vehicle registrations. So, what does this mean? Are there any other ways to title a motorcycle that’s missing its title? There are, so let’s walk through this and see how you can still get on the road with your prize bike even if you are sans title.  

Can You Buy a Motorcycle Without a Title?

The first question is: can I buy a motorcycle without a title? Yes! Of course you can! You can buy a scrap-branded vehicle if you really want to; you’re just never going to make it street legal again in any state. 

Now, here was the deal: Vermont allowed anyone from any state to register their vehicles there, no questions asked. It was simple. They didn’t ask questions. You could buy a motorcycle that was missing the title and be reasonably sure you could get either a clean, new title or a transferable registration through Vermont with no hassle. 

Well, if you pull the trigger on a bike with no title, you can still recover the title. We do it by way of a bonded title through Montana, using an LLC for residence.  

How to Buy a Motorcycle Without a Title

There are a few steps you need to take with a motorcycle purchase when it doesn’t have a title. 

First, and this doesn’t have its own section but I’m going to say it anyway: work with the current owner and see if they will work with you and the state DMV to obtain a replacement title. And if they are giving you bogus answers or ones that don’t make sense, walk away. No, don’t walk. Run away. It might be a problem child bike they want to dump so they don’t have to deal with it. And if you buy it, it’s YOUR problem. 

Again, try to work with them first. If their reasons check out and are legitimate, then proceed. If they are able to get a replacement title, it will still be easier to go through our Motorcycle Service if you already have a title. 

Get a Bill of Sale (Preferably Notarized)

The first thing you need to do (I personally recommend this for EVERY single vehicle purchase, regardless of state policy) is to get a bill of sale for the bike. If you can, it never hurts to get the bill of sale notarized, too. Some states require it, but not all, but again, you are proving transfer of ownership so getting that notarized is not a bad idea. 

A bill of sale is standard in most states, and in some states it is adequate in place of a title in certain circumstances. For instance, in Kansas, you can transfer ownership solely with a bill of sale for antique vehicles, probably largely due to so many older vehicles missing their titles. This is just an example, rules vary widely from state to state. But you should absolutely get a bill of sale signed by the seller as cheap insurance if for no other reason. 

Do Your Research on the Bike

Also, and this goes for all purchases, you should do your due diligence on the bike in question. Is it worth the hassle? Are there common issues with this bike? You don’t want to inherit someone else’s problem. 

Getting a New Title (When Your Bike Doesn’t Have One)

Alright, so what is the process to get a title when your bike doesn’t have one? 

The process is called a bonded title. A bonded title is a provisional document, and even if you have had the vehicle for several years the ownership can still be brought up in question through legal channels. It isn’t ideal, but this is the system we work within, so we’re making the best of it. 

Here’s basically how it works: You come to us with a bike with no title. Maybe it’s missing, we don’t really know. So, you will have to obtain a surety bond or a title bond (it’s known by both names) to guarantee it financially. In other words, you are putting money down that you are the rightful new owner of the vehicle by staking some cash on it. 

You’ll have to determine the bond amount, which is generally a percentage of the purchase value. This varies from state to state, but the bond is usually 1.5 to 2 times the value of the vehicle. Like a bail bond, though, the buyer is only fronting a small percentage of the bond’s value. 

Once a bond has been secured, the buyer will be able to apply for a surety title. This is one very important other step: a VIN inspection must be performed on the bike. The police do this, and they are looking to see if there is any criminal activity on the title. 

Check the VIN Number with Our VIN Check Service

Before you start the bonded title process, we strongly suggest you get our VIN check and see if anything pops up on the VIN. In fact, do this for all vehicle purchases. I’ve used it several times and have always been glad I did. It even saved me from a basketcase truck a couple of years ago. 

Our VIN check (Note: this is NOT the same thing as a VIN inspection. VIN inspections are only conducted by law enforcement) reveals a number of different problems including:

• Junk or scrap brand

• Salvage or rebuilt title brand

• Title washing

• Title jumping

• Flood damage

What Are Some Best Practices When Buying A Motorcycle Without a Title?

Here are a few best practices for buying a bike without a title.

Can A Duplicate Be Requested?

Request that the seller get a duplicate sent! We cannot stress that enough; it will make your process easier. And you can definitely still go through our Montana title and registration process, and it will be a lot easier to do it with a title in hand. 

Other Things to Be Aware of When Buying a Motorcycle Without a Title

Again, we can’t stress this enough: if it seems shady, it is shady. If the answers you’re asking aren’t getting answers that make sense, or no answer at all, don’t do it! Because once the bike is offloaded and sold to you, it is YOUR problem. Yes, you might be able to get some recompense down the road, but it will cost you money to hire an attorney and try to recover it. You’re much better off never getting into that problem in the first place. 

Parting Thoughts

We’ve helped almost 30,000 people deal with all kinds of title and registration issues over the years. If it has happened, we’ve dealt with it. 

With that said, buying a bike with no title is not something to take lightly. It may be no big deal, or it may be a huge headache. You need to decide before you spend a dime how committed you are willing to be. Because it might not really pay out in the long run. 

However, if you want to give it a shot, get with our team about our bonded title program. This has all the benefits of a bonded title program but with the added benefit of zero sales tax through our Montana title and registration program.