If you are searching for how to get rid of a motorcycle without a title, you’re at the right place. An uncle had a Honda motorcycle sitting in the garage for some time.
Eventually, they decided to get rid of it but no one will buy it without a title. We contacted the motor vehicles department, and they said they couldn’t access records older than 1990 after going computerized. The officials added that the motorcycle is titled, and we can’t get a new title since it is titled already.
My aunt suggested we abandon it somewhere; they can’t look up the VIN since the motorcycle has no records. I searched the entire home for the motorcycle title from about 1979, but no luck.
Somehow, however, I managed to get rid of the motorcycle without a title! But how?
First, the DMV official was unaware that a rider can register a motorcycle without a title in other states like VT. Since ours was an older motorcycle, it qualifies.
How to Get Rid of a Motorcycle Without a Title
If you have a motorcycle – old or new, without a title, it is easy to get rid of it.
Below are the ways to get rid of a motorcycle without a title:
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Junk the Motorcycle
Some junkyards refuse motorcycles without a title, but several junkyards accept motorcycles without a title as scrap metal. However, the junkyard will request your previous registration and driver’s license to verify ownership.
The junkyard typically pays up to a few hundred dollars if your motorcycle has no title. However, junkyards do not pay the true market value of motorcycles without a title because of the additional paperwork cost to legalize the motorcycle.
I refused to junk the motorcycle because it was still functioning, and the junkyard will not offer a decent value. Unless your motorcycle is irreparable, do not junk it.
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Sell to Track Riders
If you live closer to track riders, you can sell the bike to them. In Oklahoma, for instance, riders do away with their motorcycles for track bike projects.
It is preferable to give the bike to track riders than junk it because they need the components.
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Turn It to Art
You can turn the motorcycle into art. A nearby artist can help with it, but I doubt it is an excellent way to get rid of a bike with no title.
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Get in Touch with a Vintage Club
Search the web for either Antique Motorcycle Club or Vintage Motorcycle Club. You may find help to get in touch with someone local that needs the bike.
However, if your motorbike is older, consider the antique.
Instead of scraping the bike, give the vintage club a try for a vintage restoration if your bike is older. Moreover, the original motorcycle parts are preferred over factory reproductions.
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Dump the Motorcycle
If the motorcycle has VIN, get rid of the part(s) containing the VIN and dump it where the are no CCTVs. You do not get the value for it in this way.
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Trade Out of State
You can sell the motorcycle out of state. Yes, I sold the old Honda motorcycle out of state to fund a bike project. I used Rhodes Island precisely, but you can look up any state with less stringent titling laws.
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Switch VIN
Some underground companies can buy your motorbike, title, legalize and resell it to you. A company somewhere in the South, a state with easy titling regulations, will buy your motorcycle for a hundos.
They will obtain a title for it and resell it at a higher cost. The major patrons of this business are riders with bikes made out of parts from other bikes—most of the time, with aftermarket frames with no title or VIN. Depending on your motorbike, this option could be the solution to get rid of your bike without a title.
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Dump It on Craigslist
How about dumping the motorcycle on Craigslist? Try to sell it locally on Craigslist as a “parts” bike. Selling it as a part bike means it has no title. In many states, moreover, dirt bikes, drag racing bikes, and Motocross bikes do not require a title. Meanwhile, find out how I got my dirt bike out of impound!
Craigslist can fetch at least $100 depending on the nature of the motorcycle. If the worst SV is worth at least $500, your wheels in good shape can attract at least $200 without a title on Craigslist.
You can sell the motorcycle on any preferable platform, like eBay though. Make sure you know how to write an ad to sell a motorcycle faster.
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Register the Motorcycle in Your Name
As I mentioned in the intro paragraph of this article, you can register a motorcycle with no title in states like VT and GA. However, your bike must be older as specified by the state. In VT, the motorcycle must be at least 15 years older to register and transfer ownership to your name. You will not be given a title, though, because it exceeds the legal age for a title in the state.
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Get a Bonded Title
If you reside in or outside Texas, you can request a bonded title for your motorcycle without a title.
However, you must pass the theft inspection by the police or local sheriff and take the certificate to the Texas DMV for the bonded title procedure to commence for transferring ownership to your name.
The motorcycle must also not be salvaged or rickety, and you must have proof of ownership like a bill of sale and a valid photo ID.
Selling a motorcycle with no title
Meanwhile, can you sell your motorcycle without a title? In March 2015, a cousin bought a new 2012 Hayabusa while serving at an auto repair shop. He titled and registered the motorcycle in Camden County, GA. However, he had ACL surgery a few months after, so he could not ride the motorcycle, which had 200 miles.
In January 2016, he resigned from the job and moved to Massachusetts. He had the bike with him but planned to sell it since he could not ride it. Moreover, he did not transfer the title or registration in Massachusetts and could not find the original issued by GA.
In 2016, a co-worker asked to buy a motorbike. The only thing he had was the GA registration and no title. I did an online search and informed him to call the Camden County tax commissioner’s office. They directed him to fill out and mail in the RMV-1 form.
Unfortunately, he did not have all the required information, and he can’t skip the required fields on the form.
I resumed another research across all states, and I found something you would need regarding whether you can sell a motorcycle without a title.
POPULAR READ: Can you sell a motorcycle without registration?
Can I Sell My Motorcycle Without a Title?
The simple answers are yes and no. YES, because it depends on your state and whether you are willing to sell the bike with an open or floated title, which makes you a curbstoner. Moreover, the buyer will have a headache getting a replacement title and putting the motorcycle in their name unless they can spend on the bonded title and wait for some months of statutory processing. NO, because it is illegal to sell a motorcycle without a title.
When you sell a motorcycle without a title, it indicates that you have omitted sales taxes and registration fees. Moreover, the registration office will charge the sales tax and fine the buyer of the untitled motorcycle.
Note that it is super challenging and expensive for the buyer of an untitled motorcycle to register it in their name. The DMV will get you to request a duplicate title from the seller since they hold the previous registration.
When the buyer proves that they can’t contact the seller for a new title, a new stage of titling the bike begins. First, the buyer of the untitled motorcycle will contact the DMV with the required forms mentioned on the DMV’s website, including the bill of sale, photo ID, and bonded title application form, and pay the necessary administrative fees.
Lest I forget, selling a motorcycle without a title gives the impression that it is a stolen motorcycle made legit. If you lost your title, find out how to get a lost title replaced for a motorcycle.
If you must sell the motorcycle, consider Craigslist. You can sell a motorcycle on Craigslist even without a title. However, the motorcycle market value will reduce significantly. The reason is that the buyer will bear the stress of registering it in their name without a title.
How will the motorcycle buyer obtain a title for the bike?
Depending on your state, if the buyer bought the untitled motorcycle from you out of state, they must submit the VIN at the authorized safety inspection station. If the motorcycle was not registered in the buyer’s state, they must submit the VIN at the station specified by law enforcement for theft inspection. Suppose they pass the test; they receive certification.
The next step is to obtain the notice of determination for a bonded title. It also indicates the amount of bond the motorcycle buyer will purchase.
The next stage is to apply for the bond with the notice of determination for a bonded title. The buyer needs their photo ID and the bill of sale you issued them.
Next, the buyer will prepare and submit the notice of determination for a bonded title, photo ID, and ownership proof (that you issued them during the motorcycle sale) at the county tax office.
Depending on the state of the motorcycle buyer, they may be asked for the customs paper (if the motorcycle was imported), law enforcement identification number inspection (if the motorcycle is registered in your state), and the vehicle identification report (if the purchased the bike from you as an out of state).
Meanwhile, some known states that accept bonded titles include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Alabama, Connecticut, Texas, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Washington, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Florida, California, Alaska, Utah, Georgia, Idaho, and Vermont.
So, after the entire process, the buyer of your untitled motorcycle receives a title with a BONDED inscription.
Get a Replacement Title
If you do not want the buyer to stress out, it will be easier to get a replacement title. Unless you have a lien on the motorcycle, replacing your lost motorcycle title won’t be challenging.
Visit your local DMV’s website for the requirements or call them.
You could go through the state’s registry of motor vehicles and request a duplicate title. It is a convenient process, and it saves the motorcycle buyer a potential headache.
Is It Legal to Sell a Motorcycle Without a Title?
It is illegal to sell a motorcycle without a title. The state assumes that you are evading taxes, which is illegal and selling multiple motorcycles per year without a license. By selling your motorcycle without a title, the buyer will be fined and charged sales tax too during registration.
Meanwhile, your may be interested in registering your motorcycle without a license or getting a motorcycle license without a motorcycle.
Barn Find Bike: You Need no Title
Titling a motorcycle did not happen until a few decades in some states. If you reside in such a state, and your motorbike is older than the titling debut, you can get rid of it quickly with a bill of sale.
A barn find motorcycle could be a motorcycle that has never been issued a title issued. It could have been sitting for years and no clue regarding who owns it since there are no records.
I purchased a 1969 TR25W Trophy in Connecticut as a barn find and needed no title to make it legal. When I requested the title, the seller said it was too old for a title. Of course, I confirmed from the motor vehicles department to be true.
Suppose your motorcycle is a barn find, inspect the VIN thoroughly and contact your local titling commission. Depending on your state, the DMV could be the agency to contact with a bill of sale for the legalization process.
Why Not Get a Bonded Title?
In Colorado, you can get a bond title for a motorcycle before you sell it. However, the motorbike must be valuable. A bonded title should cost about $200 and six months of wait.
First, write up a bill of sale with the VIN and contact the DMV equivalent. Explain that you purchased the motorcycle out of state and that the state does not issue titles on older motorcycles. You will also pay about $25 sales tax and the registration fees. It should take at least 2 months to receive a title by mail.
You just discovered the ways to get rid of your motorcycle without a title. Moreover, if you find a barn find motorcycle, it is easier to register it with no title since it may be older than 15 years or as specified by the state. Meanwhile, can you get a license without a motorcycle? Will the licensing department let you register your motorcycle without license?
Can I sell my motorcycle without a title?
The answer is “Yes.” In most states, however, it is illegal to sell a motorcycle without a title. Some state laws require you to provide the title upfront, and you are obligated to give the motorcycle title to the buyer eventually. Moreover, it will be challenging for the motorcycle buyer to get a duplicate title without a title from you.
How old does a motorcycle have to be to not have a title?
Many “no title” states do not issue titles for motorcycles older than 15 years. You can only receive registration for the motorcycle.
Title Or Salvage Title Established By Surety Bond. Colorado.gov.
- How to Spot a Fake Motorcycle Title
- How to Sell a Motorcycle with a Lien
- How to Register a Motorcycle Without a Title Legally
- How to Get a Title for a Motorcycle Frame
- How to Get a Lost Title For a Motorcycle
