Oregon title for California car?
May 12, 2019 3:38 PM Subscribe
I bought my car in Oregon, then moved to California while it still had a few payments on it and registered it here. After I paid it off, I received the Oregon title in the mail. Now I want to sell it, but I never got a California title. Did I screw up?
I'm in my late thirties and somehow have never been in this situation before.
I'm in my late thirties and somehow have never been in this situation before.
Response by poster: Difficulty level, forgot to mention: I recently gender transitioned and changed my name, and although the name change is final, I'm still waiting for my new driver's license to arrive in the mail. I think...it's time to take this Craigslist ad down?
posted by thesmallmachine at 4:09 PM on May 12, 2019
posted by thesmallmachine at 4:09 PM on May 12, 2019
Response by poster: (I know my license status has nothing to do with selling the car, but presumably I'd also have to put the car in my new legal name, which would involve showing ID.)
posted by thesmallmachine at 4:13 PM on May 12, 2019
posted by thesmallmachine at 4:13 PM on May 12, 2019
Your simplest course would probably be to get a California title, in your new name, before trying to sell it. That may or may not entail a trip to an actual DMV office. California lets you do a lot of transactions online, but I think you may have to produce the name-change documents to effect this one. But titles don't expire, so you won't have a problem there.
I wouldn't want to try to sell a car with an out-of-state title in a different name from mine--most buyers would consider that a big red flag and move on.
posted by bricoleur at 4:18 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
I wouldn't want to try to sell a car with an out-of-state title in a different name from mine--most buyers would consider that a big red flag and move on.
posted by bricoleur at 4:18 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yeah, sorry to threadsit, but this is way more of a mess than I thought it was -- I think I've just been focusing all my bureaucratic muscles on transition/name change stuff, so I didn't ask some very obvious questions about dealing with the car.
I'll wait till I have my new license, get a California title in my new name, then sell it. The double problem of "old name" and "old state" is obscure enough that the DMV doesn't exactly have an FAQ about this, but probably if I go in with the name change form, the new title request form, and every piece of paper in my desk, at least one of them will be helpful.
posted by thesmallmachine at 4:23 PM on May 12, 2019
I'll wait till I have my new license, get a California title in my new name, then sell it. The double problem of "old name" and "old state" is obscure enough that the DMV doesn't exactly have an FAQ about this, but probably if I go in with the name change form, the new title request form, and every piece of paper in my desk, at least one of them will be helpful.
posted by thesmallmachine at 4:23 PM on May 12, 2019
If you happen to be an AAA member, they offer some DMV Services including out-of-state transfers at some AAA branches.
posted by tinker at 4:33 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by tinker at 4:33 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
Angeleno here with two suggestions:
-- Yes, if you have AAA call them and speak to the DMV services department and see if they can help with this. If yes, it'll be a total breeze. They helped me with a difficult DMV issue and it legit took 5 minutes.
-- If not, and you know now that you'll have to delay going to the actual DMV, this is the perfect opportunity to use their appointment system. The DMV is hell, but appointments make it so, so much easier. They're hard to get, but you may find that right now you can get one in, say, two months, which will be the perfect timing for you.
Lastly, please know that a friend of mine recently dealt with her transition + DMV stuff and she was pleasantly surprised to find that the workers at the DMV just did not hassle her at all. They just wanted the paperwork filled out correctly, and that was that.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:02 PM on May 12, 2019
-- Yes, if you have AAA call them and speak to the DMV services department and see if they can help with this. If yes, it'll be a total breeze. They helped me with a difficult DMV issue and it legit took 5 minutes.
-- If not, and you know now that you'll have to delay going to the actual DMV, this is the perfect opportunity to use their appointment system. The DMV is hell, but appointments make it so, so much easier. They're hard to get, but you may find that right now you can get one in, say, two months, which will be the perfect timing for you.
Lastly, please know that a friend of mine recently dealt with her transition + DMV stuff and she was pleasantly surprised to find that the workers at the DMV just did not hassle her at all. They just wanted the paperwork filled out correctly, and that was that.
posted by BlahLaLa at 5:02 PM on May 12, 2019
Yeah I would pull the CL ad until you get the paperwork straightened out. You are obviously in an uncommon situation (loan payoff+move+name/gender change) and there's a reason why the title is the way it is, but for Joe Craigslist Buyer, it's gonna look really suspect. I'd wait and get your license squared away, then get a clean CA title for the car, then sell it. It'll be a lot less explaining on your part!
posted by Kadin2048 at 5:44 PM on May 12, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Kadin2048 at 5:44 PM on May 12, 2019 [2 favorites]
This sounds a lot like someone getting moving to a new state to get married and live with their spouse. Moving and changing names happens all the time. The gender may be an issue, but I doubt it.
If you have your old license and the title, they should match. If you have a copy of the paperwork presented to get a new license along with the matching old docs, CA DMV should be able to issue a new title in your new name with all your updated information.
posted by AugustWest at 6:46 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you have your old license and the title, they should match. If you have a copy of the paperwork presented to get a new license along with the matching old docs, CA DMV should be able to issue a new title in your new name with all your updated information.
posted by AugustWest at 6:46 PM on May 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by humboldt32 at 3:47 PM on May 12, 2019