You Can Sell a Car in Arizona Without a Title In-Hand

It’s absolutely possible to sell a vehicle in Arizona without having a copy of your car’s paper title so long as the buyer is willing to accept. When selling to a cash for cars operation like Sell Us Your Car, the sale is based on an appropriately documented ownership history. Titles are held electronically by the State of Arizona; therefore, if you need a replacement for your paper title, you can order one through our DMV: AZ MVD Now (which takes five to 10 business days) or by mail (if you’re in no particular hurry, as it takes up to six weeks). The fastest way to get a title copy (in Arizona) is a digital version, which you get instantly on AZ MVD Now.

Sell Us Your Car can (and will!) purchase your vehicle without having the physical title. We just double check that you’re the rightful owner with the legal right to sell the vehicle through documentation and identification. If the ownership history can be confirmed, the sale may still be completed even if you do not have the title.

As mentioned, to get an instant online duplicate title for your vehicle, you need to request a digital copy from the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Head on over to AZ MVD Now (azmvdnow.gov’s Vehicle Title page) and follow the “Electronic Titles” section instructions. Regardless of the method you choose to get a duplicate title, Arizona charges a $4 fee.

Who Buys Cars With No Title in Arizona?

No-title vehicles in Arizona tend to attract buyers willing to review alternative documentation before purchasing the vehicle. Individual private buyers might consider buying a no-title car, but many may are going to hesitate because they mostly rely upon your title paperwork prior to accepting the transfer risk.

Junkyards and cash-for-cars outlets like Sell Us Your Car have more experience in dealing with damaged or incomplete titles, liens, electronic title records, and bonded title situations than traditional dealerships. Traditional dealerships are typically the least likely place to find a no-title car, as they always rely on clean transferable title documentation for resale purposes.

It’s worth noting that the acquiring owner of a no-title car has 15 days from the date of transfer to apply for the title, therefore a buyer could factor that time frame into their decision-making process prior to purchase.

Other Ways to Prove Vehicle Ownership in Arizona

In Arizona, vehicle ownership/transfership may have alternative forms of proof besides a printed title and when working with Sell Us Your Car, we often accept the following:

Other possible forms of documentation include:

• An electronic title through AZ MVD Now
• Bill of sale for an Arizona title transfe
• Vehicle registration registered to the owner on record
• Records showing that a lien on the vehicle has been released
• Power of attorney for the owner
• Documentation regarding the trust or estate representative of the owner
• Court documents related to the vehicle and title (i.e., a bonded title)

Outside of working with SUYC, ADOT may accept a bill of sale as a supporting document for a title transaction within the context of a bonded title case. To complete a bonded title case, an inspection is required. The process must include completion of an affidavit, notification to the vehicle owner and lienholder, and completion of surety documentation for one and one-half times the assessed value of the vehicle.

Selling to a Dealer Without a Title in Arizona

It is totally illegal, as noted above, to sell a car to an auto dealer without a title in Arizona if the auto dealer has documentation to support the transfer of ownership. Under Arizona’s title transfer statute, the relinquishing owner must properly transfer their ownership interest through either a certificate of title or title transfer form, and the acquiring owner must apply for title, registration, or both within 15 days of the transfer.

Although auto dealers generally maintain their own legal paper trail, they cannot “cure” any defect in the vehicle’s ownership chain such as a stolen vehicle, unresolved lien, etc., by simply purchasing the vehicle.

Arizona’s Duplicate Title Process From Start to Finish

For an owner of record to obtain a duplicate Arizona title, you must first confirm ownership status of the vehicle, the lien status, and any other information regarding the vehicle have not changed since the time of original registration. The quickest way to do this is to use AZ MVD Now and click on Title Replacement.

As noted above, Arizona Department of Transportation indicates that the fee is $4. The electronic version of the duplicate title is available via Title Replacement through AZ MVD Now. If you choose to submit your request for a duplicate title by mail, you must fill out Form 96-0236, Title and Registration Application, check the title replacement box, sign it, include payment for the applicable $4 fee, and mail your completed application with payment to the Arizona MVD. An application for a duplicate title can be signed by only one of the owners.

If there is a recorded lien against the vehicle, the lienholder retains electronic title until the lien is released. If you cannot establish legal ownership of the vehicle for purposes of obtaining a duplicate title, such as if you cannot provide proof of ordinary ownership, your options require additional steps under Arizona’s bonded title process. In particular, you must have the vehicle inspected, sign an affidavit, provide notice to the prior owner and lienholders, and obtain a surety bond, which must be written in the amount of 1.5 times the vehicle’s value.

Will a Missing Title Lower the Amount Buyers Are Willing to Pay?

When you have a missing title on your vehicle, you could lose some value from what private buyers offer because buyers have to account for delays in processing and reviewing the documents, as well as the possibility that the transfer may not occur.

Sell Us Your Car does not reduce your payout because you do not have a copy of the title. We’re more interested in whether ownership can be verified through Arizona title records, a bill of sale, a lien release, or any other acceptable documents.

When the Title Is Still in a Prior Owner’s Name

If a vehicle has an established chain of ownership with a prior owner listed on the title, the chain of ownership must be corrected before the vehicle can be treated as having an undisputed ownership interest for resale purposes. Buyers should apply for their title through the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), and ADOT suggests that the buyer either uses the ADOT-issued title transfer bill of sale or ensures that proper handling of the signed title or title transfer bill of sale from the seller to the buyer occurs before applying for a title.

Furthermore, buyers should seek assistance from the MVD or a qualified third party that is able to help correct a break in the chain of ownership, such as a missing seller signature, lien release, estate documents, or bonded title route, before reselling the vehicle.

Notifying Arizona MVD After the Vehicle Sale

If you are an Arizona seller of a vehicle, you must notify MVD of the sale. ADOT has an eTitle Transfer system that automatically creates and sends a Sold Notice to you as the seller. If you sell your vehicle to a cash-for-cars buyer like us, we’ll handle the title-transfer paperwork. If you do not complete your title transfer electronically, you should verify that your Sold Notice is recorded so that the sold vehicle record does not reflect back to you, the seller.