Does a TITLE need to be notarized?
In property law, a title is a bundle of rights in a piece of property in which a party may own either a legal interest or equitable interest. The rights in the bundle may be separated and held by different parties. It may also refer to a formal document, such as a deed, that serves as evidence of ownership. Conveyance of the document may be required in order to transfer ownership in the property to another person. Title is distinct from possession, a right that often accompanies ownership but is not necessarily sufficient to prove it. In many cases, both possession and title may be transferred independently of each other. For real property, land registration and recording provide public notice of ownership information.
In United States law, typically evidence of title is established through title reports written up by title insurance companies, which show the history of title (property abstract and chain of title) as determined by the recorded public record deeds;[1] the title report will also show applicable encumbrances such as easements, liens, or covenants.[2]In exchange for insurance premiums, the title insurance company conducts a title search through public records and provides assurance of good title, reimbursing the insured if a dispute over the title arises.[3] In the case of vehicle ownership, a simple vehicle title document may be issued by a governmental agency.
In the United States the certificate of title for a vehicle (also known as a car title or pink slip) is a legal form, establishing a person or business as the legal owner of a vehicle. Vehicle titles in the U.S. are commonly issued by the Secretary of State in the state you purchased the car in Department of Motor Vehicles(DMV).
Each state in the US has its own distinct process for the Certificate of Title. When filling out the title during a vehicle transaction, the rules in one state do not always apply to a different state. For example, most states do not require a notary when filling out the title, while other states in the U.S.A. make this mandatory for most parties when buying or selling a vehicle.
Some states have different versions of the same title.
The certificate of title normally specifies (in most states & versions):
- Identifying information about the vehicle, normally at minimum its vehicle identification number, make, and year of manufacture.
- The license plate number.
- Technical information about the vehicle to define its taxation regime, e.g., its gross vehicle weight, motive power, and purchase price when new.
- The name and address of the purchaser or “registered owner” who would normally possess and use it.
- If money is owed on the vehicle, the name of the lienholder or “legal owner” to whom this money is owed.
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