VIN Lookup?

[yitzac1990]

short and sweet, I am having issues registering/titling my 1969 Patrol. I was wondering if there was a way I could look up the VIN and see who had it registered last.

[moore_rb]

If you bought it without a title, then you are probably going to be going down the long arduous road of securing a bonded title.

I've had to do this process for a few of the Patrols I've owned through the years.

Each state's laws are slightly different, so ask the Alabama Motor vehicle clerks about the bonded title process in your state; but the common theme is usually:

Tow the vehicle in to get it physically inspected by law enforcement, at which point they will find the truck's numbers on the firewall plate (if it's still there) and on the top of the frame rail near the exhaust (passenger side)- they will search the national databases for any existing vehicle records (or past stolen vehicle reports)

** If you know for a fact that the vehicle hasn't been titled or registered in 7+ years, then this step is not as risky as it sounds- most motor vehicle record searches come back with no results... at which point the vehicle is considered legally "abandoned"

After that, you will sign/notarize an affidavit swearing yourself as the vehicle's legal owner, and the state will set a bond amount (mine were all in the range of 150-300 bucks)... then you go purchase the bond from a bond insurance agency, take the bond back to motor vehicles, at which point they issue you a bonded title, and your registration and plates... The title remains bonded for 3 years, which doesn't really mean anything- I have sold and transferred vehicles with bonded titles (even across state lines) without hassle.

after 3 years, the bond drops off, and the title is "clean"

It's a boring process that can take several trips back and forth to the motor vehicle department, but in the end, it gets you a title, registration and license plates, so just treat it like a project, and take it one step at a time....

[yitzac1990]

ive looked into this, and the unfortunate truth about Alabama bonded titles is, they wont issue a bonded title for vehicles over 35 years old. so that option is out.

Alabama doesnt even issue a title at all if the vehicle is over 30 years old.

the sad part is, the DMV used to only require a bill of sale for vehicles over 30 years old. no sweat! but according to the clerk yesterday, they are "getting more strict" and require proof of prior ownership of the vehicle, no matter what.

[Flaggoni]

It's a hassle, but perhaps you could take it to a resident of a more lenient nearby State who could go thru the process in their name.
They could then legally sale it back to you in AL
Mild Bill

[yitzac1990]

i got it figured out. I had help from a friend, who knew someone, who knew someone. was able to get me a meeting with the license director for my whole county! cool guy, and he helped me get it sorted out and registered for a whopping $12.00!