Your Maryland car title is a legal document that establishes who owns your vehicle. The title is issued by the state and should be kept at your address in Frederick, MD where your car is regularly parked. This important legal document has a lot of uses, so it’s important to know what it is and how to keep it safe.
Understanding Your Maryland Car Title
The title contains identifying information for your vehicle, like the make, model, VIN, or vehicle identification number. It will also have your name as the owner and a section detailing when the car was bought and similar information.
If you buy your car outright without financing your purchase, then the car belongs to you, and your dealership will help you get your title. If you are leasing, you will not have possession of the title as you are not the legal owner of your car. If you are financing, you will have the title, but it will contain lienholder information showing who will take possession of the vehicle if, for some reason, you stopped making payments on it.
Title Vocabulary
- Clean Title or Clear Title
If you hear that a vehicle has a clear or clean title, this means there’s no record of major repairs or damage to the vehicle, and the manufacturer hasn’t recalled it. The car might have been in an accident, but having a clear title means the damage was not bad enough to require huge repairs.
- Branded Title
A branded title indicates that a vehicle has been declared a total loss by the insurance company after an accident, has an inaccurate odometer reading, or has had flood damage. As you can imagine, branded title cars are usually much, much cheaper to buy than used cars with a clean title, but there are also big risks involved in such a purchase.
Why You Need a Title in Frederick, MD
Your title is essential: you need it to register your car with the city authorities in Frederick, if you ever want to sell your car, or if you ever want to donate your vehicle to a charity or give it to a relative. Your title contains a section you will fill out if you’re transferring legal ownership of your car for whatever reason. No reputable dealership will accept a vehicle for trade-in without the title, and no private citizen will be able to register the vehicle unless they have the title. If you’d like to know more about selling your car as a Maryland resident, click here to read our blog, ‘5 Things To Know About Selling a Car in Maryland’.
The Difference Between a Title and Registration
Frederick requires you to register your car, which means you have permission to drive it on public roads. To get your car registered, you will need to get it inspected, provide your title and personal information, and renew your registration every year for a fee. When you register your car, you receive a certificate or registration, which you should always keep in your car in case the police stop you. Your title establishes your ownership; your registration merely demonstrates it locally while also establishing that the vehicle is legally driveable.
Keep Your Title Safe
You should keep your registration in your car at all times in case law enforcement demands it. But you should never keep your title in your vehicle. This legal document should be kept with all your other legal documents, like birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, etc.
From us here at DARCARS Toyota of Frederick, we hope our blog helped you understand your car title and registration on a deeper level. For help with anything automotive-related, swing by and see us today!
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