Hello! Need help. In 2015, I bought a new Honda Rancher ATV from the dealership and financed through Honda Finance. About six months after that I paid off the ATV. A few after that I received what I thought was the title in e mail, filed in my filing cabinet and never thought about it again....until now! I am trying to sell the ATV and realized it is not a title but a certificate of orgin. Is this the same as a title or am I screwed? How do I get a title?

 

Hi Tony: I don't think you're screwed at all. Santa put a new ATV under the tree with my name on it this Christmas. I was especially good last year. Here in Colorado are the documents my dealer sent me:

Dealer Bill of Sale and Odometer Statement
Application For Title and/or Registration
Supplemental Secure and Verifiable Identification
Verification VIN is Correct
Standard Sales Tax Receipt
Certificate of Origin

Too many lawyers! I gather all this paperwork means I purchased the vehicle, I need to pay for my title so I can prove the vehicle is mine, I am in fact me, the VIN stamped on the frame agrees with the paperwork, I paid a bunch of sales tax, and my vehicle was assembled in Mexico (don't tell trump!) The certificate of origin ain't the title.

So now I go to the courthouse and hang around a couple of hours while the folks review my paperwork and agree to issue a title to me, for a fee of course. They usually find I'm missing some document and I have to chase that down. Maybe an emission test, or an inspection of some sort. Hassle yes, screwed no.

Each state will be different. Your certificate of origin is just one piece of the puzzle. Your state government internet site will tell you exactly what you need to prove the Honda is indeed yours to sell. The dealer may be able to help you, especially with the bill of sale proving you paid for it. All these laws are helpful if your ATV was stolen or destroyed for some reason.

David

 

Down here the MSO is the next best thing to a title. At least the buyer can usually use this to have a title in his/her name without problems along with a bill of sale from the po.

 

Hi Mr. Tech: What is a MSO? David

 

Manufacturers State Of Origin. What every dealer gets with new machines that basically is the birth certificate for that machine.It has all the stats,mfg date,engine and frame serial numbers,etc. Dealers either file for a title for you(if you're not going through a bank or finance company) when you buy one or in a lot of cases we sent the MSOs to out of state buyers so they can take care of registering themselves.

 

It will make it hard to one day sell if you choose to without a title. If you plan on keeping it for many years, selling an older quad without a title is usually no big deal. I live in Illinois but in Missouri, quads and utvs are being sold new without titles. It makes for a mess if you buy a newer machine from a state that doesn't issue titles, like Missouri. Its so bad that most people from Missouri won't even sell to Illinois residents because of so many issues with not having a title. I did buy one older quad a few years ago in Missouri but it was so cheap(paid $800) that I didn't worry about the title.

 

Then I guess calling in on a stolen atv or utv isn't high on Missouri's police priority items then. Strange that one state doesn't title atvs when practically every other state does it mainly so they can get their hands in your pockets for fees and taxes.

 

In my experience, you will need to take the certificate and a bill of sale....or your sales contract if financed to your motor vehicle department for a vin. inspection. Then they will issue a title. HOWEVER...every state is different. Your best bet is to call your motor vehicle department.

 

Strange though that they show that they do title machines in Missouri.Titling & Registration for All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)

 

I think all states title atvs, but not all states require it. New Mexico isn't mandatory registration. Only if you ride on public lands. Then it has to be titled and registered.(So they can collect their fees)