A used-car lot at dusk under sodium lights, one person crouched at a front wheel shining a flashlight along the underside of a sedan.

Title, Liens and Paperwork

The part that decides whether you own the thing. Everything here is state-specific and everything here is checkable before money moves.

Module 4 of 74 lessonsWritten in full1 worksheet

Start this module The whole course

The lessons

All 4, in the order they are read.

1. Who actually owns it
The name on the title, the name on the identification, and the person standing in front of you must be the same person.
2. Liens
An undischarged lien follows the item, not the seller, and there is a defined way to buy a financed item safely.
3. Title brands and what they do to value
Salvage, rebuilt, flood and lemon brands are permanent, and each one changes value, insurability and financing differently.
4. The bill of sale and the handover
What the document must contain, what payment method protects you, and the sequence in which things change hands.

The worksheet

Paperwork checklist

Every row is checked before money moves, in this order. Title, lien and registration law is state-specific and it is the part of this course where being wrong costs the most. Every module that touches paperwork tells you to confirm the procedure with your own state's motor-vehicle agency before money moves. A blank row is a reason to postpone, not a reason to hurry.

Paperwork checklist
Check	Verified	Evidence held	Note
Seller's identification matches the name on the title	—	—	—
Identification number on the item matches the title, in three places	—	—	—
Title is an original, not a copy, and is signed in the right places	—	—	—
Title brand: clean / salvage / rebuilt / flood / other	—	—	Affects value, insurance and financing
Lien section: clear, or a release letter in hand	—	—	—
Odometer or hour-meter declaration completed	—	—	—

5 further rows in the downloadable sheet.

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