Ct no titles for 20yrs/older? What gives?

[Nick's e30]

I've been waiting for the title to come back for my 92 e30 after registering it in Connecticut for about 3 months now. So I call DMV.

I got the car in Alabama. Had a title. Transferred to NY. Got a title.

Then I registered it in Ct. Apparently they will not issue a title for vehicles older than 20 years. The law used to be 25 and was changed to 20 last year. Amazing.

There HAVE to be some other e30 people who have dealt with this. How do you sell to a titled state?

I'm not planning on selling anytime soon but I would personally NEVER buy an untitled vehicle and this seems like a can of worms.

[ahrensNW]

Wtf why wouldn't they issue a title. Is there any possible reason behind this?

[Nick's e30]

Wtf why wouldn't they issue a title. Is there any possible reason behind this?

I was told over the phone by the "titling bureau manager" of the DMV for the state of Connecticut that they do not issue titles for cars older than 20 years. I was told it's just the way it's done. I find that impossible to believe.

I was also told that every other state's DMV knows that Connecticut does it this way and that they can call Ct/look it up for verification if they have questions. Have they ever dealt with a DMV employee?! If they have to go above and beyond, they'd rather just say "NEXT!" for the most part.

[101]

http://www.ct.gov/dmv/cwp/view.asp?a=801&q=244524

Intriguing, but seems to be true.. I guess you'll be keeping a complete traceable ownership history through old registration documents and have to create a bill of sale when you want to sell the car later on to some one outside of CT.

[Nick's e30]

To that effect I have my old NY registration (and one of the plates), in addition to the P.Os Alabama plate. So I do have a total ownership trace.

To the effect of selling to a NYS resident, I called DMV and they apparently (at least on the phone) DO have a clear understanding that an incoming Ct car older than a 95 will have no title.

The more immediate concern is for when I finally move from this state. I don't think I'll be here forever and I'm likely the one who will deal with the headache, not someone else.

Any Ct peeps able to chime in?

[allen_t]

To that effect I have my old NY registration (and one of the plates), in addition to the P.Os Alabama plate. So I do have a total ownership trace.

To the effect of selling to a NYS resident, I called DMV and they apparently (at least on the phone) DO have a clear understanding that an incoming Ct car older than a 95 will have no title.

The more immediate concern is for when I finally move from this state. I don't think I'll be here forever and I'm likely the one who will deal with the headache, not someone else.

Any Ct peeps able to chime in?

Same applies to cars in NY state before 1975 I believe. All you get is a transferable registration which you sign and give to the next owner, who will get a title or transferable reg depending on the state.

You may or may not have to remind whoever you meet at the DMV but it shouldnt give you any other trouble.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I don't understand the logic. Any item stolen as often as a car should have a title.

I'm hesitant to even buy atv's without a title...

[Das Delfin]

+1 on keeping a paper trial. I don't know when they changed the law, but when I bought my 1987 in 2013 I received a new title. The PO tried telling me CT didn't issue titles for cars that old. I told him that was bullshit

[richardb]

Well I'm glad I came across your post. I also bought my E30 from Alabama, and the CT title still hasn't arrived. I figured it was just taking longer because it was an out of state car. Now I know it's never coming.

[kway]

Shouldn't be a big deal. NH (and other states) do the same thing, but in New Hampshire at least, if you have a title from a previous state they don't steal it from you when you register the car; they do look at it and check the VIN and all that, but then hand it back to you. Of course that title will still be in the previous owner's name, but is essentially useless anyway other than holding a place in the chain of ownership paper trail.

Here's the thing though; if you want, you can pay $20 and surrender that title and THEN NH will issue one to you. Doesn't even need to be at the time you register the car; you can go back and do it whenever. I do it on every vehicle I buy, most people don't do it at all and then make a thing about not having a title when they post a FS ad on Craigslist. Why not just pay the stupid $20 and have one less thing to explain? I don't know. Idiots.

Anyway, maybe you can do something similar in CT, even though they stole your previous title (which is BULLSHIT!). Might be worth looking into. I grew up in CT and used to really know the ropes at the DMV down there. Not so much anymore, shit done changed. I'm actually dealing with it a little bit right now on a Miata I bought for my mom here in NH that's getting registered to her in CT.

[dnguyen1963]

I don't understand the logic. Any item stolen as often as a car should have a title.

I'm hesitant to even buy atv's without a title...

Would you buy a 20+ yrs old atv? That is their logic. There are not too many valuable 20+ years old cars out there, especially in the cold climate.

[Das Delfin]

Would you buy a 20+ yrs old atv? That is their logic. There are not too many valuable 20+ years old cars out there, especially in the cold climate.

CT law is hit or miss. In this aspect it does not accommodate for older, classic cars. But if you register your car with classic plates, you pay half a mil/year in tax. My car tax last year was something like 12 dollars.

[Nick's e30]

Well I'm glad I came across your post. I also bought my E30 from Alabama, and the CT title still hasn't arrived. I figured it was just taking longer because it was an out of state car. Now I know it's never coming.

I thought the same thing, but mine was only coming from NY. Since it was initially from Alabama I thought they may have been following up on the car's paper trail, but yeah it's not coming.

Here's the thing though; if you want, you can pay $20 and surrender that title and THEN NH will issue one to you. Doesn't even need to be at the time you register the car; you can go back and do it whenever. I do it on every vehicle I buy, most people don't do it at all and then make a thing about not having a title when they post a FS ad on Craigslist. Why not just pay the stupid $20 and have one less thing to explain? I don't know. Idiots.

Anyway, maybe you can do something similar in CT, even though they stole your previous title (which is BULLSHIT!).

As far as I have been told you used to be able to until July of last year, and now you can't. I'm supposed to have someone higher up calling me today, who that is and whether or not that call actually will come who knows.

CT law is hit or miss. In this aspect it does not accommodate for older, classic cars. But if you register your car with classic plates, you pay half a mil/year in tax. My car tax last year was something like 12 dollars.

That will be a big win once I'm off the road for the year and switch plates, but DMV wouldn't allow me to go from NY reg directly to Ct Classic or I would have -_- I'm pretty sure THAT was a case of "I don't want to do the paperwork".

[Das Delfin]

That will be a big win once I'm off the road for the year and switch plates, but DMV wouldn't allow me to go from NY reg directly to Ct Classic or I would have -_- I'm pretty sure THAT was a case of "I don't want to do the paperwork".

That doesn't add up. When I bought my car I was between places and was able to register it with classic plates as a non resident using my parents address in CA and my CA license. The lady did everything in the computer and didn't have to fill out a form.

[Nick's e30]

That doesn't add up. When I bought my car I was between places and was able to register it with classic plates as a non resident using my parents address in CA and my CA license. The lady did everything in the computer and didn't have to fill out a form.

I was told I needed established vehicle residence and needed to get standard plates first because classic car plates are specialty plates. I went to Danbury DMV.

I better not be charged standard MIL rate then or I'm going to have a field day with my tax collector.

All this misinformation floating around REALLY just gives me more basis for why I'd like a damn title.

I also got no phone call today. Not at all surprised.