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December 17, 2018

‘How Do I Fill Out My Title When Donating My Car?’

One of the most common questions asked by those who’ve decided to donate their vehicles to charity is, “How do I fill out my title when donating my car?”

In case you’re not familiar, passing your car’s ownership to another requires you to fill out the title transfer. Although the sets of guidelines pertaining to the transfer of titles vary from state to state, the general steps that you need to go through are essentially the same.

To a person who has no idea about title transfers and car donations, this task can be somewhat intimidating because we all know that the title is considered one of the most critical legal documents involved in the whole donation process. In fact, a single mistake made by the donor in filling out the title transfer would mean taking a time-consuming trip to the DMV to obtain copies of the title.

 

Guidelines for Filling Out Your Vehicle Title

Before anything else, you have to make sure that you already know what your car title should look like. In most cases, you can find “Certificate of Title” along with the name of your municipality and state at the topmost part of this document. Depending on your state, you may also see “Department of Motor Vehicle” on your car title.

You can find all the basic information there is to know about your vehicle in its title such as:

  • Year
  • Make
  • Model
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
  • The reading of its odometer on the day of its purchase
  • If there are any existing liens on your vehicle
  • Whether it was identified as salvage, prior salvage, flood-damaged or rebuilt

If you don’t want to waste your money or your precious time waiting at your state’s DMV, it’s extremely important for you to do your own research before you try to fill out or sign your car title.

We at Veteran Car Donations have come up with guidelines for those who want to fill out their vehicle titles correctly.

  • Never sign your car title without the presence of a notary if a notarized signature on it is required by your state.
  • If your car title has a lien on it, you’ll need to head out to the bank to request for a release document as proof that it has already been paid off.
  • The only acceptable ink colors to be used for signing your car title are blue or black. The use of pencils and colored pens are not allowed.
  • Crossing off or whiting-out items that have been written on it by mistake will void your vehicle title. If this happens, you’ll be required to secure a duplicate copy from the local DMV.
  • Fill out the odometer reading correctly. Any attempt to roll it back is illegal.
  • Important details on your car title that are covered up by stains or burn marks or rips will cause a delay in the processing of your documents.
  • If you’re not sure about the items to fill out or if you have any questions about the subject, feel free to contact us at 877-594-5822 today and we’ll walk you through it.

 

Store Your Car Title in a Safe Place

Remember to keep your car title in a safe place in your home, not in your glovebox. Although having it stored inside your car may seem like a good idea because of its convenience, you wouldn’t want someone to steal your car and find the title in it because the thief can easily switch the vehicle’s ownership to their name and sell it to someone else.

Can’t locate your vehicle title? Don’t worry! Veteran Car Donations will gladly make arrangements to help you obtain a replacement as soon as possible.

 

A Good Place to Donate

Looking for a charity you can donate your old car to? Consider donating your unwanted vehicle to Veteran Car Donations! When you do so, you’ll be doing our nation’s heroes a huge favor. They are the former members of our military who defended our freedoms and protected our security through their heroic action on the battlefields. Sadly, many of them are now living miserable lives because of their service-connected disabilities, physical and mental health problems, inability to find jobs, and homelessness due to poverty and lack of support.

Your donation will help our IRS-certified 501(c) charity partners provide them with mortgage-free and specially adapted homes, free physical and mental health care services, educational scholarships, career development, employment opportunities, financial assistance, and many other benefits.

While your vehicle donation will directly impact the lives of our veterans, you will also personally benefit from it since it will entitle you to a top tax deduction after your vehicle is sold at auction.

For more information on our car donation program, check out our FAQs page. For inquiries, you can call our toll-free 24/7 hotline 877-594-5822 or send us a message online.

You can donate to Veteran Car Donations by either calling us or filling out our online donation form. We accept vehicle donations wherever you are in the United States since we have car donation programs in all 50 states.

 

Time to Give Back

Wouldn’t it be awesome to give back to those who gave their all to serve our nation? Call us at 877-594-5822 today to get started with your donation process!

 

Last Updated: August 24th, 2023

Veteran Car Donations operates in all 50 states.

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