Registration without Pink Slip

I know this has been covered here before, but I wasn't listening
because it didn't apply to me. But now it does.

I want to buy this great vintage bike from a guy but he can't find the
pink slip. It was last registered in 2000 (it has a 2000 sticker).
He can give me a bill of sale of course but that's about it.

What's involved in getting this thing legal with CA DMV?

 

Here's what DMV says about registering a vehicle with no pink slip:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/vr_info.htm#BM2522

What to do when purchasing a car from a private party.

If you have purchased a vehicle *registered* in California, you will
need to transfer the ownership within 10 days from the date of
purchase. You will need to do and/or have the following:
Visit a DMV office. Make an appointment for faster service.
A properly endorsed title, also known as a pink slip, with the previous
owner's signature on line one. If the vehicle is or was financed, line
two of the title will also require a releasing signature. If the title
is lost, an Application for Duplicate Title (REG 227) must be completed
and signed. There is an additional fee for a duplicate title, and
signatures of the legal owner and lienholder must be notarized. If the
vehicle was not purchased from the owner whose name appears on the
title, you will need a bill of sale from each in-between buyer.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg227.htm

The odometer mileage is required if the vehicle is less than 10 years
old.
If the title does not have a designated space for this information, the
odometer mileage disclosure must be reported on a Vehicle/ Vessel
Transfer and Reassignment Form (REG 262) signed by both the seller and
the buyer. The REG 262 cannot be copied. An original must be submitted.
To obtain a form by mail, call DMV's automated phone service 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week at 1-800-777-0133. To speak to an operator call
between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday - Friday, Pacific
Standard Time, or pick one up from your local DMV.

Pay the transfer fee.
Pay the use tax.
Use tax is calculated based on the sales tax rate in your residence
county.

Now, this whole transaction could get sticky. Maybe the seller isn't
the legal owner on the title, and you can't dig up the previous owners
to get bills of sale from them.

You can search for "incomplete transfer" on the www.dmv.gov website.
You can't *legally*(1) do a lien sale on a vehicle that you have a
monetary interest in when the seller fails to provide the pink slip,
even though the motorbike is in your possession and he has received the
money from you.

As I recall, incomplete transfers have to be handled in court.

(1) The only ways to do a lien sale on a vehicle in that situation
would be to claim that the owner had abandoned the vehicle on your
private property or that he had stored it with you and failed to pay
storage charges on demand. Then, when you submit the request for
information to conduct the lien sale to the DMV, they will send him a
letter asking if he wants to challenge the lien sale, and any previous
owner who did want to challenge the lien sale could hang you up in
bureaucracy and probably small claims court.

 

I've never used these people or even investigated the process, but they have
good "second hand" reviews.
Good luck whichever way you go.
Richard

http://www.broadwaytitle.com/

 

might work for a "vintage bike"...

"WE CAN ONLY TITLE CARS UP TO 1974
at this time, we hope to be able to do all vehicles up to
1990 again within a month or so. Please Check back! "

 

a good bill of sale should be all you need for an older vehicle. take it
down to DMV, and they'll issue a new pink slip. I bought a old pickup
years ago that was missing the pinkslip, it was really quite painless.
there's a nominal fee for issuing the new title.

 

This is the only form you'll need:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg227.pdf

Have the seller fill out the front and sign item 3.

The buyer fills out and signs the back.