Transferring NJ title to PA

[FastMopar71]

I have a situation that I'm not sure how to handle. I'm in the process of making a deal to buy a 72 Dart in NJ that is not running and needs a lot of work. The girl that I am buying it from has a NJ title that is not in her name, but it signed and NOT dated by the previous owner. She never got it transferred to her since the car wasn't running at the time which was about 15 years ago. I live in PA and from that I am reading online, since the NJ title is signed, I can simply take that title to the PennDOT with a tracing of the VIN and have it transferred to me. I don't believe the NJ title needs to be notarized from what I am reading. It just need to be signed by the seller and the buyer and that it is. It sounds like the VIN verification/tracing is the most important thing I need in order to get a PA title for it.

Has anyone ever been through this before?!? Any help would be greater appreciated! Thank you!!

 

[Jamakin]

When i got the duster I had a VA title signed, not sure about notarized. That was all I needed at the time. I took it to harrisburg about a year later when i went to carlise and got my antique plates all at the same time in about 15 minutes. Unless something changed it was really easy at the time, I also did an ohio transfer about 2 years ago. It was just signed and I was not questioned. Crazy though in state transfer is so much more of a pain in the ***

 

[mischiefdart]

What you have read is true. PA is really tough on in state titles but fairly relaxed on out of state stuff. When I was still living in PA I bought a 70 Dart for $200 as a parts car with no title. Car had been sitting for at least 10 years. Well I found the Florida title in the car while I was cleaning it out. It was signed so I just went and transferred it into my name. No big deal.

 

[craigerlitz]

All of my cars that I bought out of state had to be notorized in the state that they were titled and then I was able to transfer the title here. I currently have two out of state cars that I can't get the title transferred because of that. Maybe that is just my luck, but I have tried several places.

 

[FastMopar71]

Yeah it definitely seems to be more of a pain to transfer it within the state of PA rather than coming from out of state. I'm going to check with a PA notary and see what they have to say. I want to make sure I can get the title transferred to me in case I want to sell the rolling chassis

 

[middleagecrisis]

Can't say for PA, but I once went through this in Texas and I ended up passing on the car. On my situation the buyer (current seller) had signed and dated the title, months ago, but had not transferred the title to his name. The title agency referred to this as "jumping the title" and they required the seller to put the title in his name before it could be sold. If the girl never signed or dated the title, you can simply date the title and act like you bought it from the original seller. Of course, if you need the original seller for anything (additional documentation or to be present for a notary, your SOL). I'd make sure you can get the title in your name by finding out what is required from your DMV before you buy the car.

 

[FastMopar71]

So I verified with a PA notary/auto tag place that all I need is the signed NJ title and a tracing of the VIN. The title does not need to be notarized! She suggested bringing a bill of sale since a cheap purchase price might get questioned. I'm have to work my way through that but it seems pretty simple. Much easier than PA to PA title transfer.

 

[jimharvard]

hey fastmopar71...

i'm a retired attorney in Pittsburgh and have purchased a number of vehicles outside of PA and then titled them in PA. generally speaking, in PA, both the buyer and the seller go to a PA notary and sign the title in front of the notary as "Seller" and "Buyer." also the selling price is put on the title by the notary. for the cars that i've purchased out of state, i was not able to be present when the seller had the title notarized by a local notary in his state. to get past this problem in PA, i drafted the below document that the seller takes with him to his local notary. i then take the original notarized title from the seller along with the noted document to my PA notary and then sign the car title as "Buyer" in front of the PA notary. i then send the title and the noted document to PennDot. they have not questioned this procedure and have sent me a new PA title to the purchased car in my name and address.

i just purchased another Barracuda in Oklahoma and am going through the noted process presently. i do not anticipate any problems with obtaining a PA title. here's the document i drafted: