Outsmart the Lot

How to check a car for a lien in every state

Written and checked by Drago. Last reviewed

Read the title for a lienholder, then check with the state where the car is titled. In 12 states, you can look up liens online with an official tool; in most others, you request a record, often with the seller's consent.

How we review this guidance. Rules and fees can vary by state, lender, dealer, and vehicle.

The short answer

  • Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin have an official online lookup that shows liens. All of them work with the VIN; Arizona's needs an AZ MVD Now account, and Montana's needs the seller's OK.
  • In most other states, you request a record, and many release it only to the owner or with the owner's written consent, so ask the seller to request it. Georgia and Iowa will tell anyone whether a car has a lien, for $3 or less.
  • In most states, a seller who still owes money won't have the title: the lender holds it, or the state keeps it electronically, until the loan is paid. In Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, and New York, the owner usually gets the title even with a loan, so having it doesn't prove the car is paid off.
  • A VIN report with a lien search is a quick first look, but it can miss liens. What counts is the title, the lender's lien release, and the state's record.

Get a first look by VIN

Enter the VIN to confirm what car it is and see recalls for its model year. Then get a title-history report with data from NMVTIS, the federal title database. One is free if you give your name, email, and ZIP code, but it doesn't search for liens. The paid one ($9.95) adds a lien search as a first look, and we may earn a commission if you buy it.

Where to find it: Look at the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side, on the driver's door frame label, or in the listing, title, or registration.

No VIN yet? Ask the seller to send it, or zoom in on the listing photos. Private seller? Copy a message that asks for it.

The free lookups go straight from your browser to NHTSA; we don't store your VIN. Privacy. Want a title report right away? VehicleHistoryReport.com is free if you give your name, email, and ZIP code. Or open VINsmart ($9.95 per report).

Paid link: We may earn a commission if you buy a report through this link, at no extra cost to you. How this site makes money

At a glance

Pick a state to see how to check there and where the information comes from.

Can you check for a lien online?
  • Official online lookup (12)
  • Request a record (35)
  • Couldn't verify (4)

How to check any car for a lien

  1. Ask to see the title

    It should be in the seller's name. No title? Ask why: in most states, while there's a loan, the lender holds the title or the state keeps it electronically.

  2. Look for a lienholder

    Check the lienholder section on the front. If a bank, credit union, or finance company is listed, the seller needs proof the loan is paid: the lender's signed release on the title, a release letter or form, or an electronic release on the state's record.

  3. Check the state's record

    Use the state's online lookup if it has one, or request its record, often with the seller's consent. Go by the state where the car is titled: find it below.

  4. If there's a lien, clear it before you pay

    Have the seller pay off the loan and show you the lender's release, or pay the lender directly. Here's how to buy safely when the seller still owes money.

  5. Never pay the seller and hope

    If the loan isn't paid, the lender could repossess the car from you, even after you've paid for it. Walk away from a seller who wants your money now and promises to pay off the loan later.

A VIN report is a first look, not proof

Lien records in history reports can be missing or out of date, including the lien search in the paid report above. The free report at VehicleHistoryReport.com doesn't search for liens. Before you pay, rely on the title, the lender's release, and the state's record.

State by state

Each state's official route in plain words, with links to the agency pages, forms, and laws it comes from. Fees and forms change, so check the state's page before you send anything.

Alabama

Online title and lien lookup by VIN. On the Department of Revenue's MyDMV site, choose Lookup Issued Alabama Titles and enter the VIN, your name, and your email; the state says it shows title and lien information. Alabama titles list any lienholders. A certified title record or history needs proof of a legal right to it, such as ownership.

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Alaska

Request a record (owner consent). Ask the seller to request the vehicle record online or on Form 851, or to give you written permission to request it. It lists the owner and lienholder, costs $10 by mail, and can take 8 to 12 weeks. Once a lien is recorded, the title is mailed to the lienholder.

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Arizona

Free online lien check (sign in). Sign in to AZ MVD Now with your own account and use Check Vehicle Title Status, the state's free title viewer, to look up liens by VIN, including child support liens. New liens are added daily, so check again the day you pay. No paper title is printed while a lien exists.

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Arkansas

Business-only search; call the state. Arkansas sells title, registration, and lien records online for $1.50 each, but only to business subscribers with a reason the law allows. We couldn't confirm a way for an individual buyer to check, so ask the seller for the title and any lien release, and call the Office of Motor Vehicle at 501-682-4692.

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California

Owner-only record; ask the seller. Ask the seller to get their own vehicle record online from the DMV ($2); DMV registration records include lienholder names. Anyone else must mail form INF 70 ($5) with a reason the law allows, and the DMV sends the owner a copy of the request. By law, the title goes to the lender, as legal owner, while there's a loan.

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Colorado

Record search (owner consent). Ask to see the registration: a recorded lienholder should be listed on the back. The seller can request a record search, showing the owner and lienholder, on myDMV or with form DR 2489A ($2.25); anyone else needs the owner's notarized statement or power of attorney. The lender holds the title, on paper or electronically.

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Connecticut

Mail-in title record (owner consent). Mail form J-23T with $20, the VIN, and a copy of your photo ID for a title record showing the owner and any lien. You need the owner's consent or another reason the form lists. If there's a lien, the title is mailed to the lender.

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Delaware

Check the title; records need consent. Check the front of the title for a lienholder; if one is listed, the seller should have the lender's notarized lien release. A DMV vehicle record needs form MV703 ($25) with the owner's notarized consent; call 302-744-2538 to ask whether it shows liens. When a car with a loan is titled, the title is mailed to the lender.

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District of Columbia

Couldn't verify; ask DC DMV. We couldn't confirm how a buyer can check DC records for a lien; ask DC DMV about its $7 title information request. With a loan, the title goes to the lender, and the car can't be sold until the lien is cleared or paid, so buy only from a seller with the title in their name.

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Florida

Online lien check by VIN. Enter the VIN or title number in FLHSMV's Motor Vehicle Information Check. It shows the title status and any lien, with the lienholder's name and address and the lien date. Florida holds titles with liens electronically, so a seller who still owes money usually has no paper title.

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Georgia

Lien count by VIN, by mail ($1). Mail the VIN and $1, with a stamped, self-addressed envelope, to the Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Division, or bring them to its Atlanta office, for a printout showing the title status and how many lienholders are recorded. While there's a loan, the title is held electronically or mailed to the first lienholder.

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Hawaii

Ask the county DMV. Hawaii has no statewide DMV: each county handles titles, and we couldn't confirm a way for buyers to check liens. State law issues the title (certificate of ownership) to the legal owner, which is the lender while there's a loan, so a seller who still owes money won't have it. Ask your county's motor vehicle office.

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Idaho

Title check by VIN; liens unconfirmed. Idaho's Title Status Check takes just the VIN, with no login, but the state now describes it only as a way to check a title's status. When it launched in 2015, the Idaho Transportation Department said it also showed whether a lienholder is recorded; we couldn't confirm it still does. Titles with a lien go to the lienholder, on paper or electronically.

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Illinois

Title search by mail ($5). Illinois mails the title to the first lienholder, so a seller who still owes money won't have it. Anyone can mail form VSD 375 with $5 for a title search; without a permitted reason, such as the owner's notarized consent, it leaves out personal details, takes about 10 days, and the owner is told. The state doesn't say whether it lists liens.

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Indiana

Title inquiry by mail (owner consent). Mail State Form 53789 to the BMV for a certified title inquiry ($4), which lists the current owner and any liens. Have the seller sign the form's written-consent section, and allow 2 to 4 weeks.

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Iowa

Ask any county treasurer ($3). Submit Iowa DOT form 411401 to any county treasurer's office with $3. State law lets anyone ask whether a vehicle has a lien, and the treasurer gives each lienholder's name and address. The title goes to the first lienholder, or stays electronic until the loan is paid.

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Kansas

Record request (owner consent). Kansas keeps titles with a lien electronic, so a seller who still owes money won't have a paper title; their latest registration receipt shows whether a lienholder is listed. With the owner's signed consent (form TR/DL-301), you can order a $15 vehicle registration record, which shows pending liens, on form TR/DL-302.

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Kentucky

Title history by mail (owner consent). County clerks record Kentucky liens on the title, which must show the lienholder's name and address. Only Kentucky residents and Kentucky-registered businesses can request the state's title history: mail or drop off notarized form TC 96-16A with the owner's notarized consent, and allow 3 to 5 business days. The state doesn't say whether it lists liens.

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Louisiana

Seller orders a title history. Only the owner can order a Louisiana title history: the seller mails form DPSMV1958 with $10 per vehicle. It covers past title transactions, and OMV doesn't say it shows current liens. Lenders must record liens electronically, which doesn't produce a paper title, so a seller with a bank loan usually won't have one.

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Maine

Subscriber search; read the title. Maine's online title search, which shows owners and liens, is only for InforME subscribers ($95 a year, plus $6.50 a search). The BMV also does $5 title record searches by VIN; call 207-624-9000, ext. 52138, to ask if a buyer qualifies. Otherwise, a released lien on the seller's title should show the lender's signature and the date.

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Maryland

Check the title; request a record. Ask to see the title before you pay; Maryland's MVA says it should be free of liens unless the lien will be released at the sale. Owners don't get a paper title while a lien is active. For MVA's title record ($12), file form DR-057 with a letter signed by the owner giving you permission.

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Massachusetts

Free online lien check by VIN. Use the RMV's free online title inquiry with the last 8 digits of the VIN and the title number, or the full VIN. It shows any lienholder's name, when the title was issued, who it was mailed to, and whether it's paper or electronic. With a loan, the title goes to the lender.

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Michigan

Seller orders a record ($15). Michigan's Department of State says to verify a lienholder by ordering the vehicle record (current ownership and lienholder) through Record Sales Services online, or by mail on form BDVR-154 ($15 a record). For someone else's record you need a reason the law allows, or personal details are blacked out or the request is denied, so ask the seller to order their own. With a loan from a financial institution, the state holds the title electronically until it's paid off.

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Minnesota

Online lien check by VIN. Enter the full VIN in Check My Vehicle Status, under All Vehicle Services in Minnesota DVS e-Services; no login is needed. Its Liens section lists each lienholder, the lien date, and any release date. Minnesota mails the title to the owner even with a loan, and ownership can't transfer without the lender's authorization.

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Mississippi

Record request (owner consent). Send Mississippi Department of Revenue forms 77-600 and 77-601 by mail or fax and ask for lienholder information ($5). You need a reason the law allows, such as the owner's written consent.

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Missouri

Title lists liens; record is $2.82. Missouri mails the title to the owner even with a loan, unless the owner asks for it to go to the lender, and prints any lien on it. Since July 2003, a paid-off lien needs a separate, notarized release, not a signature on the title. The seller can order their own title record on notarized form 5499 ($2.82); DOR offers form 4803, which lists any lienholder of record, to businesses with a privacy-law access code.

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Montana

Online check shows if liens exist. Get the seller's OK, then use Search title status in Montana MVD's online services: enter the VIN to see whether liens or brands are on the title, but not the details. Montana mails the title to the owner, with any liens printed on the front; if a listed loan is paid off, the seller should give you a signed release (form MV37A).

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Nebraska

Free online title and lien check. Use the Nebraska DMV's free Vehicle Title & Lien search: enter the VIN to see title and lien information, with no owner details. While there's a lien, the DMV keeps the title electronically, so a seller who still owes money won't have a paper title.

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Nevada

Owner-only record; ask the seller. Nevada's DMV doesn't give vehicle records to prospective buyers. Ask the seller to order their own Vehicle Title Printout (V2), which lists any lienholder, for $5 with form IR-002 and a notarized affidavit. Loans from dealers and lenders are recorded electronically, so a seller with one won't have a paper title.

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New Hampshire

Title search ($20, owner consent). A New Hampshire DMV title search ($20) shows a vehicle's lienholder. The seller can request it on form DSMV 505, or sign a notarized DSMV 505 that lets you request it. By law, the title goes to the first lienholder while there's a loan.

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New Jersey

Seller orders a lien search ($15). Ask the seller to order a Title/Lien Search on their own vehicle with form DO-22 ($15 by mail, about 3 to 4 weeks) or online; it shows the current lienholder and owner. In New Jersey the lender holds the title until the loan is paid, so the seller won't have it.

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New Mexico

Record request (owner consent). New Mexico's online lien and records search is only for approved business subscribers. The title lists any lienholder. For MVD's record or a copy of the title, the owner can sign a notarized Confidential Records Release (MVD-11260) naming you; it's good for 30 days.

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New York

Online title and lien check. Use the DMV's online Check a Title or Lien Status with the VIN, model year, and make. It shows how many liens there are and each lienholder's name and address, but no owner details. New York mails the title to the owner, with any lienholder on it, so get the original lien release before you buy.

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North Carolina

Title history by request ($16.75). Order a certified title history on NCDMV form MVR-605A ($16.75), in person in Raleigh or Huntersville, where you can get it right away, or by mail (allow 10 business days). Personal details need a reason the law allows, such as a signed, notarized statement from the owner giving you permission. By law, a title with a lien goes to the first lienholder.

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North Dakota

Record request by mail ($3). Mail a notarized Request for Vehicle Information (SFN 51269) with $3 to see the registered owner and lienholder. For someone else's car, attach their written consent. By law, the title goes to the lienholder, or the lien is recorded electronically.

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Ohio

Online title search shows liens. Use the Ohio BMV's online Title Search with the VIN or the Ohio title number. The BMV says it shows lien status, and a date in the Lien 1 Cancel Date field means the lien was released. While there's a loan, the title stays electronic, or the lender keeps the paper title.

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Oklahoma

Lienholder record (owner consent). Get the seller's written authorization, then file a notarized Form 769 at a motor license agency or by mail to Service Oklahoma for current ownership and lienholder information ($1, plus a $1.73 return-mail fee if the answer is mailed). Since July 2022, the lender holds the title, paper or electronic, until the loan is paid. A seller with an older loan may still have a paper title showing the lien; if so, get the lender's release.

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Oregon

Owner orders a record ($4). Ask the seller to order a Vehicle Record Print ($4), which lists any security interest holder (lender), by mail with form 735-7266 or at a DMV office. The seller can also sign a notarized permission slip (form 735-7297) so you can order it at a DMV office. Oregon sends the title to the lender.

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Pennsylvania

Lien record with owner's release. Have the seller sign the owner's release on PennDOT form DL-135, check Encumbrance, and mail it, notarized, with $15. That record lists each lienholder's name and address. Business lenders must use electronic titles, and no paper title is printed until the lien is released.

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Rhode Island

Title inquiry by VIN ($53.50). The DMV's Research/Title Office in Cranston does title inquiries by VIN for $53.50 on its request for information form, and you must give a reason; call 401-462-5774 to ask whether a buyer qualifies. By law, the title goes to the first lienholder while there's a loan. Rhode Island doesn't require a new title after payoff, so if the title lists a lender, get the lender's sign-off on the title or its release letter.

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South Carolina

Record request (owner consent). Have the seller sign the owner's consent (Part E) on SCDMV form 5027-A, check Current Title Information or Title History ($10 each), and mail it in. SCDMV's online lien inquiry is a paid subscription for businesses. Business lenders must use electronic titles, so no paper title is printed while they hold the lien.

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South Dakota

Online VIN check shows liens. Enter the VIN in the South Dakota Vehicle/Boat Public Lookup on the state's my605Drive portal; no login is needed. The Department of Revenue says this VIN check shows whether there's a lienholder. While there's a loan, the title stays electronic, and a paper title is printed only after the lender releases the lien.

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Tennessee

Record request (owner consent). Get the seller's written consent, then mail form RV-F1313801 to the Department of Revenue in Nashville: a computer printout of the vehicle record is $1, and a complete history is $15. If a vehicle has a lien, the title is mailed to the lender.

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Texas

Title history (owner consent). Ask the seller to order a title history ($5.75) on TxDMV form VTR-275, or attach their written authorization to your own request. Send it by mail or take it to a TxDMV Regional Service Center. While there's a loan, the title goes to the first lienholder or is kept electronically.

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Utah

Record request (owner consent). Utah's motor vehicle records are protected. Ask the seller to request their own record, or email form TC-890 with the owner's written consent and a copy of your ID to MVCC@utah.gov. By law, the title goes to the first lienholder while there's a loan, so a seller who still owes money won't have it.

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Vermont

Online lien check by VIN. Use Check a Vehicle for Vermont Liens at mydmv.vermont.gov; no login is needed. Enter the VIN to see the current lien status, with no owner or registration details. While there's a loan, the DMV sends the title to the lender, which must send the owner the title marked satisfied once the loan is paid.

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Virginia

Check the title and lien release. Virginia DMV's $12 Prospective Purchaser Inquiry gives buyers a vehicle history from DMV records, but DMV doesn't list liens among what it shows. While there's a loan, DMV sends the title to the lender; once it's paid, the title shows the lien released, or a new title says no liens.

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Washington

Call DOL to check the title. When the seller gives you the title, call the Department of Licensing at 360-902-3770 to check that it's valid and clear of liens. While there's a loan, the lender is listed as the legal owner on the title and registration, and it can hold the title electronically.

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West Virginia

Lien record by mail ($5). Mail WV DMV form DMV-100-TR with a copy of your photo ID for lien and basic registration information ($5); without the owner's signed consent (form DMV-100A), personal details are removed. By law, the title goes to the first lienholder while there's a loan. A lender's release signed on a paper title doesn't clear the state's record until a new clear title is issued.

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Wisconsin

Online lienholder search by VIN. Enter the VIN in Wisconsin DMV's Lien holder search to see whether the title went to the owner or a lender, and the lender's name if it's a business. Since July 30, 2012, titles with a loan go to the lender; the owner gets a Confirmation of Ownership, which can't be used to sell the car.

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Wyoming

Ask the county clerk. Wyoming county clerks handle titles and lien filings, and WYDOT says to ask the county clerk about liens. WYDOT also does title searches by mail ($15, form MV-220), but only for a reason the form allows.

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Sources

These sources explain general rules. Check current requirements in your state and the terms in your own paperwork.