Selling a car with a missing, damaged or mismatched VIN

What you must not do is take matters into your own hands with the number itself. That part is federal law, and it carries prison time.

The federal rule: hands off the number

Under 18 U.S.C. 511 it is a crime to knowingly "remove, obliterate, tamper with, or alter" a vehicle identification number. The penalty is a fine, prison of "not more than 5 years," or both (18 U.S.C. 511).

The law has two exceptions. One covers people who restore or replace identification numbers in line with state law. The other covers repairs where taking off or altering the number is reasonably necessary (18 U.S.C. 511). Neither one lets an owner order a new plate and rivet it on.

NHTSA's own advice to owners is to check with the state Attorney General before removing, obliterating, tampering with or altering a VIN, or replacing a certification label that carries one (NHTSA).

When the state gives the car a new VIN

NHTSA describes two situations where a state law enforcement official may assign a replacement VIN (NHTSA):

• The plate was taken off a stolen car that was later recovered. If that's your story, our stolen and recovered car guide covers the rest of it.
• The plate was badly damaged or destroyed in a collision or during repair work. A wrecked car or a big body repair is the usual cause.

NHTSA adds that a state-assigned VIN may be needed so the car isn't rejected when it goes back through registration. That's the reason to deal with it rather than live with a blank where the plate used to be.

Ohio, step by step

Each state runs its own process. Ohio writes its rules down in detail, so it makes a useful example.

1. Inspection first. Before applying for a replacement VIN plate, the car goes to the state highway patrol. The inspector checks the federal safety decal number, the engine and transmission numbers, and any manufacturer or owner number that traces back to the original VIN (Ohio Adm. Code 4501:1-11-01).
2. Then the form. The owner fills out BMV 3713 and sends it to the registrar with proof of the inspection and the title (Ohio Adm. Code 4501:1-11-01).

Ohio checks VINs in two other cases too. A salvage-titled car restored for the road needs a highway patrol inspection of the motor number and VIN before a new title is issued (Ohio Rev. Code 4505.11). Titles brought in from another state also get a VIN inspection (Ohio BMV). And when an Ohio seller finally signs the title over, the signature on the back has to be notarized (Ohio BMV).

We haven't checked Ohio's fee or how long the process takes. Ask the BMV.

When the VIN and the title don't agree

A mismatch is a paperwork problem first. Don't try to fix it on the title yourself. Missouri, for one, tells sellers to use no correction fluid or erasures on a title (Missouri DOR). Maryland tells sellers to fix any errors on the title before the sale (Maryland MVA).

Don't fix a mismatch by changing a number. NHTSA tells owners to check with their state Attorney General before they alter a VIN or replace a label that carries one. A salvage brand on the title adds its own rules; the salvage title guide covers them.

What the buyer will look up

Expect a careful buyer to run the number. The FTC recommends getting a vehicle history report before buying a used car, and it points buyers to vehiclehistory.gov, the NMVTIS site, for title, insurance loss and salvage information (FTC).

NMVTIS shows the car's title information, the latest odometer reading, its brand history and, in some cases, theft records (NMVTIS). A brand is a label a state puts on a car to mark its current or past condition, such as junk, salvage or flood. The FTC also says a history report is no substitute for an independent inspection.

All of this runs on the VIN. A car with no readable number gives a buyer nothing to look up, which is one more reason to get the state process done.

The title paperwork in each state

Once the VIN question is settled, the sale itself runs on your state's normal title rules. Here is one detail from each state's page or statute that a seller with VIN trouble should watch.

If the title itself is gone as well, start with selling with no title.

Get the state VIN, or sell the car as it is?

Go through the state process when you want the car back on the road, or when a buyer will need to register it. In Ohio that means a highway patrol inspection, then form BMV 3713 sent in with the title. NHTSA says a state-assigned VIN may be needed so the car isn't rejected at re-registration.

Sell it as it is when the car is finished anyway: it doesn't run, the repair costs more than it's worth, and nobody will drive it again. Either way, tell any buyer about the VIN problem up front, and keep the title and any inspection papers together.

We buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US. Tell us about the VIN when you reach out so the paperwork is clear from the start.

Have a question about your car's VIN? Call (877) 421-6008.