The State of Florida is one of the first to adopt the latest in title security: an electronic title. This skips the step of having a physical record and therefore makes it much more difficult to defraud a car owner if a vehicle is stolen and sold. However, there are a few things to think about before you go digital with your Florida car title.
A physical paper title will always be needed when selling a vehicle to someone else, but participating in the electronic title program allows you to print it out at a reduced cost. Even then, the trading of paper titles depends on the person or company you're transferring to since there are different policies for each case.
For example, when selling a car to another private individual you may need to request a paper title to be transferred to that other person. Remember that you must satisfy your lien before your electronic title can be printed. When all is on par and no liens are pending, the process should become short and simple.
The only possible drawback to the management of electronic titles is the waiting period it takes for them to be issued. However, there are certain tax collection offices that offer same-day printing for titles. Look into them and you would get your title in no time at all.
When applying for electronic titles, the same documents are required and entered into the DHSMV’s database to be processed in exactly the same ways as if it were a traditional paper title. However, at the end of the process, the title will be stored in the department's system as an electronic notification is sent to the vehicle's lienholder.
After the electronic title is registered, it will remain so unless a request for a paper title is issued. Owners of electronic titles can place these requests through the DHSMV’s Virtual Office website. After paying the fees, one can retrieve that title from the DHSMV's offices, tax collection offices or authorized agencies.
On that note, third-party services are allowed to be contracted when you need a service provider for software and record management. These work with the DHSMV to record and maintain any registry of transactions and title transfers. In essence, they are middlemen that help facilitate the DHSMV services and ensure electronic records are not lost or mishandled in case anything happens at the DHSMV, providing reporting services in the process.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles ofter encourages the use of electronically maintain titles since they also assist in improving the titling system overall in the state of Florida and the rest of the country and allowing it to reduce the costs of issuing titles by a larger margin.
All in all, the ownership of electronic titles is a step into the future that can save you a lot of time, money and worries as its efficiency and use is improved upon and increasingly widespread both in the state of Florida and nationwide. While paper titles have no been completely removed from history and may no disappear for a while, the use and practicality of electronic titles will become even more consistent over the coming years, until it becomes the mains logical choice for all car owners.
Do you need to have your electronic titles prepared? If you need some more information on the subject, let us help you! Reach out to Auto Tags of Florida at (954)848-4808 and we'll make sure you get your tags and titles in completed quickly and efficiently!
