How to title a hot rod

We have a couple ways of registering vehicles without titles, none are fun.

  If the vehicle has a VIN number you must run a 50 state VIN check to verify if the vehicle is on the stolen list.  We do this by sending the "VIN check form" to our main MVD office in Santa Fe.  If it comes back clean we must obtain a "BOND" that usually costs 50 bones through a private insurance company that deals in bond insurance.  The bond is in case an owner comes along down the road and claims the vehicle as theirs.  The bond shuts them up.  Show the MVD all your bills of sale for the vehicle, the 50 state check and the bond and they issue you a clean title.  If you start with a "hybred hot rod" where the body is different than the frame, NM goes by what the frame is to determine the vehicle make and model. If the frame has a VIN number stamped in it, which most do in "secret places" only the State VIN inspectors know the locations.  If they find the VIN, they will title the vehicle by the frame number no matter what the body is!  You can put any body on any frame but the frame rules.

  The "hard way" is a "home made vehicle" title.  This is required if you build a vehicle from scratch that doesn't have any VIN information.  Glass vehicles and "bare body builds" without VIN tags must go this route. If you build the frame from scratch you must go the home made vehicle route.  This is a bitch as the vehicle must meet all the standard safety features required of all vehicles like functional lights, turn signals, rear view mirrors, horn, Dual master cylinders and two means of stopping the vehicle, ie. functional emergency brake, windows, etc.  You must also get the vehicle weighed at a certified scale.  The vehicle will be titled as a current year vehicle as it was titled.  In other words if you build a 1930 hot rod it will be titled a 2012, or current year vehicle.  Yes, a 2012 Model A Ford.  Being a new vehicle it must also have ALL the fricken emissions crap required for the year of the engine if it's 1975 or newer! CATS, oxy sensors, canister etc, etc. Kinda takes the fun out of it but there is hope!!!  If the engine is 1974 or older, it doesn't require emissions testing and all you have to do is take it to the Emissions HQ in Albuquerque and obtain an emissions exemption certificate.  1975 and newer your screwed.

  You can also go to a "Title specialist" licensed with the state to get the title for you, for a price.  It involves them advertising the vehicle with a lien for a certain amount of time.  If nobody claims it you get a title for it.  This route is the most expensive but you don't have to do any legwork.