A car with a lien is essentially a car that comes with extra loans to pay. In other words, a car lien serves as a sort of insurance policy for lenders to guarantee that debts are paid in full.
You can still drive a car with a lien. The only difference is that the car can still be repossessed by the secured party until you’ve paid your loan in full.
If the liens on a car aren’t settled on time, the possibility of you losing your vehicle is very high. This becomes a problem when salesmen sell you cars with outstanding liens, effectively passing their debt to you. Knowing how to check for liens could save you a lot of money.
Here are some of the best ways to check for a lien on a vehicle:
Inspect the title of the vehicle for any liens, past or outstanding.
Request to see any lien release documents to prove there are no outstanding liens.
Do a history check for liens with the vehicle identification number at the DMV.
For those of you who want to familiarize yourself with liens, what they entail, and how to get rid of them, be sure to read on.
What Does It Mean to Own a Car With a Lien?
When you take out a loan to buy a vehicle, whether it’s new or pre-loved, lenders use liens to guarantee the loans are paid.
A car with a lien is essentially a car that comes with extra loans to pay. When you take out a loan to buy a vehicle, whether it’s new or pre-loved, lenders use liens to guarantee the loans are paid.
In other words, a car lien serves as a sort of insurance policy for lenders to guarantee that debts are paid in full. Unfortunately, this also means that this loan can be transferred from one owner to another.
Because of this, it’s important to check if your vehicle has a lien to avoid complications concerning unpaid debts. Do background checks on any vehicles you purchase to see if they have liens if you want to avoid paying another person’s due to the bank.
Can I Still Drive a Car With a Lien?
Yes, you can. The only difference is that the car can still be repossessed by the secured party until you have paid your loan in full. After you pay off your loan, your car title will be returned and you will regain complete ownership of your vehicle.
Can a Lien Holder Take Your Vehicle?
The answer is yes. If a vehicle has a lien that is left unpaid, it’s possible for the secured party to repossess it from you.
It doesn’t matter if you purchased the vehicle secondhand. If the previous owner sold a vehicle with a lien to you, then it can still be taken back by the people who set the lien in the first place.
That’s why when you purchase a vehicle, make sure its lien has already been paid off by the previous owner.
Is It Possible to Get a Lien Lifted From a Secondhand Vehicle?
The best way to get a lien lifted from a vehicle, secondhand or otherwise, is to pay the loan due to the lienholder. After paying off the loan, you will receive a vehicle lien release form and a car title that certifies that you have full ownership of the vehicle.
In the event that you can’t find the lienholder after purchasing a secondhand vehicle, your best bet would be to contact the BMV or the DMV.
How Do You Check for Liens on a Car?
When you’re checking out a new vehicle, the first thing you need to do is check the title.
There’s no understating how important it is to make sure your vehicles don’t have any outstanding liens. This particularly applies to those of you looking to buy secondhand vehicles.
If you want to learn how to check for a lien on a car, follow these steps:
When you’re checking out a new vehicle, the first thing you need to do is check the title. Take a look at the vehicle’s current owner, as well as any past owners to see if there are any ongoing liens or ones that have already been settled.
If your vehicle has any liens, request to see the lien release documents to confirm that the vehicle’s liens have already been paid for. This step is important as it’s not illegal for car salesmen to sell secondhand cars with outstanding liens.
After confirming the existence and validity of the lien release documents, get the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle. This can often be found in the dashboard, under the hood, or in the trunk.
Once you have the VIN, do a lien history check. The best way to do this would be to coordinate with the DMV or your local tax office. Once you get your results, you should be able to determine if all liens on the vehicle have been accounted for.
How Do You Remove a Lien From a Vehicle?
Knowing how to determine whether or not a vehicle has any liens is one thing. Knowing what to do to get a lien lifted from a vehicle is another. It’s important to get any liens removed from a vehicle as soon as possible to avoid losing it.
Follow these steps if you’re keen on learning how to get an outstanding lien lifted from your vehicle:
If your vehicle has any liens that haven’t been accounted for, settle it by asking the owner of the vehicle to pay the lienholder what they owe. This way, you can avoid losing the vehicle to repossession.
After the lien has been satisfied, you will receive a lien release to certify that the debt has been repaid in full.
Once you have the lien release, it’s time to have the lien removed and have the title transferred to you. This can be accomplished by visiting the DMV or your local tax office.
Now that the liens have been removed and the title has been transferred to you, the vehicle is now in your complete ownership.
What Are the Different Types of Liens?
It’s worth knowing that there are many different types of liens, though each of them performs the same purpose — to protect lenders by guaranteeing they get their money back. Each of the lien types is issued in different ways:
Consensual Liens
This is a type of lien that you consent to, as opposed to a lien that’s been enforced because of unpaid loans. These liens are used if the buyer consents to the terms and conditions of the loan, and that they will willingly pay their loans on time.
Statutory Liens
Statutory liens are filed by the court when a person fails to pay their bills on time, or if a person fails to pay someone what they’re due. Unlike consensual liens, these are given to people regardless of whether or not they agree to pay their loans. This doesn’t change the fact that they have to pay their loans anyway.
Tax Liens
Last but not least, tax liens can be filed by any tax authority. These liens are usually enforced when someone doesn’t pay their taxes. Before any tax authority files a lien, they must first inform the individual and ensure they’re aware of the lien’s existence.
Lisa Conant grew up in Canada around a solid contingency of gear heads and DIY motor enthusiasts. She is an eclectic writer with a varied repertoire in the automotive industry, including research pieces with a focus on daily drivers and recreational vehicles. Lisa has written for Car Bibles and The Drive.
The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.
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