Under most circumstances, when you first register and title a vehicle that you bought in New York State, you must provide DMV either a title or transferable registration signed over to you as proof of ownership. There are certain situations, however, where you might not have the title to a vehicle. For more information, please see the information linked to below.  

• Register a vehicle I bought at a sheriff or marshal auction [1]
• Abandoned and unclaimed vehicles [2]
• Register a custom or homemade trailer or vehicle [3]
• Proof of ownership is not available [4]

If you have any questions or need any more information about registering and titling a vehicle in New York State without a title, please contact the Title Bureau at 1-518-486-4714.

For more information about registering a vehicle, please see Registrations [5]

For more information about titling a vehicle, please see Titles [6]