Frequently Asked Questions about Title & Lien Release

A title is the legal form that establishes ownership of a motor vehicle and includes information such as: Identifying information about the vehicle; the vehicle identification number (VIN); the year/make/model; the name and address of the purchaser or registered owner; and the name of the lienholder or “legal owner” if applicable.

This varies by state. Some states will send it to the vehicle owner while other states will send it to the lienholder. Some states have paperless titles and they are maintained electronically at the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Check with your states DMV to confirm how they manage auto titles.

Title fees vary by state. Please contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to learn more about the costs.

Each state has different procedures to replace titles. Contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles if you need to replace a lost or damaged title.

A lien release is a document that shows that the lienholder’s security interest in the vehicle has been released. You can provide the lien release to your state motor vehicle titling agency to obtain a lien-free title to your vehicle.

You should contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to update your registration and title or to ask them questions about how long their process takes. A number of states have timelines for updating this information and penalties for failure to do so.

The DMV will send a letter to us requesting the necessary documents to complete the transaction. Give your DMV the following:

• Our fax: (937) 481-5324

or

• Our address: Chase Auto, PO Box 4420, Wilmington, OH 45177

We will release the title/lien typically within 2–10 business days based on your method of payment for payoff and any applicable state law.

• To ensure the quickest release, we recommend that you make your payoff on chase.com using funds from a Chase bank account, by using certified funds such as mailing a cashier’s check or money order to the certified funds address on the back of your billing statement, or by making your payoff in a Chase branch.
• You may also pay off using other methods such as making your payoff online at chase.com using funds from a non-Chase bank account or by mailing a personal check to the standard payoff address on the back of your billing statement. These non-certified payment methods may not ensure the quickest release processing.

The title will be sent to the mailing address that appears on your auto billing statements unless you have notified us of a different address.

Keep in mind: For electronic (paperless) titles, we’ll notify the state of the lien release and they’ll provide you with your title. (Florida requires the title to remain electronic unless the owner requests a paper title.) Contact your local state DMV for their completion times, because it varies state to state.

If your vehicle is titled in an electronic (paperless) state, we'll release the lien electronically, and notify you when we've done so. Then, your state’s motor vehicle titling agency will mail a lien-free title to you, according to its own timeframe. (Florida requires the title to remain electronic unless the owner requests a paper title.) Contact your local state DMV for their completion times, because it varies state to state.

• Electronic (paperless) states include:
  
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Wisconsin

We’ll mail your title or lien release to the mailing address that appears on your auto billing statements. Make sure to review your address with us and the DMV, and make any necessary updates before completing your payoff.

If your state’s Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) has an electronic (paperless) title program and your record is held electronically, we’ll release our lien directly with the DMV and the DMV will generally mail the lien free title to the registered owner’s address, unless otherwise instructed.

Keep in mind: Florida doesn’t generate a lien-free title when the electronic lien is released. You can contact the state’s DMV to request a lien-free title.

To obtain a lien release, you can contact us through the Secure Message Center or by mail:

Chase Auto

LA4-4025

700 Kansas Lane

Monroe, LA 71203

You can also call Customer Service at 1-800-336-6675; We accept operator relay calls.

All requests should include the following information:

• your full name
• your loan account number, if available
• vehicle year, make and model
• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• address where you’d like us to send the lien release