If you are purchasing a vehicle and would like to assign the car title to a teenager, there are specific steps you must follow in order to do so. Because the law in the majority of U.S. states prevents a minor, or an individual under the age of 18, from owning property on their own, specific requirements must be met for a title to go into a minor's name.
Step
Purchase and pay off a vehicle. In order to have the title to a vehicle, you must own the car completely and not owe a car dealership or bank any monies. Once the vehicle has been paid off, you will receive the title for the car in the mail within six to eight weeks.
Step
Co-sign the title with the teenager if the teenager is under the age of 18. Because minors cannot own property in most states, a co-signing adult is required to sign the title with the child. Once the child turns 18, the title can be transferred into his name. If the teenager is 18 or older, simply have him sign the title as the current owner.
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Step
Instruct the teenager to sign the car title immediately upon receiving it in the mail if you currently reside in the states of Texas or North Carolina. In these states, there are no minimum age requirements for children to own property, and thus teenagers under the age of 18 are legally allowed to own a motor vehicle. However, unlike Texas, in North Carolina insurance companies will normally require parents to sign insurance documents for liability purposes, and subsequently will not issue a license plate on a vehicle without valid insurance.
