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Proof of Ownership

slowrider

Member
I am thinking of buying a Thiokol 201 to use for transportation in & out of property.I live in Pa. and buying it out of state.My question is,do these vehicles have a titles or just a bill of sale?Does it depend on the state?Any help would be appreciated.
 

leadarrows

Member
In Indiana you have to have a title, so if a trailer for instance was built before titiles were issued you have to apply for a Vehicle Identification Number, attache the number to the trailer then apply for a title.
 

undy

New member
To my knowledge, titles are not issued for snowcats. They convey ownership of a Motor Vehicle, as US DOT determines it, which is to say it must have been built to operate on-road. But that's where it gets unclear, since registration for on-road operation is the responsibility of the state/s.

Titling is a federal issue, so in theory it should be uniform. But that's not to say that one hasn't slipped through the cracks. I know of a guy who's got a title for his halftrack, and it ain't legal on the roads here in Wis.

Trailers often have titles because they are assumed to be on-road vehicles. They're likely handled differently from snowcats.

I believe VINs can only be assigned by NHTSA, State Patrol officers, and perhaps Registered Importers.

Best off addressing your question to your local DOT/DMV. It's also possible that your DNR may have authority over the matter, since it's an off-road vehicle.
 

donald73d

New member
In NY getting a title for anything (car, boat, trailer) means paying sales tax so if its not going to need license plates, I assume most would not title it even if it could be titled.
 

zspryte

Member
Site Supporter
My cat did not come with a title, but I went through the process to get it titled in California. It was the only way I could get a "green sticker" to drive it legally in the national forest and on my street. It took a while and some leg work. California has a special process to title snowcats that come from states that don't issue snowcat titles. You need the bill of sales and some other paper work plus an inspection. I had one of our local state troopers come out and do the inspection on site. DMV had a field day with the VIN since it was only 3 digits. It cost a little to title it. But compared to the cost of tickets folks get by me for unregistered snowcat, it was nothing.
 

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I bought one of those California licensed cats and now own it in Washington. It was bought at a pistenbully dealership in reno after it was traded in for a new one. It came with no title but has paperwork only showing it was registered in California.
jim
 

akmountaineer

New member
My cat did not come with a title, but I went through the process to get it titled in California. It was the only way I could get a "green sticker" to drive it legally in the national forest and on my street. It took a while and some leg work. California has a special process to title snowcats that come from states that don't issue snowcat titles. You need the bill of sales and some other paper work plus an inspection. I had one of our local state troopers come out and do the inspection on site. DMV had a field day with the VIN since it was only 3 digits. It cost a little to title it. But compared to the cost of tickets folks get by me for unregistered snowcat, it was nothing.

How much is that ticket that you hand out for unregistered vehicles? I don't know if you got preferential law enforcement treatment, but the CA DMV is just giving me the run around on my machine making it insanely difficult to register. They want to see all documentation for the unbroken chain of title going all the way back to the factory. In my case that's 35 years with God knows how many owners. Give me a freaking break. Sometimes dealing with government bureaucracy and trying to be an upstanding citizen and do things the correct way is made to impossible. Be glad that most of you do not reside in California.
 

NorCal

New member
My cat did not come with a title, but I went through the process to get it titled in California. It was the only way I could get a "green sticker" to drive it legally in the national forest and on my street. It took a while and some leg work. California has a special process to title snowcats that come from states that don't issue snowcat titles. You need the bill of sales and some other paper work plus an inspection. I had one of our local state troopers come out and do the inspection on site. DMV had a field day with the VIN since it was only 3 digits. It cost a little to title it. But compared to the cost of tickets folks get by me for unregistered snowcat, it was nothing.

Did you register it as a snowmobile? I'm gonna get my Snow Trac registered here in Cali. I am friends with the local CHP inspector and he will check off whatever I tell him we think it is, either a snowmobile or an amphibious machine.
 

zspryte

Member
Site Supporter
The ticket my friend got for an unregistered vehicle in the national forest was around $300 plus court costs of that plus more.

I could not prove chain of custody when I got my cat titled so I got a bond from my car insurance guy instead (~$100). Painless, but it did take time. Read the CA application stuff carefully. I seem to recall that if your cat was under a certain amount things were different and easier. (Perhaps I'm confused there.) Also, they are going to make you pay sales tax on your purchase price or, if a gift, its value. Luckily, as Big Al has been discussing in another thread, used snow cats aren't worth very much today :brows:.
 

m1west

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I know its an old post. I am in ca. I use a slow moving vehicle sign. Think tractor I haven't had a problem yet.
 
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