Upon receipt of the application for title and payment of the required fees for a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, the county treasurer or the department shall, when satisfied as to the application's genuineness and regularity, and, in the case of a mobile home, that taxes are not owing under chapter 435, issue a certificate of title and, except for a mobile home, a registration receipt, and shall file the application, the manufacturer's or importer's certificate, the certificate of title, or other evidence of ownership, as prescribed by the department. The registration receipt shall be delivered to the owner and shall contain upon its face the date issued, the name and address of the owner, the registration number assigned to the vehicle, the title number assigned to the owner of the vehicle, the amount of the fee paid, the amount of tax paid pursuant to section 423.7, the type of fuel used, and a description of the vehicle as determined by the department, and upon the reverse side a form for notice of transfer of the vehicle.
The county treasurer shall maintain in the county record system information contained on the registration receipt. The information shall be accessible by registration number and shall be open for public inspection during reasonable business hours. Copies the department requires shall be sent to the department in the manner and at the time the department directs.
The certificate of title shall contain upon its face the identical information required upon the face of the registration receipt. In addition, the certificate of title shall contain a statement of the owner's title, the amount of tax paid pursuant to section 423.7, the name and address of the previous owner, and a statement of all security interests and encumbrances as shown in the application, upon the vehicle described, including the nature of the security interest, date of notation, and name and address of the secured party.
If the prior certificate of title is from another state and indicates that the vehicle was rebuilt, the new certificate of title shall contain the designation of "REBUILT" stamped or printed on its face together with the name of the state issuing the prior title. The designation of "REBUILT" and the name of the other state shall be retained on all subsequent Iowa certificates of title for the vehicle. If the prior certificate of title is from another state and indicates that the vehicle was rebuilt, the registration receipt shall contain the designation of "REBUILT" stamped and printed on its face. The stamped designation of "REBUILT" shall be located on the center of the right side of the registration receipt in black letters no bigger than sixteen point type. The designation shall be retained on the face of all subsequent registration receipts for the vehicle.
If the prior certificate of title is from another state and indicates that the vehicle was junked, an Iowa junking certificate shall be issued according to section 321.52, subsections 2 and 3. If the prior certificate of title from another state indicates that the vehicle is salvaged and not rebuilt or is a salvage certificate of title, an Iowa salvage certificate of title shall be issued and a "SALVAGE" designation shall be retained on all subsequent Iowa certificates of title and registration receipts for the vehicle, except as provided under section 321.52, subsection 4, paragraph "b". The department may require that subsequent Iowa certificates of title retain other states' designations which indicate that a vehicle had incurred prior damage. The department shall determine the manner in which other states' rebuilt, salvage, or other designations are to be indicated on Iowa titles.
The certificate shall bear the seal of the county treasurer or of the department, and the signature of the county treasurer, the deputy county treasurer, or the department director or deputy designee. The certificate shall provide space for the signature of the owner. The owner shall sign the certificate of title in the space provided with pen and ink upon its receipt. The certificate of title shall contain upon the reverse side a form for assignment of title or interest and warranty by the owner, for reassignments by a dealer licensed in this state or in another state if the state in which the dealer is licensed permits Iowa licensed dealers to similarly reassign certificates of title. Attached to the certificate of title shall be an application for a new certificate of title by the transferee as provided in this chapter. However, titles for mobile homes shall not be reassigned by licensed dealers. All certificates of title shall be typewritten or printed by other mechanical means. Notwithstanding section 321.1, subsection 17, as used in this paragraph "dealer" means every person engaged in the business of buying, selling, or exchanging vehicles of a type required to be registered under this chapter.
The original certificate of title shall be delivered to the owner if no security interest or encumbrance appears on the certificate. Otherwise the certificate of title shall be delivered by the county treasurer or the department to the person holding the first security interest or encumbrance as shown in the certificate.
The county treasurer or the department shall maintain in the county or department records system information contained on the certificate of title. The information shall be accessible by title certificate number for a period of three years from the date of notification of cancellation of title or that a new title has been issued as provided in this chapter. Copies the department requires shall be sent to the department in the manner and at the time the department directs. The department shall designate a uniform system of title numbers to indicate the county of issuance.
A vehicle shall be registered for the registration year. A vehicle registered for the first time in this state shall be registered for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year and pay a registration fee prorated for the remaining unexpired months of the registration year.
If the county treasurer or department is not satisfied as to the ownership of the vehicle or that there are no undisclosed security interests in it, or a junking certificate has been issued for the vehicle but a certificate of title will not be reissued under section 321.52, subsection 3, and the vehicle qualifies as an antique vehicle under section 321.115, subsection 1, the county treasurer or department may register the vehicle but shall as a condition of issuing a certificate of title and registration receipt, require the applicant to file with the department a bond in the form prescribed by the department and executed by the applicant, and either accompanied by the deposit of cash with the department or also executed by a person authorized to conduct a surety business in this state. The bond shall be in an amount equal to one and one-half times the current value of the vehicle as determined by the department and conditioned to indemnify any prior owner and secured party and any subsequent purchaser of the vehicle or person acquiring any security interest in it, and their respective successors in interest, against any expense, loss, or damage, including reasonable attorney's fees, by reason of the issuance of the certificate of title of the vehicle or on account of any defect in or undisclosed security interest upon the right, title and interest of the applicant in and to the vehicle. Any such interested person has a right of action to recover on the bond for any breach of its conditions, but the aggregate liability of the surety to all persons shall not exceed the amount of the bond. The bond, and any deposit accompanying it, shall be returned at the end of three years or prior thereto if the vehicle is no longer registered in this state and the currently valid certificate of title is surrendered to the department, unless the department has been notified of the pendency of an action to recover on the bond.
[C24, 27, 31, 35, § 4873; C39, § 5001.08; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 321.24; 82 Acts, ch 1251, § 8]
82 Acts, ch 1062, § 3, 38; 87 Acts, ch 108, § 2; 87 Acts, ch 130, § 1; 88 Acts, ch 1089, §3; 89 Acts, ch 185, §1; 90 Acts, ch 1116, § 1; 91 Acts, ch 142, § 1; 92 Acts, ch 1104, § 2; 94 Acts, ch 1199, §77; 95 Acts, ch 45, §1
Referred to in § 321.46, 321.52, 321.152, 331.557
Certain trailers exempt, see § 321.123
Iowa General Assembly
Search: Iowa Code 1997
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