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Retail Auto Software

Title and registration tools for dealers: how to choose

How title and registration tools handle electronic titles, temporary tags and DMV filings, and what to ask by state.

Reviewed by the team · Updated Nov 5, 2026

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What it does

Title and registration tools help dealerships submit sales paperwork to state motor vehicle agencies. They calculate fees and taxes, issue temporary tags, file registrations electronically and track title status on trades and purchases.

Rules differ by state, and they are changing. Many states now support or require electronic lien and title, and some are tightening rules on temporary tags after fraud problems. A tool built for your state's process saves trips to the DMV and reduces errors that delay a customer's plates.

Title delays also slow funding and wholesale sales. Look for tools that show the status of every title in one place, including payoffs on trades and titles coming from lenders and auctions.

Who in the store uses it

  • Title clerks: prepare and submit DMV filings.
  • Office managers and controllers: watch title status and fees.
  • F&I managers: confirm fees and taxes on the deal.
  • Used car managers: track titles on trades and auction purchases.

What it connects to

  • DMS (deal and customer data)
  • State DMV systems and electronic lien and title programs
  • eContracting and lenders
  • Auctions (title transfer on wholesale units)
  • Accounting

Title and registration products in the index

See all 17

What to ask vendors

  • Which states do you support, and are you an approved provider in each?
  • Do you issue temporary tags electronically?
  • How do fees and taxes stay current for each state and county?
  • How do you handle electronic titles from lenders and auctions?
  • Can we see the status of every title in one place?
  • Does deal data flow from our DMS without retyping?
  • How long does a typical registration take through your tool?
  • What does each transaction cost?

Signs it's time to switch

  • Staff still make regular trips to the DMV.
  • Customers wait too long for plates.
  • Fee and tax errors lead to rejected filings.
  • You can't see which titles are outstanding.
  • Your state changed its process and your tool hasn't caught up.

Related categories

eContracting, Read the eContracting guideDMS, Read the DMS guideAuctions, Read the Auctions guideRegulatory complianceRead the Regulatory compliance guide

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