A lienholder may assign, absolutely or otherwise, his security interest in the vehicle to a person other than the owner without affecting the interest of the owner or the validity of the security interest, but any person without notice of the assignment is protected in dealing with the lienholder as the holder of the security interest, and the lienholder remains liable for any obligations as lienholder until an assignment by the lienholder is delivered to the Department of Motor Vehicles as provided in this section.

The assignee may, but need not, to perfect the assignment, deliver to the department an assignment by the lienholder in the form the department prescribes with the required fee.

The Department shall file each assignment received by it with the required fee and note the assignee as lienholder upon the record of security interests maintained by the Department pursuant to § 56-19-660.