West Virginia Code 17A-3A-3 – Certificates of title
(a) Before any imported vehicle which has not previously been
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17A-3A-3
- Division: means the Division of Motor Vehicles of this state acting directly or through its duly authorized officers and agents. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Manufacturer: means every person engaged in the business of constructing or assembling vehicles of a type required to be registered hereunder at a place of business in this state which is actually occupied either continuously or at regular periods by the manufacturer where his or her books and records are kept and a large share of his or her business is transacted. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Owner: means a person who holds the legal title to a vehicle, or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be considered the owner for the purpose of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
titled or registered in the United States may be titled in this state, the applicant must submit: (1) A manufacturer's certificate of origin issued by the actual vehicle manufacturer together with a notarized translation thereof; or (2) the documents constituting valid proof of ownership by an individual owner or exporter and evidencing a change of such ownership to the applicant, together with a notarized translation of any document; or (3) with regard to vehicles imported from countries which cancel the vehicle registration and title for export, the documents assigned to such vehicle after the registration and title have been canceled, together with a notarized translation thereof, and proof satisfactory to the division that the motor vehicle complies with the United States Clean Air Act and the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
(b) In the event that the documents submitted as required by subsection (a) of this section do not name as owner the current applicant for a certificate of title, the applicant must also submit reliable proof of a chain of title. For those countries which utilize documents of registration rather than a certificate of title, proof of a chain of title for purposes of this subsection shall be accomplished by presenting the change of ownership certificate referred to in subsection (a) of this section.