COURT ORDERS

Vehicle ownership may be transferred by a court order. A court order is usually the result of, but not limited to the following:

• A bankruptcy where the court appoints a trustee to dispose of assets, including motor vehicles acquired through the bankruptcy. To transfer vehicle ownership in this manner, the court appointed trustee must sign the title or Affidavit of Lost Title and provide a certified copy of the order appointing the trustee.
• A divorce whereby the court may award a motor vehicle to a spouse who is not listed on the title or is listed with another owner with the conjunction "AND". A certified copy of the divorce decree must be provided with a description of the vehicle including the vehicle identification number. 
• The courts may also determine legal ownership of a vehicle when:
  1. There is a dispute regarding legal ownership of a vehicle
  2. There is a failure to comply with the terms of a loan agreement
  3. There is a civil action that results in the award of property

In the case of an involuntary transfer, the court order may be accepted in place of a vehicle title. If the title is available, it should be turned in to the Division of Motor Vehicles. In a case where the title has not been released or has been improperly released, the court order must accompany the application for title and registration transfer.