California DMV

I have a question about title and DMV and lenders. So I have a 2007 tundra that I paid off in 2012. My registration still shows toyota as the lien holder. I called toyota several years ago about it, and they said they would submit to DMV the release. It still showed toyota as a lien holder this year. So I again called toyota and they said they would mail me the release form to take to DMV. I took it to AAA DMV and was told I had to pay $42 to get a new title. I don't remember ever having to do this before, and it looks like, according to google, that it is the responsibility of the lender to get Toyota off of my registration. Now I do have the title from toyota signed off with a letter stapled to the back. Never paid any attention to it, because I just saw the title. It states to keep the document in a safe place if I want to sell or transfer the truck. It also says that to go to DMV if I want to remove Toyota. I don't ever remember having to go to DMV to do that before. As a matter of fact, we have a lexus that was paid off two year later and as I recall, we just ended up with a new title from DMV. Is this correct that I have to pay to get the lender off my registration?

 

Yep. Transfer of Title fee. We've always had to pay when whenever we have paid off a vehicle and get it transferred into our name.

 

In MN they send you a 'lien release' card and you just keep it with the title.

Why do you need/want 'Toyota' to be off of the title when you have the documentation saying it legally is already?
Seems like a waste of $42...

 

California charges you for everything... Mine has had the lien since 11, odds are it will be taken out by a drunk driver before it's sold. Already pay $160 registration fee a year...

 

Well I got it cleared up. Pre electronic title, there is a $15 fee to remove the lien holder. It's weird because it was done at AAA, so DMV personnel was not involved, so not really sure why I have to pay, after all that why I pay AAA membership. Anyways, I wasn't supposed to be charged $27 dollars for the title because I already had one signed off by Toyota, so AAA screwed up on that and I am supposed to get a refund, so they say. The only advantage to getting a new title without Toyota name on it is that if ever my title was lost or damaged, I would have to go through toyota to get a letter saying it is paid off. But it all reeks of more taxation.....

 

As far as registration costs, not sure where Blackdemon lives, but here in cali my 2007 tundra is about $360. And we have limited DMV hours and long waits, gas prices are crazy, even though oil costs are low AND our roads are still all tore up.....

 

You still have to pay DMV fees at AAA. You just don't have to wait in DMV lines.