Private Trust Registration
Through Your State DMV
For the overwhelming majority of our clients and members, we recommend beginning with — or in many cases, staying with — Option 1: Private Trust DMV Registration. This pathway provides the strongest legal foundation for vehicle ownership and operation while still achieving the core goal of private trust vehicle holding.
The principle is straightforward: you vest your vehicle into a properly drafted private automobile trust, then present that trust to your state DMV to re-title the vehicle in the name of the trust. The DMV then issues new registration, a new title, and new state plates — all in the name of your trust rather than your personal name. This achieves meaningful privacy while maintaining full legal recognition.
Why We Recommend This First: A vehicle registered to a private trust through the DMV enjoys the same legal standing as any other registered vehicle. Law enforcement recognizes it. Courts recognize it. Insurance companies understand it. You retain the privacy benefits of trust ownership without the uncertainty of operating outside the state registration system.
How the Process Works
Our Role in Option 1: We prepare the Private Automobile Trust Instrument (included in Tier II and Tier III, or available as a standalone add-on). The actual DMV registration process is between you and your state DMV. We strongly recommend consulting a qualified attorney in your state to ensure the trust and transfer documents meet your state's specific requirements.
100% Private Plates —
Full Administrative Record
Option 2 is for clients who desire complete privacy — meaning no state DMV involvement whatsoever. Under this pathway, your vehicle is held entirely within a private trust framework, and the plates on your vehicle are issued privately by us as a private party, not by any government agency.
We want to be completely transparent: this pathway is more complex, carries more personal responsibility, and offers less third-party recognition than Option 1. We offer it because we respect the right of informed adults to make this choice for themselves — and because we believe everyone who chooses it deserves the most complete, professional documentation possible to support their standing. But it is only recommended when the client fully understands and accepts what is involved.
Requirements for Option 2
Vehicle Ownership / Title
You must hold clear title to the vehicle. If the vehicle is financed, leased, or has a lien holder, you cannot vest it into a private trust for Option 2 purposes until that lien is satisfied. You must be the legal owner of record.
Private Automobile Trust
Your vehicle should be properly vested into a drafted private automobile trust before private plate issuance. If you do not have a trust, our Tier II and III packages include a full trust instrument prepared specifically for your vehicle.
Vehicle Registration Status
Any vehicle that has previously been registered with a state DMV requires deregistration before it can be considered fully private. Nearly all vehicles on the road today fall into this category. See the full explanation below.
Legal Counsel
Before operating under Option 2, we strongly urge you to consult a qualified private-law or tribal-law attorney. The legal landscape is complex and varies significantly by state. This is your responsibility and it matters.
Understanding Your Vehicle's
Registration History
This is one of the most important things any prospective client needs to understand before pursuing Option 2. It relates to the history of how vehicles enter — and remain within — the government registration system.
Every new vehicle manufactured and sold in the United States begins its life with a Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) — a document issued by the manufacturer that is the original title instrument for the vehicle before any government involvement.
When a new vehicle is sold for the first time by a dealer, the MCO is surrendered to the state, and the state issues the first state title. At that moment, the vehicle formally enters the government titling and registration system. From that point forward, the state maintains a record of that vehicle's identification number (VIN) in its registry.
In practice, this means: virtually every vehicle currently on the road — other than a brand-new vehicle purchased directly from a manufacturer before any state title has been issued — has already entered the government system. Any vehicle you have previously titled, registered, or driven with state plates has an existing government record attached to it.
This does not mean the vehicle can never be operated privately. But it does mean that for Option 2 — full private operation — you must address that existing record through a formal deregistration process before your private standing is as clean as possible.
The consequences of operating a vehicle that is still registered in the state system using only private plates — without completing deregistration — are real and personal. Law enforcement running your VIN will find an existing state record. That record may include previous owner information, registration status, and other data that can complicate any assertion of private status.
We do not make this decision for you. We inform you of the facts. What you do with this information is entirely your responsibility. But every client who asks us honestly gets this honest answer: if your vehicle has ever had a state title, deregistration is a necessary step for true 100% private operation.
Vehicle Deregistration —
Exiting the State System
Deregistration is the formal administrative process of removing a vehicle from the state DMV's active registration and title records. It is a complex, multi-step process that varies by state, and it is a serious administrative undertaking that should not be approached casually.
We offer deregistration assistance as an additional service for clients who have completed or are pursuing Option 2. This service involves preparing the administrative documentation, notices, and affidavits that support a deregistration claim. As with all of our services, this is document preparation assistance only — we are not attorneys, we do not file documents on your behalf with any government agency, and we cannot guarantee any specific outcome.
What Deregistration Typically Involves
Honest Timeline: Complete deregistration and full private trust establishment is not a one-day process. Depending on your state and your vehicle's history, it may take weeks to months. Anyone promising you that a private plate alone — without these underlying steps — achieves full private status is not being honest with you. We are.
To inquire about deregistration assistance as an add-on service, contact Member Services at 888-597-8825. A representative will review your vehicle's situation and advise on what is involved for your specific state and circumstances.
Which Pathway Is Right for You?
- Choose Option 1 if: Your primary goal is private trust vehicle holding with maximum legal recognition. You want your vehicle held in trust but you also want smooth interactions with law enforcement and government agencies. You are new to private trust concepts and want the most established pathway.
- Consider Option 2 if: You are an advanced, well-informed private trust administrator. You fully understand and accept the legal landscape and personal responsibility involved. You own your vehicle outright. You are prepared to complete deregistration. You have consulted or plan to consult qualified legal counsel.
- Do not choose Option 2 if: You expect our plates alone to protect you from traffic stops, citations, or government authority. You have not read and understood this guide and our Legal Disclaimer. You are not prepared to fully self-administer your private trust. You have an existing lien on your vehicle.