What counts as proof of car ownership in Alberta?

Question

I am importing a vehicle from Alberta to Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania wants a "car title." I owned 3 cars in Canada and never had a "car title." My Alberta dealership told me that the "registration" is the same thing as the title. Can anybody confirm what counts as proof of ownership in Alberta?

Answer 1

In Alberta, the bill of sale (or signed lease) is considered to be the proof of ownership. This is what the Registry agent requires before they can register the car.

Alberta Registries

There are no such thing as a title in Alberta. As to how you'd explain and prove this to the Pennsylvania DOT is a good question.

Answer 2

You may not have ever had a title if you were making payments on the vehicle. At least here in the States, if you are making payments, the financial institution you are making payments to is considered the "lienholder" on the vehicle and holds the title as collateral to show proof they own the car until you are through making payments on it.

If you are still making payments on your car and have a current registration, you'd need to provide your banking institution as the lienholder and you should be good to go. I've never done this, so there may be more to it then that. You should talk directly to the PA Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to see what they require. Not every state is going to be exactly the same.