Industry Spotlight—The new playbook for vehicle titling: how one state is leading the charge

Welcome to another edition of the Car Dealership Guy Industry Spotlight Podcast Recap newsletter.

In this episode, host Sam D’Arc sits down with Kimberly Scogin, Controller at Hudson Management Group, and Shane Bigelow, CEO of CHAMP Titles. Together, they discuss the benefits of digitizing one of the most paperwork-heavy processes in the industry.

Stream the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

1. Title exposure is the controller’s biggest risk multiplier

As the controller for three Nissan stores and Hudson’s high-volume used-car operation, Kimberly’s team moves over 800 vehicles a month through auctions and internal sales. But even one missing or delayed title can derail the entire flow of that inventory.

Reassignments, transfers, and lost paper trails don’t just delay deals. They lock up inventory and create legal risk. And with most title handling still relying on physical documents, even the best-run stores are one paperwork error away from a dead car.

2. The industry still treats titles like it’s 1993

Despite every advancement in retail tech, most dealers still rely on DMV runners, fax machines, and handwritten assignments to transfer ownership. This is happening at scale, every day, across the country.

There are 51 titling jurisdictions, each with their own rules and documentation requirements. That means controllers and title clerks need to manage dozens of one-off workflows without missing a single step. The more rooftops you operate, the more complicated it gets.

3. Title delays bleed profit from every aging unit

Every vehicle waiting for title work represents flooring expense, depreciation, and opportunity cost. Most operators don’t track that loss because there’s no line item for it. But it’s real, and it adds up fast.

Kimberly mentioned a title job sent to the DMV on the 8th that wasn’t completed until the 22nd. That’s 14 days of holding costs, just to get a clean title back on a vehicle that couldn’t be sold or wholesaled. At volume, the numbers get brutal.

4. Most stores still don’t title cars in their name

It sounds basic, but many dealers don’t title their inventory until it’s sold. They hold onto open assignments or reassigned titles and hope nothing goes wrong. It’s common, but it’s also a huge compliance risk and a customer service disaster waiting to happen.

Hudson flipped that logic. Kimberly’s team titles every vehicle as soon as they acquire it. That single shift is what made it possible for them to scale their model without bottlenecks.

CHAMP Titles - In automotive retail, everything moves fast — except vehicle titling. Consumers can shop online, secure a deal, and take delivery in hours, but titles still get bogged down in a maze of paper, processes, and state-by-state variation. For dealers, this means delays, errors, and tied-up cash flow. The National Digital Titling Clearinghouse (NDTC) powered by CHAMP Titles is changing that. By streamlining multi-state title transfers and reducing turnaround times from 30–60 days to less than 24 hours, NDTC helps you move vehicles — and revenue — faster. Learn more at champtitles.com/ndtc and see how faster titles drive faster deals.

5. West Virginia created a digital titling system that any dealer can use

Frustrated by the lack of national progress, West Virginia took matters into its own hands. The state passed legislation and partnered with Champ Titles to build a platform that lets dealers title vehicles instantly and electronically in all 50 states.

This isn’t a workaround or a beta tool. It’s a live, state-run system called the National Digital Titling Clearinghouse. Dealers upload documentation, pay a $40 fee, and get clean titles in their name without ever stepping foot in the DMV.

6. Hudson integrated the system with tools they were already using

Hudson already used DDI for in-state title work. When West Virginia’s Clearinghouse became available, Kimberly’s team added it through a dropdown in the system they were already familiar with. It was not a major tech project. It was a settings change.

That change turned a weeks-long DMV back-and-forth into a 24-hour turnaround. The title gets uploaded by 2 p.m., sent via FedEx, and shows up the next day.

7. Cleaner titles create stronger resale outcomes at auction

Auction partners flag anything that looks messy or risky. Reassigned titles, multiple crossouts, or unclear dealer ownership all reduce a unit’s marketability and price. Titling the vehicle properly and early can increase what a car brings at lane.

Clean title packets reduce sale-day friction and allow cars to move faster and at better prices. It also prevents returned units due to title issues after the hammer drops.

8. Title digitization directly reduces fraud and theft

Title washing, forged signatures, stolen reassignments—these are all problems rooted in paper. Digital titles introduce a full audit trail and limit what bad actors can manipulate, which lowers risk not just for dealers but for banks and insurers too.

Digital tracking makes it harder for criminals to exploit title gaps. It also helps dealers prove true ownership and resolve disputes faster, without relying on physical documents.

9. True digital titles already exist—but most vendors still reject them

Hudson has already used the Clearinghouse to produce digital titles. But when Kimberly tried to sell one to a national rental fleet, they refused to accept it. Not because it was invalid, but because their system hadn’t caught up.

The technology is ready. The problem is that title acceptance policies at large institutions haven’t adapted yet. Dealer pressure is what will change that.

10. If dealers don’t push their states, this won’t scale

West Virginia passed the law. West Virginia funded the system. West Virginia made it happen. Other states could too, but most won’t unless dealers actively demand it.

You can’t retail digitally if the paperwork is stuck in a filing cabinet. But if your state enables digital lien, title, and reg, your store could process every acquisition and sale entirely online.

Stream the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple.

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