To title a vehicle in NC:
You need to fill out a MVR-1 (Title Application), a MVR-651 (Declaration of Eligible Risk, aka insurance form), a MVR-181 (Damage Disclosure Statement).
You will need to provide either a Title from the previous owner reassigning the vehicle to you (requires notarized signatures) or a SF-97 (with the notarized reassignment from GL to you).
Since you are getting a title for a MV, you will have to arrange for an inspection by a member of the License and Theft Bureau who will verify all the numbers and your paperwork and who will provide you with a MVR-31 (his inspection report).
You then go to a tag and title office and push the paperwork.
Since all the title offices have the same manual, and it specifically states in a section on titling Military Vehicles and other Federal or TVA owned vehicles that you MUST have a SF-97, pushing a recently purchased vehicle through without the SF-97 will be hard…
If you cannot provide a Title or a SF-97 for a vehicle, then you have to Title by Bond. You have to write a letter (with as much documentation as possible) outlining the ownership history of the vehicle that also states why it does not have an existing title or SF-97. Bond must be posted for 1.5 times the declared value of the vehicle (determined by DMV and provided to you when you call and ask). You will provide the same paperwork as above, and have the same inspection before you try to push the paper. This work around for having a SF-97 or a Title is specifically aimed at individuals purchasing antique vehicles from folks in other states that do not retain title/registration records indefinitely or that do not formally title antiques and for other extenuating circumstances (which a purchase from GL is not…).
BTW: if the vehicle is over 25 years of age, push the paper at either the Charlotte or Raleigh DMV office and not at a commercial contract tag/title office. That way, you can put Transporter (TP) plates on it for $14/year…
If you want, I can copy the section from the DMV manual for you… J