Iowa Title for M931

[D6c]

Got an M931 about a year ago and like many others was refused a title transfer by the DOT.
I was wondering if anyone has had sucess getting MV's titled since rule changes went into effect last July.

I started going through the DOT requirements to meet the "substantially in compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards" provision in the regulation.

Looks like I'll need to add:
- Front marker lights to top of cab and rear marker lights.
- License plate light
- Rear side marker lights
- Maybe rewire marker lights to act as parking lamps
Anything else I'm missing?

I'd be interested to hear how others have gotten along with the DOT....Do the actually inspect the truck or is your signed form stating compliance all they want?

After the law went into effect I asked at the local liscense office what I needed to do. The clerk was a little snippy with me and told me the change wasn't a "law". (I'll bet the Governor thought it was when he signed it)
She also said the change didn't mean the DOT had to title vehicles that met the requirements....it just meant the could title them.....a subtle distinction.

 

[jdknech]

I would call the state DOT office yourself, and explain what you have, and that it is a hobby truck, for parades, and shows... this is what I did in indiana, and they were very helpful.. if they (the DOT) knows that it is not a commercal truck, and that it was military, it may help your case.. just my

 

[rrrr]

See if you can historic plate the vehicle. That's what I've done here in MO. No need for any inspection, just an odometer check and your good to go. Typically there are limits with historic plates though.

 

[D6c]

The problem in Iowa was that they were refusing to transfer title to any vehicle that didn't have the Federal safety sticker (which very few military vehicles have)
They changed the law last July to allow them to be titled, but you are required to show that they "substantially" meet safety requirements. There is a list of about 20 safety features you must have, most of which are already on the truck, but 4 or 5 things may have to be added.

 

[Gastrap]

There shouldn't be any inspection required. You just sign the form stating it's "substantially in compliance" which is true if all the factory equipment is functional. Would be a good idea to at least add a license light. It's not open to interpretation by the office worker, it's law.

 

[D6c]

The only reason I got hung up in the title issue was the VIN No. was only 15 digits long, not the standard 17 digits. Once they saw that, it was pushed up the to main DOT office where they refused it because of the lack of the Fed. safety sticker.
Funny thing is I know of another guy in the county that titled several M35's that have short VIN's and no safety sticker.....he's a small dealer, but somehow he got it done.

I was told they may be able to work around the VIN by adding digits to the original number. To do that I expect them to make a visit to see the truck, and at that point they'll want to make sure all the safety features are in place too. For that reason I doubt if I can get by with just signing the safety certificatoin to get the title.

Got to love all the red tape.....

 

[D6c]

Title Received!

Finally got the Iowa title for my M931 just over a year after I bought it. Could’ve had it sooner if I’d had the time.
Didn’t know how sticky they were going to be so I wired in marker light on the rear and cab top and made sure all the other lights were working. Not much else needed to meet the DOT’s requirements.
Didn’t think about it, but since the list required a license plate light, I put on a plate holder and wired a light to the taillights…..then I realized IA doesn’t require a rear plate on truck tractors….Duuuh.
As it turns out they don’t seem interested in inspecting the trucks. Probably could have just signed the paper and got the title, but I’m not recommending you do that.
The only irritating thing are the fees….I was just going to title it and store it but they make you buy the license with the title transfer. Since it weighs just over 11 ton you buy a 12 ton license minimum (unless you lie on the weight) Title, tax, and license was around $280 and that’s licensed just until July 1[SUP]st[/SUP]. Told the woman I’d probably just store it after that since I don’t have a trailer yet, but she said you have to buy a full year’s registration before it can be stored.
It’s all about the money…..

 

[160020]

Anyone know how hard it is to get this done in Wisconsin? I'm a newby and can't wait to fight this in my state.

 

[chadande]

Anyone know how hard it is to get this done in Wisconsin? I'm a newby and can't wait to fight this in my state.

It's easy. WI has a special form and plates for military vehicles. Pay once and the plates are good for as long as you own the truck! You'll need to fill out an MV1 and an MV2592 form, both are available on the DMV website. Follow the instructions and send everything they want including a few pics and you'll have the registration and plates fast. My last one only took a week.