Changing NAM to Actual Miles - Is It Possible?

There comes a time when you deal with cars a lot (especially older cars and trucks) that you are probably going to find a car where the actual mileage isn’t known. This is especially true with cars built in the 1980s and prior, where most odometers only have five digits (who even thought of that?). Over the years, odometers either go out due to a faulty cable or a bad instrument cluster. Or, again, it’s as simple as losing track of how many times the odometer rolled over. Was it once or twice? That’s the difference of one hundred thousand miles. Not insignificant. 

Today we’ll see what we can figure out about “not actual mileage” and how it can affect your title. 

What Does Not Actual Mileage Mean?

So, what exactly does it mean to have “not actual mileage” (NAM) on your title? 

Well, first and foremost, it's a title brand. A branded title is basically when the title is categorized as something other than a clean title due to damage, theft, etc. 

NAM is an example of a brand that has no impact on the vehicle's overall safety, but it does impact the way the vehicle can be sold. In other words, once the vehicle is branded with a NAM title, you must disclose that the odometer is inaccurate.

This could be a serious turnoff to many buyers or equally as bad; it can seriously diminish the value of your car. If you think the vehicle only has 75k, but the actual mileage is unknown, the value will go to the worst-case scenario and tank. Bummer deal, dude. 

But, in summary, NAM means that the real mileage is not available or known. Pretty simple. There are dozens of reasons why it isn’t accurate; the title brand is only interested in letting everyone know it’s wrong. 

Why or When is a NAM Title Issued?

Here’s the tricky part: it’s pretty hard to determine whether or not the mileage is faulty. The owner generally must disclose that either the odometer is broken, mileage fraud is known, or, like we talked about earlier, they’ve lost track of how many times it has rolled over. Thankfully, odometers are universally up to six digits now, although there have been a few exceptions where those have been maxed out. 

In a Toyota, of course. Go figure. 

Anyway, these trucks (there is a Tacoma with around 1.5 million miles) should be titled with a NAM title simply due to the fact that the digital odometer stops at 999,999 and is stuck there. Although something tells me those owners aren’t planning to sell their trucks anytime soon. 

Not Actual Mileage or True Mileage Unknown

Sometimes there is a lot in a name. Every single state does things a little differently. For instance, Vermont doesn’t even require titles on vehicles over 15 years of age. Instead, they issue a “transferable registration”. Now, not every state will honor these. We know for a fact that Florida will not accept a transferable registration in lieu of a paper title. 

Other states that will not honor a transferable registration include:

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Massachusetts 

• Ohio

• South Dakota

If you are in a state that does not honor a transferable registration and need a paper title issued, we can help.  

A true mileage unknown title brand, or ‘TMU,’ is a horse by another name. It amounts to the same thing, though. One of the culprits of TMU is unscrupulous car dealerships, who have been known to roll back odometers to produce a lower-mileage car. To circumvent the legal ramifications, they must issue a TMU. With that, the buyer is acknowledging that the mileage is unknown.  

Unfortunately, the mileage listed will probably be higher than advertised; there isn’t any incentive for them to say the vehicle has higher mileage rather than lower. 

Can a NAM Title Affect the Value of the Vehicle?

You are probably wondering about the impact of a NAM title on your resale value, aren’t you? Well, it’s not going to be good. 

Two factors largely determine the value of your car:

• Mileage

• Condition

If either of these is compromised, your car's value will drop. The car can be in good mechanical condition and visually decent shape, but if you can’t confirm that it has 125,000 miles or 325,000 miles, it will cause problems. 

Are NAM Titles Limited to Passenger Vehicles?

A NAM title is not limited to passenger vehicles. All titles have mileage listed, so the potential impact will be the same. The mileage must be present, whether it is a commercial truck, personal vehicle, or even a UTV. Otherwise

What About a UTV or Dirt Bike?

This is completely contingent on the state in question. Generally speaking, titles will require mileage and/or hours since most ATVs and dirt bikes use an hour meter rather than a standard odometer. 

However, you need to verify this for your state. The laws regarding ATVs/UTVs and dirt bikes on the road vary widely across the U.S., so make sure you know your rules before you get going. 

If you have an OHV that still needs to be titled for street-legal use, we can help you out with that. Now, for most of these OHVs, we can process a street-legal title request without known mileage. A bill of sale may or may not have mileage listed, and a manufacturer’s certificate of origin probably won’t. Since there is no federal oversight into these, the content of an MCO varies a lot. 

Can Our Title Recovery Service Help You Out?

This all really depends on your individual situation. You must be careful with this because title washing is fraudulent, so please don’t try it. If you don’t know the mileage, you’re best off just going to your local DMV and getting a NAM title. 

Now, older cars can be a little more challenging to deal with, especially those barn finds. Say your aunt Patty has a 1970 Olds that she said you could have. You are pretty sure the odometer has ticked over at least once, but you can’t prove it. Oh, and it’s been sitting in the hay barn since 1997, and the title isn’t in the glove box. Well, that just might warrant a title recovery.

What You Need To Get Started With Dirt Legal

It’s really pretty easy on your end; it’s what we do. 

You will need:

1. Bill of sale

2. Photo ID

3. A pic of the VIN/serial number

This is a good place to add that a VIN check can save you a lot of headaches; take a look at my testimonial. Just in case that sweet Olds hasn’t always been in Aunt Patty’s care, or she forgot about that minor flooding incident, we will ensure you get an accurate car history before you proceed any further. 

If the vehicle is newer than 1981 and doesn’t have a VIN that conforms to the modern 17-digit VIN standard, then you will need to conduct a VIN inspection. Again, make sure to get a VIN check first, so you don’t run into any surprises on that VIN inspection. You’d hate to find out that Aunt Patty was a car thief when that Olds title turns up with a stolen title brand. Yikes. 

Assuming you don’t need a paper title, we can provide you with a Vermont transferable registration via mail, which will suffice for proof of ownership if you want to title and tag the car in your home state. Of course, if you like the color green, you can always keep it in Vermont. They don’t care, and we’ll happily make sure your annual registration is always current.

The Dirt Legal Advantage 

Dirt Legal is your #1 source for title recovery and making your OHVs street legal. Does your state put the kibosh on driving your Humvee or two-stroke dirt bike on roadways (we’re looking at you, California)?

We can handle it. Whether you’re from California, New York, or anywhere in between, we can get your OHV street legal, your dirt bike from a red sticker to fully tagged. And Humvees? We’ll get those tagged, too.

Call us if you are in a predicament like the one with Aunt Patty. We’ll walk you through the process and see if we have a program that fits your needs.