If you are thinking about borrowing against your car, you probably want to know two things first. Do you qualify, and what do you need to apply?
Title loan requirements vary from lender to lender, and state law adds more rules. Most lenders look at your vehicle equity, whether your income covers the payments, and a few documents that confirm who you are and that the car is yours.
To Get a Title Loan With Us, You Need Six Things
- Your vehicle title, in your name
- A government-issued photo ID
- Proof you can afford the payments
- Proof of active insurance
- Proof of your address
- Your car, or photos of it6
That is the whole list, and it is the same in every state we serve. It does not change whether you visit a store or apply from your phone.
You can start before you gather all of these. Our application returns a free estimate with no obligation, so you can see where you stand before deciding whether to go further.3
Why We Ask for Each Requirement
Each item does one job. That is why a missing document stops everything.
- Your vehicle title. The car is what backs the loan, so we have to check that you legally own it and see whether anyone else has a claim on it. We hold the title while the loan runs, not the car, so you keep driving it. If someone else is named on the title, they apply with you.
- Your photo ID. This confirms you are the person named on the title, and that you are at least 18 and able to sign a binding contract.4 A driver’s license, state ID or passport all work.
- Your income documents. Pay stubs, 1099s, benefit letters or about 60 days of bank statements. These show you can afford to repay. In some states the law requires them.5
- Proof of insurance. The car is our security, so it has to be protected against damage or loss. Bring the policy document or declarations page, not a photo of your insurance card, because the card usually does not show the dates.
- Proof of address. A utility bill or a lease. This tells us which state’s rules apply to your loan, including the caps on rates and amounts.
- The vehicle itself. We check its condition and work out what it is worth today, in person or from photos, because that is what sets how much you can borrow.6
Because your vehicle secures the loan, your car’s value and your ability to repay are more important than your credit score. Borrowers with bad credit may still qualify.6
A soft credit check may be required as part of the final approval process.
What We May Also Ask For
Some files need one extra thing. It is usually to close a gap, not to raise the bar.
- More income documents, if what you sent does not cover the period we need.
- A second ID, if your name changed and the title has not caught up.
- A GPS device in some cases. Where it applies you are told before you sign, not after.
What Some Lenders Ask For, and We Do Not
Plenty of title lenders add requirements on top of the basics. These three come up most often, and none of them is on our list.
- A spare key. Some lenders ask you to hand over a second set before they release the money. We do not.
- Personal references. Some ask for three or more people they can call, and a few ask for as many as six. We do not ask for any.
- Your vehicle registration. Some will not lend unless yours is current. We do not ask to see it.
Worth putting all three to any lender you compare us against, because they are easy to miss until you are already at the desk.
In Store or Online
The requirements are the same either way. Only the vehicle check changes.
In a store, our staff looks your car over in person. Online, you photograph it with your phone and upload your documents through our secure portal.
The online route is explained step by step in our guide to applying without a store visit.
What Your State Adds
The requirements themselves do not change by state. What state law changes is the money and the process around it, and our state-by-state guide to title loan laws has the numbers where you live.
A few states go further and write the documents into the law. In Virginia, state code § 6.2-2216.5 requires a title lender to verify your income using pay stubs or other written proof of regular income, and one of those documents must be dated within 45 days of the loan.
So in Virginia an income document is not a preference. It is the law, and an old statement will not do.
Age is simpler than people expect. You must be at least 18, and that is the minimum in every state we serve.2
From Our Underwriting Desk
Two things decide a title loan, and neither one is negotiable. Whether you can afford the payments, and whether there is enough equity in the car to cover the loan.
Get those two right and the rest is mostly detail.
An expired ID, insurance that lapsed last month, a bank statement that is too old. I see those every day. They hold a file up for a week, not forever.
Bryan Solis, Head of Underwriting, 5 Star Car Title Loans
What Disqualifies You From a Title Loan
The most common reason is the simplest one. The car is not worth enough to cover the amount asked for.
That is often a smaller loan rather than no loan, so it is worth asking before you rule yourself out.
- Not enough value or equity in the car. Age, mileage and condition all feed the appraisal, and the appraisal sets the ceiling.6
- No steady income you can document. We have to see that you can afford to repay before we can lend. Almost any regular source counts, including benefits and self-employment, but something has to show it.5
- You are not an owner on the title. Your name has to be on it.
- Your name does not match. The title and your ID have to read the same. A mismatch has to be fixed with your state first.
- An expired ID.
What Does Not Stop You
These are the worries that talk people out of applying. None of them is a dealbreaker on its own.
- Bad credit. Your car backs the loan, so your credit score is one factor among several rather than the deciding one. The vehicle’s value and the size of the payment carry more weight.6
- No traditional job. Self-employment, gig work, a pension and retirement income all count, and we cover qualifying without proof of employment in full.5
- Being unemployed. Unemployment benefits, disability and Social Security count too. What matters is that something steady shows the payment fits your month.5
- An older car or high mileage. There is no cutoff on model year or odometer reading. We have funded a loan on a car with 187,000 miles, because what it is worth is what counts.6
- Minor damage. Dents, scratches and worn paint do not disqualify a car. Damage matters only where it pulls the value down.
- A salvage or rebuilt title. These can still qualify, and we cover the detail for salvage title loans in California. Expect a lower appraisal than the same car with a clean title, because the amount follows the value.6
- Still making car payments. Several lenders tell you a financed car is disqualified. With enough equity, meaning the part of your car’s value that is already yours, you may still qualify for a title loan on a financed car.6
- No co-signer. Your car secures the loan, so we do not ask you to bring one.
What Is the Oldest a Car Can Be?
There is no model year we turn away. We value your car as it is today, and that sets the amount.6
| State | Vehicle | Mileage | Car value | Amount funded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2017 Jeep Wrangler | 125,000 | $12,075 | $4,215 |
| Florida | 2017 Nissan Altima | 83,000 | $7,300 | $2,100 |
| Texas | 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe | 187,000 | $2,900 | $1,215 |
Loans we funded between August and December 2025, taken from our funding records. Your amount will differ.6
What these borrowers received is only half the picture. Title loans are expensive and run for a short term, so read what you would repay in total before you agree to any amount.7
What To Do Next
Do you have everything together? We will need all of it before we can fund your loan, but if your car is titled in your name and you have income you can show, you are ready to ask us for an offer.3
Once you are approved, take your time with it. Check the payment, how many payments there are, the total you will repay and the APR.6
These loans are expensive and short term, and your car secures the debt, so compare against at least one other licensed lender, and ask us anything before you sign.79
Still weighing it up? We cover whether a title loan is the right choice for you, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains how these loans work and what they cost.
Once you decide to go ahead, we walk you through the paperwork.
Common Questions
What are the requirements for a title loan in Louisiana?
The same list as everywhere else: a Louisiana title in your name, a photo ID, proof you can repay and a car worth enough. What Louisiana sets is the loan limits, the term and the rates a licensed lender may charge.
How long does approval take once I have my documents?
The application takes minutes. What sets the pace after that is whether your photos are clear and your income documents are recent and complete.
Can someone else apply using my car?
Only if they are named on the title. If the car is titled to you alone, you are the one who applies, even if someone else drives it. If you are both named, you both sign.
Will applying affect my credit score?
A soft check does not affect your score the way a hard inquiry can. Your score is also not what decides the outcome, because the car secures the loan and the appraisal does most of the work.
