None of youse guys have experienced The State Of Washington's draconian process. OP is gonna find out.
Probably depends on which State he obtained the vehicle, and what he intends to do.
If he dragged it out of a barn in Washington, and a PO snagged the title and VIN plate to legalize what he had (stolen, lost title, whatever) then they're gonna see two VIN's in the state. May not be right away, sometimes up to a year for some clown in the DMV to compare transactions.
I spelled out the process for lost title (unless the OP actually owned the vehicle and had it titled/licensed in his name in the State he now lives in) involving three certified letters to the last known registered owner.
Now you have the issue of who snagged the original VIN tag, and did they license the car...and what state....and who is getting the letters?
The State Patrol will come out (for a fee) or you haul the carcass to them, they inspect, read the returned letters, place a new stick-on VIN tag, and off ya go. Can't sell it for what, six months?
Now, knowing President Inslee, all that can change at any time, or may have changed multiple times since I went through this last time.
Nobody checks cross-state? I think that's a violation of Federal Law. Last line, this is where if the person who snagged the VIN tag had a car running and licensed....and wrapped it around a tree...and the car is listed Federally as scrapped....who knows? I don't want the FBI banging on my door at 0200
"On October 25, 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed the Anti Car Theft Act, which he called “absolutely critical if we are to strike back against auto thieves…”
The act calls for the creation and use of the NMVTIS to stop title fraud; vehicle export inspections to look for stolen vehicles; stiffer penalties for car thieves and chop shop operators; and made carjacking a federal crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice took over the motor vehicle database system in 1996. States send title information for automobiles, trucks, and motorcycles over a certain age to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). AAMVA is the administrator of the NMVTIS system.
NMVTIS protects consumers from fraud and unsafe vehicles and helps keep stolen vehicles from being resold.
In addition to most states reporting their title information to AAMVA, auto recyclers, junk yards, salvage yards, insurance companies, and towing operators that take possession of junk/salvage vehicles, must submit monthly reports to NMVTIS."