Here are car paperwork terms with their definitions. Many of these will be important for you to know when you are selling a car.

Insurance Card:
Some states, like California and Hawaii, require you to have an insurance card proving that you have car insurance. If you ever get stopped by the Police then they will ask for this along with your registration and drivers license. If you don’t have one then you could be liable for a very stiff fine plus they will impound your car on the spot.

Registration:
In the U.S. this is usually an annual fee (a tax) that is paid to the state for the use of your car. You’re supposed to keep this in your car at all times. It shows all the particulars of your car like make, model, year, VIN, weight and the registered owners name and address.

Safety Check:
Some states (like Hawaii) require you to take your vehicle to a state certified Safety Check outlet (usually a service station) once a year and have it inspected to make sure that all the things that supposedly make a vehicle safe to drive are functioning correctly. These include things like: Condition of your tires, brakes, all lights, horn, intact body panels, etc. Its not a bad idea for places like Hawaii where a relatively new car can literally fall apart in front of your eyes due to the rust. The challenge is finding a place that doesn’t impose arbitrary standards for this type of car paperwork.

Service Documentation:
This is the car paperwork showing repair descriptions, parts and costs, and all maintenance done for your vehicle. You should always keep these papers so you will have a history of your vehicle and know whats been done and when you need to do it next. This type of car paperwork is also great for re-sale value because you can show potential buyers its history and that goes a lot farther than just telling them since they don’t know who the heck you are.

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