Call DMV in the state the car was last registered in, tell them you are looking at purchasing a car with VIN xxxxxxxxx and you want to know if it has a clear title or if it is branded salvage ect, when it was last registered, if the party that claims to own it really does, and any other pertinant info. If the car has been out of registration for over a certian number of years it wil no longer register, but it probably wont cost much either...