People use these words interchangeably and they mean different things. Getting them straight makes every transaction clearer.
The three documents
The title is proof of ownership. It is issued by the state, names the legal owner, carries the VIN, and records any brands. One vehicle, one title.
The lien is a lender's recorded interest in the vehicle. Where a loan exists, the lienholder appears on the title, and in many states the lender holds the physical title until the loan is paid. The lien is what stops you selling a financed car without settling the loan.
The registration is permission to operate the vehicle on public roads. It is renewed periodically, it is tied to plates, and it usually requires proof of insurance and, in some areas, an emissions or safety inspection. Registration is not ownership: you can register a vehicle you do not own, and own one that is not registered.
How a lien is released
When the loan is paid off, the lender releases its interest. Depending on the state that means sending you the physical title, sending a separate lien release document, or updating an electronic record with the state. Timelines vary from days to several weeks.
This matters because you cannot transfer clear ownership until it is done. Selling a car while a lien is still recorded, even a paid one, stalls at the motor vehicle counter. If you have paid off a loan and never received anything, contact the lender and ask specifically for the lien release, and then confirm with your state agency that the record shows the vehicle as clear.
Buying a vehicle that has a lien
This is common and manageable, but it needs care. The safest approach is to complete the transaction at the lienholder's branch, where the payoff can be made directly and the release processed on the spot. Alternatively, pay the lender the payoff amount directly and the seller the balance, rather than handing the full sum to the seller and trusting them to settle it.
Ask the seller for a written payoff quote from the lender, valid to a specific date. Payoff amounts include interest to the day and are not the same as the balance shown on a statement.
Moving to another state
Registering in a new state usually requires the title, proof of insurance meeting that state's minimums, a VIN verification, sometimes an emissions or safety inspection, and payment of registration and sometimes use tax. Deadlines are short, commonly 30 days from establishing residency, and late fees apply.
Where a lender holds your title, you cannot simply hand it over, so notify the lender that you are moving. They coordinate the transfer with the new state directly, and starting that early avoids driving on expired out-of-state plates.
Lost titles
Apply for a duplicate through your state motor vehicle agency, as the recorded owner. Where a lien is recorded, the duplicate typically goes to the lienholder. Do this before you need it, because a duplicate takes time and no buyer will wait on it.
Each state runs its own titling and registration rules; USA.gov links to every state motor vehicle agency.