I lived in Missouri where I lived for 37 years until 5-6 year ago, all you have to do is walkin the co. tag offic with a bill of sale and a state inspection that just shows the vin and mileage. Thats it.
Texas on the other hand tries to make everything hard and expensive. Here if no title, you go to the office where the trooper in charge of such, he fills out a paper, tells you it snot stolen, he can require it have a motor if an asshole, YOU fill out a few more, then you have to pay a damn used car dealer to "appraise" said car, of which the state pays no attention and give it what value they want, you pay sales tax on THAT, then you have to pay for a bonded, fill out some more paper, send it in to the state office, then a state inspection, they send you some more paper that you take to the local tag office for a friggin title /tag.
$500 plus sales tax and a month and 200 miles later...................................... everyone gets their hand in the pie.