Buyer has not registered Vehicle: How can I legally force him to register it?

I sold a vehicle to a friend several months ago and they have not registered the vehicle. I have the title, registration, and insurance in my name. I can not get my name off the registration or cancel insurance unless I have the licenses plates. How can I legally force them to register the vehicle or return the vehicle to me?

How were you able to sell the vehicle without transferring the title? If you sold the vehicle legally, you would have handed over the transferred title to the person who purchased it.

You can't legally force the buyer to do anything. You made an illegal sale of the car. If money changed hands you MUST hand the title over to the buyer or he can sue you and you could face criminal charges.

The insurance and registration can be canceled.

It was a private sell in Maryland to a so called friend. According to the MVA, I can't cancel insurance or registration without the license plates so the I'm liable for all damages. The buyer needed time to get the money for registration and insurance and at the time didn't care about a bill of sale. But now he is taking months to do it. At this point I want to exchange the title for the plates. Are you a lawyer, I can speak with offline?

It doesn't matter. Private sales carry the same rules and regulations as auto dealers. No monetary transaction should ever be concluded without money changing hands first. Your mistake was handing over the vehicle without first taking the necessary legal steps. The very first thing that should have been exchanged (after money) was TITLE and BILL OF SALE.

You should have exchange the title at the get-go. You are stuck with a bad sale and you're still on the hook for owning the car since you did not transfer TITLE to the buyer.

The only thing you can do, without a bill of sale, is report the car stolen. It is, in fact, stolen, even though it was you who failed to properly conduct the transaction.