He typed my vehicle identification number into his terminal and listened to the hard drive hum.

“People often use official legal terms to intimidate their relatives,” Sergeant Miller said, looking at the screen.

“Without a title on file in Oregon, those threats carry zero authority.”

“If he calls an Oregon county dispatcher anyway, what happens?” I asked.

“The system will show the title is verified to you in California,” he said.

“They’ll tell him it’s a civil family dispute and refuse to send an officer.”

He printed a white receipt with a Sacramento incident reference number across the top.