Financing · How Approval Works
Arrive Complete, Finish in One Visit
Dean McCrary Kia · Mobile, AL
A short list of documents covers almost every application — identification, proof of income, and proof of residence. A handful of situations add one or two items on top of that standard list, and knowing which ones apply to you before you walk in is what turns two trips into one. This page is the complete checklist — the standard items every applicant brings, plus the situation-specific add-ons for an active Chapter 13 or a military file.1
Part 1
Personal Information
Every application starts here, regardless of credit history, income type, or which vehicle you’re looking at.
Standard for every applicant
What to Bring
- Valid driver’s license or state-issued photo ID
- Social Security number
- Date of birth
- Current address and length of residence — a recent utility bill or lease works if your ID shows an old address
- Email and phone number for follow-up
Why It’s First
Identity and residence verification are the baseline every lender runs before anything else in a file gets weighed — a finance manager can’t take income or credit information anywhere without it. This part of the list almost never changes from one applicant to the next.
Part 2
Employment & Financial Information
This is where the list branches depending on how you’re paid, but the categories below cover almost every applicant.
Employer & Income
- Employer name, position, and length of employment
- Recent pay stubs or an employer letter showing gross monthly or annual income
Self-Employed Alternative
- Two years of tax returns in place of pay stubs
- Bank statements, if a lender wants a second income view
See the self-employed & 1099 income page for the full breakdown by business type.
Housing
- Rent or own status
- Monthly housing payment amount
Trade-In & Down Payment
- Trade-in year, make, model, and VIN if available
- Down payment amount you plan to apply, if any
See the down payment guide for how the amount factors into approval.
Part 3
Situation-Specific Add-Ons
A handful of situations add one or two documents on top of the standard list above. If neither applies to you, the first two sections are your complete checklist.
Active Chapter 13 — Trustee Permission Letter
If you’re in an active Chapter 13 repayment plan, a lender expects a written trustee permission letter — authorization from your Chapter 13 trustee, or a motion granted by the bankruptcy court, confirming a new auto payment still fits inside your confirmed plan. Without it, the file typically isn’t underwritten at all, regardless of how strong the rest of the application looks. Start the request with the attorney who handled your filing, not the dealership; the full process for requesting one, and how it differs from a discharged Chapter 7, is covered on the car loans after bankruptcy page.
Military — LES and Orders
Active-duty and reserve applicants bring a current Leave and Earnings Statement, pulled through myPay, in place of an employer pay stub — it itemizes base pay separately from allowances like BAH and BAS in a standard federal format a lender can read the same way every time. Financing ahead of a PCS move also means having your orders on hand if you have them, though pre-approval doesn’t require a confirmed report date to get started. See the military car loans page for how the LES documents income and how MLA and SCRA protections apply once you’re financed.
FAQ
Document Checklist Questions
What if I don’t have all my documents yet?⌄
Start gathering what you can and call or apply anyway. A finance manager can usually tell you which items on the list actually apply to your file before you track everything down, and some documents — like a trustee permission letter — take time to request, so it helps to start that process early rather than waiting until every other item is in hand.
Can I start the application before I have everything?⌄
Yes. The online pre-qualification application uses a soft credit pull and asks for basic personal and financial information — it does not require every document on this checklist to submit. Bringing the fuller list to your appointment is what lets a finance manager move from pre-qualification to a firm offer in one visit instead of a second trip.
What if I’m self-employed — is the list different?⌄
The personal-information items stay the same, but the income proof changes — tax returns and often bank statements stand in for pay stubs and an employer letter. See the self-employed and 1099 income page for the specific list of what a lender wants to see and how many years of returns are typically requested.
Do I need physical copies or can documents be digital?⌄
Digital copies work for most of this list — a photo or PDF of your license, a downloaded pay stub, a bank statement saved from your online banking — as long as the information is legible. A few items, like a physical driver’s license for identity verification at signing, still need to be presented in person. Ask your finance manager which items on your specific list need to be physical.
Ready To Apply?
A soft-pull application costs nothing and never touches your credit score. Apply now, then bring this checklist with you to finish in one visit.
1Documentation requirements vary by lender, income type, and individual case, and the list above is a general overview, not a guarantee of what any specific lender will require. Bankruptcy case status, trustee permission requirements, and court procedures referenced on this page vary by jurisdiction, trustee, and individual case; consult your bankruptcy attorney for guidance specific to your filing. Soft credit pull used for pre-qualification has no impact on credit score and is not visible to other lenders. A hard credit inquiry may occur only at final loan funding after vehicle selection and acceptance of specific terms. Pre-qualification is not a commitment to lend or a guarantee of final terms. All financing subject to credit approval and verification of application information.
All financing is provided by third-party lenders, including Kia Finance America and Dean McCrary Kia’s bank and credit union partners. Dean McCrary Kia acts as a finance facilitator and does not itself extend credit. Lender selection, rate, term, monthly payment, approval amount, and all other financing terms are determined by the funding lender based on the lender’s own credit criteria. See your Dean McCrary Kia finance manager for complete details on any program.