I need a title for a 1938 ford pickup

I wish there was a simple answer to your question. Almost every state is different. In the state I live in you have to take the vehicle (don't drive it there) to the nearest Highway Patrol office where it is inspected for road worthiness and background (if it's stolen). After a few weeks they send you a form to fill out and you take to the tag agency to get your title and tag. They assign a serial number to your vehicle that must be permanently attached. That's just my state, others are different. You'll have to call wherever you get your normal tags to find out. I've heard that Alabama is very lenient in their tag process. It might be easier to get a title there and then use that one to get one in your state. Good luck!

in many states, titles are required only for vehicles built after a certain date.  I'm sure that 1938 is before most (if not all) state requirements and you would only need a bill of sale and perhaps something to show that the seller really owned the vehicle. In Georgia, you only need a bill of sale.  Emissions test are required in certain localities of some states, again depending on the year of manufacture.  Unless you need a title for a specific reason, just go with a bill of sale and ask to register the vehicle.