No, if you buy from a private party in your state, you do not NEED a police officer vin check and related form for the BMV.
The seller should have the title, they need to fill in the seller lines and odo reading and the selling price. They need to do the names and exactlly as is printed on the title. (EG some are in two names)
Don't forget you will pay the state sales tax due on the purchase price when you go to the BMV with the title to transfer it to your name.
If the seller has a loan balance due on the car, a bank will have the title. Try to go to the bank with the seller and close the deal there. In addition to the above title info, the bank will sign the title in a section for Lien Release, then your good to go.
Don't pay a guy who says he has to find the title and mail it to you or any similar games, but if he or the bank has possession of it in the proper names you'll be fine.
Another game you'll see is a guy who says he's selling for a friend. The title will be in someone elses name but he will have it. What is going on there is that he bought it, and to cheat on sales tax, never transfered it to his name. The title is still in the PO's name and the guy is just flipping it.