1. Title/Auto Tag Process for a Purchased or Gifted Vehicle (PA Title) Documents Needed:
- Valid PA Driver’s License or PA Photo Identification Card. - PA Certificate of Title signed by the seller of the vehicle and notarized by a Notary Public.* - If tag/registration is requested, a valid and current Insurance Identification Card containing the purchaser’s name is required. - If the vehicle is being gifted, the form MV-13ST (“Affidavit of Gift”) must be completed by both parties. Form is available in the office. - If there is a purchase price for the vehicle, we will collect sales tax on the price of the vehicle. If the vehicle was sold for under market value, a bill of sale is strongly recommended. Bill of sale is available in the office.** *The seller’s signature must be notarized on all Pennsylvania title certificates or the seller has to be present with their valid ID at the time of transfer. **If the vehicle was purchased from a dealership, they will have issued you a receipt or bill of sale. If purchasing from a private individual, we have bill of sale templates available in the office and can notarize them for an additional fee. In case of Pennsylvania Department of Revenue audit, a bill of sale will be extremely helpful in proving the purchase price. |
2. Title/Auto Tag Process for a Purchased or Gifted Vehicle (Out-of-State Title) Documents Needed:
- Valid PA Driver’s License or PA Photo Identification Card. - Certificate of Title, signed by the seller of the vehicle. Depending on the state of origin, the seller’s signature may need to be notarized. - If tag/registration is requested, a valid and current PA Insurance Identification Card containing the purchaser’s name is required. - If the vehicle is being gifted, the form MV-13ST (“Affidavit of Gift”) must be completed by both parties. Form is available in the office. To exempt you from taxes, PennDOT will require proof of sales tax paid from the previous owner.* - If there is a purchase price for the vehicle, we will collect sales tax on the price of the vehicle. If the vehicle was sold for under market value, a bill of sale is strongly recommended.** *If proof of sales tax cannot be obtained, sales tax must be collected. The best form of proof would be a bill of sale from a dealership containing the amount of tax paid. Some states note the amount of sales tax paid on the vehicle’s title or registration as well. **If the vehicle was purchased from a dealership, they will have issued you a receipt or bill of sale. If purchasing from a private individual, we have bill of sale templates available in the office and can notarize them for an additional fee. To prevent tax evasion, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue may audit your transaction - in this case, a bill of sale will be extremely helpful in proving the purchase price. |
3. Title/Auto Tag Process for an Owned Vehicle Moving Into Pennsylvania Documents Needed:
- Valid PA Driver’s License or PA Photo Identification Card. - Certificate of Title. All owners listed on title must be present in order to transfer the title to a PA title.* - If registration is to be issued, a valid and current PA Insurance Identification Card containing the purchaser’s name is required. - If you have owned the vehicle for less than six months, we will need proof sales tax was paid in the previous state to avoid taxes in state or Pennsylvania.** *If one owner is not present we will need additional documents. Please contact us for more information **If proof of sales tax cannot be obtained or the amount of tax paid is less than the amount required in Pennsylvania, we will be required to collect sales tax. |
4. Requesting a Title for a Financed VehicleIf the vehicle being titled and registered in the state of Pennsylvania is financed, the title is held by the financing company. (In some cases the owner might have the title in states such as Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin)
For titles held by the financing company we have to request the physical paper title to be mailed to our office. In order to request the title we will need the following information: - A valid Driver’s License or Photo Identification Card. - The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the vehicle, VIN number is listed on the registration or insurance card, and it is located on the vehicle. - Your account number with the financial institution. - The fax number or email address of the title department of the financial institution. - Your phone number and email for contact information. After the request is sent we would have to wait for the title to be sent to our office. Depending on the financial institution it could take a few days to a few weeks for the title to be shipped to our office. Once received you will be contacted by our office. It is recommended to contact the financial institution a day after the request is sent to confirm they have received it, if not let us know to resend the request. |
5. Requesting a Duplicate Title Documents Needed:
- Valid PA Driver’s License or PA Photo Identification Card. - The title number or VIN number of the vehicle. This information can be found on your registration or insurance ID card. - Title will be mailed to the address listed on the registration, if your address has changed let us know to update to the new address Application for duplicate title will be processed online. The approximate arrival time for the title is 7-10 days. |