How to Complete Pennsylvania Form MV-POA: Signing, Notarization, Deadlines

Pennsylvania Form MV-POA is a Secure Power of Attorney printed on light green security paper that motor vehicle dealers and PennDOT-approved insurance companies use to handle odometer disclosure and title paperwork when the seller cannot produce the title at the time of sale. The form covers two situations: the title is held by a lienholder, or the title has been lost. It must be notarized and sent to PennDOT with the assigned proof of ownership and applicable fees within 20 days of the transaction.¹

When You Need Form MV-POA

The MV-POA is designed for two specific scenarios. The first is when the seller still owes money on the vehicle and the lienholder holds the physical or electronic title. The second is when the seller has misplaced the original title and the dealer needs to apply for a duplicate before completing the transfer. In both cases the seller cannot make the odometer disclosure directly on the title, so they appoint a dealership or insurance company employee as their attorney-in-fact to execute the disclosure and title application on their behalf.¹

Federal law limits the form to those situations. Under 49 CFR § 580.13, a transferor may grant this authority only when the physical title is held by a lienholder, the physical title is lost, an electronic title is held or controlled by a lienholder, or an electronic title cannot be accessed. If the seller has the title in hand, the MV-POA cannot be used and the odometer reading must be written on the title itself.²

MV-POA Is Not the Same as a General Power of Attorney

People searching for a Pennsylvania vehicle power of attorney often need a different document than the MV-POA, and choosing the wrong one will stall the transaction. The MV-POA is a PennDOT-issued form with built-in security features that only registered motor vehicle dealers and PennDOT-approved insurance companies use, and only for odometer disclosure and title processing. Individual owners do not use this form on their own.

If you want a family member or friend to sell your car for you, handle a registration matter, or otherwise act on your behalf while you are out of state or unable to appear, you need a General Power of Attorney instead. A General POA requires notarization plus the signatures of two witnesses, and PennDOT accepts photocopies of it. The person named on a General POA can also sign an MV-POA when one becomes necessary during the transaction.¹

How to Complete the Form

The MV-POA has three main sections. Sections A and B each appoint an attorney-in-fact. Section C describes the vehicle and records the odometer reading.

Section A: The Seller

The vehicle seller completes Section A when their title is held by a lienholder awaiting payoff, or when they have lost the title. The seller enters their full legal name and address, then names a specific employee of the dealership or approved insurance company as their attorney-in-fact. That names the person authorized to execute title applications, assignments, and odometer disclosures for the vehicle. The seller must sign Section A in their own handwriting.¹

Section B: The Buyer

Section B is completed by the purchaser only in one narrow situation: the acquiring dealer resells the vehicle before the seller’s title has been forwarded or released following the lien payoff. Section B mirrors Section A, with the buyer naming a dealership employee as their attorney-in-fact. This section is used only by motor vehicle dealerships, not by approved insurance companies.¹

Vehicle Description and Odometer Reading

The vehicle section requires the year, make, model, body type, and the full seventeen-character Vehicle Identification Number. Record the odometer reading at the time of transfer, excluding tenths of miles. Federal rules require the power of attorney to show the odometer reading, the date of transfer, and the printed names and addresses of both parties.²

Not every vehicle needs an odometer disclosure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration extended the exemption from 10 model years to 20 model years beginning with the 2011 model year. Vehicles from model year 2010 and older are already exempt, and an additional model year rolls into the exemption each year going forward. A 2011 model year vehicle, for example, becomes exempt in 2031.³

Signing and Notarization

Every signature on the MV-POA must be in the signer’s own handwriting. A seller or buyer who is physically unable to sign may make their mark in the presence of two witnesses, who then also sign in the notary’s presence. When a dealership uses the MV-POA, the form requires notarization; the notary verifies each signer’s identity and applies their official seal.¹

PennDOT will not accept a form without proper notarization. Dealerships typically handle notarization on site, so the seller signs the MV-POA in front of the dealership’s notary when dropping off the vehicle.

Deadline, Submission, and Fees

The original light green MV-POA, the properly assigned proof of ownership, and all applicable fees must reach PennDOT within 20 days of the transaction. In most cases the dealership or authorized agent handles the submission.¹

PennDOT’s title fee is $72, whether the application is for an original title or a duplicate.⁴ The title application is filed on Form MV-1 (“Application for Certificate of Title”) within 20 days of the sale or transfer.⁵ Authorized agents and messenger services can process the paperwork over the counter and connect directly to PennDOT’s systems, and they charge their own service fee on top of the statutory fees.⁶

Signing for a Corporation, Partnership, or Association

When the vehicle is titled to a business rather than an individual, the title application must be signed by the right person for the entity type. A corporation signs through an executive officer or someone the corporation specifically authorizes. A partnership signs through a partner. An association signs through a member.⁵ A corporate resolution naming a specific employee to handle vehicle transactions makes this straightforward, and that authorized person can then sign the MV-POA for the business.

When the Authority Ends

The MV-POA covers a single vehicle and a single transaction. The authority ends once the title is transferred, the duplicate is issued, or the odometer disclosure is recorded, so it does not create ongoing power the way a General POA can.

Any power of attorney terminates automatically when the principal dies. If a seller passes away after signing an MV-POA but before the transaction goes through, the dealership cannot proceed under that form, and the title transfer has to be handled by the estate’s executor or administrator.

A principal with mental capacity can revoke the MV-POA at any time before the transaction is completed. Put the revocation in writing and deliver it to the attorney-in-fact and to PennDOT or the dealership involved. Signing a new power of attorney that expressly cancels prior authorizations also works. If the principal has lost capacity, a court-appointed guardian may need to revoke the authority.

Common Mistakes That Get the Form Rejected

A handful of errors account for most of the delays with the MV-POA. Check for them before the paperwork leaves the dealership.

Using the MV-POA when the seller has the title in hand. If the title is available, the odometer disclosure goes on the title, and PennDOT will reject the MV-POA.
Missing the 20-day deadline. The completed form, proof of ownership, and fees must reach PennDOT within 20 days of the transfer.
Wrong VIN or odometer reading. A transposed digit in the seventeen-character VIN or an incorrect mileage figure causes an immediate rejection. Verify the VIN against the vehicle’s dashboard plate and the existing title record.
No notary seal. A signature alone will not validate the form; the notary’s seal and signature are required.
Using the MV-POA when a General POA is what you actually need. An individual who needs someone to handle registration or other routine PennDOT business needs a General Power of Attorney.

1
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Secure Power of Attorney (MV-POA) and General Power of Attorney Information
2
eCFR. 49 CFR 580.13 – Disclosure of Odometer Information by Power of Attorney
3
National Notary Association. Odometer Exemption Change Effective January 1, 2021
4
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Payments and Fees – Driver and Vehicle Services
5
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 – Section 1103.1
6
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Authorized Agents-Messengers