How to Complete the Montana Vehicle Title Transfer Application (Form MV1)

Montana Form MV1 is the Application for Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle, and you file it with your county treasurer within 40 days of buying or receiving a vehicle.¹ The same form handles private-party sales, gifts, dealer purchases, and vehicles brought in from another state. You can download a fillable copy from the Montana Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division website or pick one up at any county treasurer’s office.²

Fill the form out cleanly the first time. Do not white out, cross out, or alter entries after you complete them, because a county clerk will reject a form that looks tampered with.³ If you make a mistake, start a fresh copy.

Filling Out the Owner Section

Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your driver license. Montana issues the title in that name and will not include prefixes like “Dr.” or “Mrs.” If a business owns the vehicle, use the legal business name and provide the Federal Employer Identification Number or Corporate ID in place of a personal driver license number.³

List your Montana residential address (a street or rural route, not a P.O. Box) and your mailing address if it is different. The residential address must be in the same county where you are registering the vehicle, because it decides which county handles the paperwork and local taxes.⁴

For co-owners, every owner’s name, ID number, and signature are required. Montana does not recognize the word “or” on titles, so all listed owners have to sign whenever the vehicle is transferred later.³ Keep that in mind before adding a second name.

Filling Out the Vehicle Section

Record the year, make, model, body style, color, and fuel type. Use common color names, and if the vehicle is two-toned list the top color first. Fuel type options are gas, diesel, electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or liquid petroleum.³

Copy the seventeen-digit VIN exactly as it appears on the vehicle’s chassis or on the title the seller handed you. A single transposed digit is enough to cause a rejection. For passenger vehicles, check the unladen weight box (2,850 pounds or less, or over 2,850 pounds); for trucks, check the tonnage box.⁴ New vehicles also need the manufacturer’s suggested retail price, which the dealer fills in from the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin.

Liens

If a lender has a financial interest in the vehicle, check “Yes” and enter the lienholder’s name, ID number, and mailing address. Each lien filed adds an $8.24 filing fee.⁴ If there is no security interest, check “No” and move on.

Odometer Disclosure

The seller enters the odometer reading at the time of sale and certifies one of three things: the reading reflects actual mileage, it exceeds the mechanical limit of 99,999 miles, or it is not the actual mileage and should not be relied on. This disclosure is not universal. Model year 2010 and older vehicles are exempt outright, and model year 2011 and newer vehicles become exempt once they reach 20 years old.⁵ In 2026, any vehicle with a model year of 2006 or earlier is exempt.

Signature

At the bottom, you sign under penalty of law (MCA 45-7-203) that everything on the application is true and correct. If you are signing for a business or trust, you are also certifying that you have the authority to do so.⁴ False statements can bring criminal penalties and denial of the title.

What to Bring With the Form

The MV1 by itself is not enough. Plan to submit the following alongside it:

The assigned certificate of title. The seller either signs over the physical certificate in the space provided or authorizes the transfer through the department’s electronic title record. As of October 1, 2025, the seller’s signature no longer has to be notarized — HB 165 eliminated that requirement.⁶⁷
A Bill of Sale (Form MV24) when the purchase price is not on the title or the seller is using the electronic title record. If the vehicle was last titled in Montana, is currently registered, and is being sold to a Montana resident, the seller can transfer ownership using the MV24 instead of a physical title.⁸
A lien release from the previous lender if the old title shows a lienholder. Without it, the county cannot issue a clean title.
A government-issued photo ID to verify your identity.⁴
Proof of Montana liability insurance.

Fees

Montana has no general sales tax, so you will not pay sales tax on the purchase. You will pay title fees, registration fees, and, in most counties, a local option tax.

The title fee is $12 for light vehicles and trucks or buses weighing one ton or less, and $10 for all other vehicles. Those amounts are set by statute through June 30, 2028.⁹ Add $8.24 per lien if you are filing one.

Annual registration for light vehicles, trucks, and buses under one ton runs by age:¹⁰

0 to 4 years old: $217
5 to 10 years old: $87
11 years or older: $28 annually, or $87.50 for permanent registration

Vehicle age is the current calendar year minus the model year. Heavy trucks, trailers, motorhomes, and other vehicle types follow separate schedules.

Most counties add a local option tax based on the vehicle’s original MSRP, reduced by a depreciation multiplier tied to the vehicle’s age and type.¹⁰ The important thing to know before you walk in: when you register a vehicle for the first time in Montana, you owe five times the annual local option tax amount up front.¹¹ For a newer vehicle, that first-time bill can be substantial even though there is no sales tax.

Where to File

Submit the MV1 and supporting documents to the county treasurer’s office in your county of residence. Montana residents must register in the county where they live.¹¹ You can go in person or mail the whole package — application, title, supporting documents, and payment — to your county’s motor vehicle department.¹² Call ahead to confirm mail-in acceptance and to get the exact total, then send a check or money order for that amount.

Once the county verifies your documents and accepts payment, the record goes to the state for final title issuance. The hard-copy certificate typically arrives by mail within four to six weeks.

Bringing a Vehicle in From Another State

Out-of-state vehicles need one extra step before the MV1 is complete: a Stage III VIN inspection. The inspection confirms that the VIN on the vehicle matches the title paperwork, and it is required for every vehicle with an out-of-state title or a Montana salvage certificate.¹³ Only authorized personnel can perform it: Commercial Vehicle Operator Licensing examiners, driver licensing regional managers, and motor vehicle compliance specialists. Your county treasurer’s office can tell you where the nearest inspector is. The inspection certificate travels with your MV1 application.

When You Don’t Have the Title

If the original certificate is lost, destroyed, or was never handed over, Montana offers a bonded title process on Form MV10 (Application for Break/Bond Title). You will need proof of ownership such as a notarized bill of sale, canceled check, or purchase invoice, plus a VIN inspection certificate (Form MV20) completed by law enforcement.¹⁴

Whether you need a bond depends on the vehicle’s value in the current NADA guide:

Value over $1,000: buy a surety bond equal to the NADA value from an insurance company, and include a copy of the NADA page.
Value of $1,000 or less: no bond required.
Vehicle 30 years or older: no bond required, regardless of value.
No NADA value available: complete a Statement of Fact (Form MV100) certifying the value you determine.

Send the MV10 package to your county treasurer if you plan to drive the vehicle, or to the Vehicle Services Bureau if you do not.¹⁴ Title, registration, and plate fees still apply on top of any bond cost. The bonded path takes longer than a standard transfer, so start it early.

Having Someone Else Sign for You

If you cannot appear in person, someone else can sign the MV1 on your behalf using Form MV65 (Power of Attorney). The form identifies the specific vehicle by make, VIN, model, body type, and year, and lists which transactions the agent may perform, such as applying for a title and registration or noting a lien.¹⁵

When the agent signs, they write your name first, then their own signature and “POA.” For example: “Sharon Smith by Jane Doe POA.” If a business holds the power of attorney, the business name goes between the owner’s name and the representative’s signature.¹⁵ The MV65 covers only the vehicle and transaction it describes; a blanket authorization will not work.

1
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. You Got a New Vehicle?!
2
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Forms and Manuals: Vehicle Title and Registration
3
Gallatin County, MT. How Do I Complete the Application for a Montana Title?
4
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Application for Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle
5
Montana Legislature. Montana Code 61-3-206 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements on Transfer of Vehicle
6
Montana Legislature. Montana Code 61-3-220 – Certificate of Title – Voluntary Transfer – Duties
7
Montana Secretary of State. Notarizing Montana Motor Vehicle Titles
8
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Tips for Selling a Vehicle in Montana
9
Montana Legislature. Montana Code 61-3-203 – Fee for Original Certificate of Title – Disposition
10
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Light Vehicle Registration and Fees
11
Montana Legislature. Montana Code 61-3-303 – Original Registration – Process – Fees
12
Flathead County, MT. Department of Motorized Vehicles
13
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Inspections
14
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Vehicle Title Information
15
Montana Motor Vehicle Division. Power of Attorney Form MV65