How to Complete the NJ Dealer Reassignment of Certificate of Ownership (OS/SS-2)

A New Jersey dealer reassignment of a certificate of ownership is completed by filling out Form OS/SS-2, the Odometer Disclosure Statement, attaching it to the fully assigned Certificate of Title or Manufacturer Certificate of Origin, collecting both signatures, and submitting the package with fees to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission within 10 days of the sale.¹ The OS/SS-2 is a supplement, not a standalone document, and the MVC issues the new title in the buyer’s name once the complete file is processed.

When a Dealer Uses This Form

The reassignment applies when a licensed New Jersey dealer resells a vehicle it acquired through trade-in, auction, or purchase from another dealer. State law requires every vehicle sale to be accompanied by a valid certificate of ownership showing the names and addresses of both parties.² The OS/SS-2 rides along with that title to certify the mileage for the new transaction.

If the original title is held by a lienholder or is otherwise unavailable at closing, the seller may execute a secure power of attorney under the federal Truth in Mileage Act, authorizing the licensed dealer to complete the title once it arrives.³ Use that process rather than submitting incomplete paperwork.

Odometer disclosure does not apply to every vehicle. Federal rules exempt vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 16,000 pounds, vehicles that are not self-propelled, and vehicles that have aged out of the disclosure window.⁴ For model year 2011 and newer vehicles, disclosure is required for 20 years from the model year; model year 2010 and older vehicles follow the previous 10-year window.⁵

What to Have in Front of You

Missing information is the fastest way to stall a title transfer. Before starting the form, pull together:

The Vehicle Identification Number, body type, year, make, and model, verified against the physical vehicle and the existing title.
The dealership’s full legal name as licensed by the state, its MVC business entity identification number, mailing address, and date of sale.
The buyer’s full legal name, driver license number (or MVC business entity identification number for a dealer-to-dealer sale), and complete mailing address.
The current odometer reading in whole miles, no tenths.
The original, properly assigned Certificate of Title or Manufacturer Certificate of Origin. The OS/SS-2 cannot be processed without it.

Completing Form OS/SS-2 Step by Step

The OS/SS-2 is available for download from the MVC forms page and is organized in six steps.⁶ Work through them in order.

Step 1, Vehicle Information. Enter the VIN, body type, year, make, and model. Copy directly from the title or MCO. A single transposed digit will get the form rejected.

Step 2, Buyer Information. Enter the buyer’s name (or business entity name), driver license or MVC business entity identification number, and full mailing address.

Step 3, Seller Information. Enter the dealership’s name, the date of sale, the dealer’s address, and the date the odometer statement is being made. These two dates are often the same but do not have to match.

Step 4, Odometer Disclosure. Record the current mileage in whole miles. Two checkboxes sit below the reading:

Check the first if the odometer has rolled past its mechanical limit and restarted at zero.
Check the second if the reading is not the actual mileage and should not be relied on.

If neither applies, leave both blank. The mileage you enter becomes the legally binding disclosure, so confirm it against the dashboard before signing.¹

Step 5, Statement of Buyer. The buyer signs to certify the purchase and that the VIN on the form matches the vehicle.¹

Step 6, Signatures and Dates. The seller’s representative and the buyer each sign and date the form on separate lines. A missing signature will get the paperwork sent back.

Wet Ink or Digital Signatures

The MVC accepts both. A digitally signed OS/SS-2 must be accompanied by a Certificate of Completion. A wet-ink signature needs no additional documentation for a standard transfer. When the form is being used for a mileage correction, the wet-signature version must be notarized.¹

What to Submit and Where

The complete package for the MVC includes:

The original, properly assigned Certificate of Title or MCO
The completed OS/SS-2 Odometer Disclosure Statement
The dealer reassignment form
Any applicable sales tax documentation
Payment for all fees, by check or money order payable to the NJMVC

Dealers may submit paperwork in person at a regional MVC agency or by mail to the MVC in Trenton. Mailing addresses vary by transaction type; confirm the correct address for dealer title submissions with the MVC’s Business Licensing Services Bureau before sending anything.

Fees

Titling fees depend on liens:

Standard title, no lien: $60
Financed vehicle with one lien: $85
Financed vehicle with two liens: $110

⁷

New Jersey also charges a $10 fee for the reassignment form itself. Sales tax on the vehicle is collected separately; the current New Jersey sales and use tax rate of 6.625% applies to most used vehicle purchases, though zero-emission vehicles may be taxed differently.⁸

The 10-Day Deadline

N.J.S.A. 39:10-11 requires the assigned certificate to be presented to the MVC within 10 days of the sale. Miss that window and a $25 penalty is added on top of the standard filing fee.¹ The penalty applies automatically. Build title submission into your closing process instead of batching paperwork at month-end.

Common Rejections and How to Correct Errors

Most rejected forms come down to a handful of preventable errors: a VIN on the OS/SS-2 that doesn’t match the title, a blank signature line, or an odometer reading that includes tenths of a mile. Any alteration made with correction fluid, tape, or heavy strikethrough that obscures the original text will also draw a rejection.

If you make a mistake, draw a single line through the error so the original entry remains legible, write the correction above it, and initial the change. When the error is on the face of the title itself rather than the OS/SS-2, you will likely need a corrected title from the issuing state before the MVC will process the transfer.

Submitting the OS/SS-2 without the original title attached is another frequent problem. The form states clearly that it is only a supplement and cannot be processed on its own.¹ If the title is still with a lienholder, use the secure power of attorney process instead.

Keep a Copy for Five Years

Beyond the state filing, dealers carry a separate federal duty. Under 49 CFR Part 580, every dealer who executes or receives an odometer disclosure statement must retain a copy for five years at the primary place of business, organized for systematic retrieval.⁴ A photocopy of each completed OS/SS-2 filed with the deal jacket satisfies this. NHTSA can audit the records, and disorganized files create exposure for the dealership even when the state paperwork went through cleanly.

1
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Odometer Disclosure Statement OS/SS-2
2
Justia. New Jersey Code 39-10-8 – Certificate of Origin, Title; Security Interests
3
FindLaw. New Jersey Code 39-10-9 – Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation
4
eCFR. Odometer Disclosure Requirements
5
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
6
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. MVC Forms
7
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Registration
8
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicles Exempt From Sales Tax