How to Fill Out and Submit the Utah TC-661 VIN Inspection Form

The Utah TC-661 VIN inspection form is a one-page certificate an authorized inspector completes after physically verifying your vehicle’s identification number. You fill in the owner and vehicle details, an authorized inspector checks the VIN against the vehicle and signs the bottom, and you submit the signed form with your title application at any Utah DMV office. A DMV employee can usually perform the inspection on the spot at no extra charge.¹

When You Need This Form

Utah law bars the Division of Motor Vehicles from accepting a first-time registration unless a qualified inspector has verified the VIN.² The usual triggers:

You’re titling an out-of-state vehicle in Utah.
The VIN on your vehicle is missing, unreadable, or doesn’t match your paperwork.
You’re registering a trailer, boat, off-highway vehicle, or snowmobile.
You’re titling a rebuilt vehicle that previously carried a salvage brand.¹

A brand-new vehicle bought from an in-state dealer or manufacturer with a manufacturer’s statement of origin skips the VIN check.¹ Park model recreational vehicles are also exempt.²

Where to Get the Form

Download TC-661 from the Utah State Tax Commission at files.tax.utah.gov/tax/forms/current/tc-661.pdf.³ Print it and fill in your part before you meet with an inspector. It saves time at the counter.

Filling In Your Part

Owner Information

Enter your last name, first name, and middle initial, or your business name if the vehicle is company-owned. Add your full street address, city, state, and ZIP. These need to match the name and address that will appear on your Utah title, so use your current Utah address if you’ve already moved.³

Vehicle Description

Fill in the model year, make, model, and body style — for example, 2019, Toyota, Camry, Sedan. For a trailer or boat, use the trailer configuration or hull type as the body style.³

Then comes the field that matters most. The form provides 17 numbered boxes for the VIN (or HIN for watercraft). Copy the number exactly as it appears on the dashboard plate, door jamb sticker, or hull. Every digit counts. The inspector will compare what you wrote against the number on the vehicle itself, and a single transposed character means doing it over.³

Odometer Reading

Record the current mileage shown on the odometer at the time of the inspection. This figure becomes part of the vehicle’s permanent history.

Leave the Bottom Blank

The inspector fills in their department or station, their ID or badge number, and signs and dates the certification. Without that authorized signature, the form has no legal weight.³

Who Can Sign the Form

Utah Code 41-1a-802 limits the signature to specific categories of inspectors:⁴

DMV employees and designated contractors at any Utah DMV office, often at no additional charge.¹
Utah peace officers and law enforcement employees, state, county, or local.
Dealers licensed under Utah Code 41-3-202.
Anyone operating or certified at a safety inspection station under Utah’s Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Act.
Peace officers from the federal government, another state, Washington D.C., or Canada.⁴

That last category matters if you’re buying a vehicle in another state before you move. A law enforcement officer where the vehicle sits can sign the TC-661, and you bring the completed form with you to Utah.

What Happens at the Inspection

The inspector’s job is narrow: physically look at the identification number on the vehicle, record it on the TC-661, and confirm it matches your title paperwork.⁴ Expect them to:

Locate the VIN plate (usually on the driver’s-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the driver’s door jamb).
Check the plate for signs of tampering, such as scratches, re-riveting, adhesive residue, or mismatched fonts.
Compare the physical VIN against your out-of-state title or ownership document.
Note any discrepancies in the remarks section.

If an inspector sees evidence of tampering, they will not sign the form and may involve law enforcement.

Submitting the Form With Your Title Application

Bring the signed TC-661 to any Utah DMV office with your other titling documents. Office locations are listed at dmv.utah.gov/contact-dmv/office-locations.⁵ If you haven’t had the inspection done yet, most offices can do it when you arrive, saving a separate trip.

For an out-of-state vehicle, you’ll generally need:

The original out-of-state title, or at minimum the out-of-state registration to start the process and get a temporary permit.⁶
The completed and signed TC-661.
A Utah Application for Title.
Proof of emissions inspection, if your county requires one.
Payment for title and registration fees. Use the state’s fee estimator at mvp.tax.utah.gov, since fees vary by vehicle type, age, and weight.⁶

The clerk will verify the inspector’s signature, confirm the VIN matches your documents, and run the vehicle through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System before issuing your Utah title and registration.⁷

Other Inspections You May Still Need

The TC-661 only covers VIN verification. Two other inspections sometimes come into play.

Emissions

Several Utah counties require emissions testing. For 2026, vehicles registered in Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, and Cache counties need an emissions inspection if they fall within certain model-year ranges, and the DMV must receive the certificate electronically from the health department before completing your registration.¹ Model-year rules shift from year to year, so check the DMV inspections page for your county.

Safety

Utah ended mandatory safety inspections for most vehicles in 2018. A few categories still require one: salvage vehicles being rebuilt and requesting a rebuilt title, first-time street-legal ATV registrations, and three-axle motor homes classified as Class 6 vehicles.¹

If your vehicle has a salvage history, one more thing to know before you start: Utah does not remove title brands. Once a vehicle carries a salvage or rebuilt brand from any state, that brand stays on the Utah title permanently, regardless of the vehicle’s current condition.⁸

1
Utah.gov. Inspections – DMV
2
Utah Legislature. Utah Code Title 41 Motor Vehicles 41-1a-204
3
Utah State Tax Commission. TC-661 Certificate of Inspection
4
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 41-1a-802 – Identification Number Inspectors — Duties
5
Utah.gov. DMV Office Locations
6
Utah.gov. Moved From Out-of-State – DMV
7
VehicleHistory. For States
8
Utah.gov. Salvage Vehicles and Branded Titles – DMV