How to Fill Out Ohio BMV Form 4311: Notarization, Mailing, and Plates

Ohio BMV Form 4311 is the notarized paper request you send to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to permanently cancel a vehicle registration and retire the plates. Fill in every applicable field, sign in front of a notary, and mail the original to the BMV’s Vehicle Information Services office in Columbus. Two things to know before you start: the cancellation cannot be reversed, and no registration fees are refunded.¹

When You Actually Need This Form

Under Ohio law, transferring ownership of a vehicle automatically expires the registration and requires you to remove the plates.² The BMV’s records only close on their own if a new owner re-registers the vehicle in Ohio. If the car went out of state, was junked or totaled, was donated, or is just sitting unused, the registration stays open in the system until you file a cancellation yourself. Form 4311 is how you do that on paper.

Filling Out Form BMV 4311

Download the form, titled “Customer Request to Cancel Vehicle Registration,” from the Ohio Department of Public Safety website. Print legibly and complete every applicable field. Incomplete forms will be rejected.¹

License plate number and expiration date, copied exactly from your registration card or the plate.
The full 17-character VIN, found on your title, registration card, or the metal plate on the driver’s side dashboard.
The date you originally purchased or acquired the vehicle.
Your full legal name (first, middle initial, last) and current mailing address.
A telephone number where the BMV can reach you if there is a problem.
Business name, if the vehicle is registered to a business.
Joint owner or lessor name and address, if either applies.

The plate number and VIN have to match what the BMV already has on file. A single transposed digit can flag the wrong registration or get the request rejected outright, so check both against your registration card before you sign anything.

The Notarization Step

This is the part most people overlook. Form 4311 has to be notarized, which means signing and dating it in front of a notary public who then applies a stamp or seal. The requirement applies even if you no longer live in Ohio.¹ Banks, UPS stores, and many public libraries offer notary services, often for a small fee. Do not sign the form ahead of time; the notary needs to witness your signature.

What You’re Certifying

By signing, you certify that everything on the form is true and that you understand the two consequences already noted: no reinstatement and no refund.¹ If you still have paid registration time left and were hoping to recoup it, cancellation is the wrong tool.

Where to Mail the Form

Send the completed, notarized original to:

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Information Services
P.O. Box 16521
Columbus, OH 43216-6521¹

A few mailing rules matter:

Send the original only. The BMV does not accept faxes or photocopies.
Keep a copy for yourself. The BMV will not return the form or any plates you send with it.
Consider certified mail. Originals cannot easily be replaced, and a tracking number gives you proof of delivery.

Situations That Change What You Submit

The Registered Owner Has Died

A surviving family member or estate representative can cancel the registration. Include a copy of the death certificate and documentation from probate court along with the completed form.¹

Someone Else Is Filing for the Owner

Anyone other than the owner or a co-owner must hold a valid power of attorney. Submit the POA documents with the form.¹

There’s a Block on Your Registration

If unpaid taxes, outstanding tickets, or a court order have placed a block on your record, the BMV will not process the cancellation until the block is cleared.¹ Call the BMV at 1-844-644-6268 before you submit if you think a block might exist. A rejected submission wastes the notarized original, which will not come back to you.

The Vehicle Is Leased

The form has a dedicated section for the lessor’s name and address. Because the leasing company is typically named on the registration, contact them first to confirm whether they will handle the cancellation or authorize you to do it.

After You Mail It In

The BMV will mail confirmation of your cancellation to the address on file with the vehicle registration, which is not necessarily the address you wrote on the form.¹ If you have moved since your last update, call 1-844-644-6268 to correct the address before submitting, so the confirmation actually reaches you.

The BMV does not publish a specific processing timeline for cancellations. Other mail transactions handled by the same office can take up to four weeks, so keep your copy of the form as proof of submission and do not assume the registration is closed the day you drop the envelope in the mail.

What to Do With the Plates

Once the cancellation goes through, the plates are permanently retired. Any plates you send in with the form will not be returned.¹ You are not required to mail them, but Ohio law requires you to remove them from the vehicle when ownership transfers.² If you keep them, destroy them so no one can use them fraudulently; bending or cutting with tin snips works. You can also drop plates off at any deputy registrar location.

If You’d Rather Skip the Paper

The BMV runs an online cancellation portal at bmvonline.dps.ohio.gov, and the form itself directs you there for quicker processing.³ If a notary appointment is the obstacle keeping you on paper, the online route removes it.

1
Ohio Department of Public Safety. Customer Request to Cancel Vehicle Registration
2
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4503.12 – Transfer of Ownership and Registration
3
Ohio Department of Public Safety. Customer Request to Cancel Vehicle RegistrationVehicle Registration Cancellation