How to Fill Out Pennsylvania Form MV-1L: Sections, Signing, and Mailing

Pennsylvania Form MV-1L is the application a vehicle owner (the lessor) files with PennDOT to add, change, or delete the lessee information tied to a leased or daily-rental vehicle’s registration. You can download the current version from the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website, and the completed form goes by mail to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at PO Box 68593, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8593.¹

When the Form Is Required

Pennsylvania law requires the vehicle owner to report the lessee’s name and address to PennDOT and to keep that information current for the full lease term. The owner may also choose to list the lessee as the registrant on the registration card.²

Three checkboxes at the top of the form set what the filing does:

Add lessee information when a new lease begins or a leased vehicle is first titled and registered in Pennsylvania.
Change lessee information when a lessee’s name or address changes, or when the lease is reassigned.
Delete lessee information when the lease ends and the record should come off the registration.

A separate checkbox indicates whether the vehicle is a daily rental or a leased vehicle. If a vehicle shifts between the two categories, a new MV-1L must be filed.¹

One point worth flagging up front: the lessee does not file this form. The obligation sits with the vehicle owner, so dealerships and leasing companies usually handle the paperwork as part of the transaction. If you are an individual lessee, your role is to make sure the lessor has your correct information.

Filling In Each Section

The MV-1L is a single page. Every field should match the certificate of title and the lease contract exactly. A wrong VIN digit or a misspelled name is the most common reason a form gets kicked back.

Section A: Vehicle Information

Enter the full 17-character Vehicle Identification Number, the Pennsylvania title number, and the registration plate number currently assigned to the vehicle.

Section B: Vehicle Owner Information

Enter the lessor’s full legal name (for a business, the exact name on the title), street address, city, county, state, and zip code.¹

Section C: Lessee Information

For the primary lessee, provide the full legal name (last name or business name, first, middle), Pennsylvania driver’s license or Photo ID number, and date of birth (or Business ID number for an entity). A second set of fields on the same form handles a co-applicant such as a spouse or business partner. Below those fields, enter the lessee’s street address.¹

Section D: Mailing Information

If the lessee’s mailing address is different from the street address (a PO Box, for instance), fill in this section. PennDOT will send registration documents to the address you provide here. Leave the section blank if the two addresses are the same.

Picking a Registration and Recipient Combination

The numbered combination on the form controls three things at once: who is listed as the registration owner, who receives the physical plate and registration card, and who receives the renewal notice when the registration comes due. Whoever is designated as the registration owner keeps the plate when the lease ends.

The form offers five preset combinations:

Option 1: the vehicle owner is the registrant, receives documents, and receives renewal notices.
Option 2: the lessee is the registrant, receives documents, and receives renewal notices.
Option 5: the vehicle owner is the registrant and receives documents; the lessee receives the renewal application.
Option 6: the lessee is the registrant and receives documents; the vehicle owner receives the renewal application.
Option 7: the lessee is the registrant, the vehicle owner receives documents, and the lessee receives the renewal application.

Leasing companies usually pick the combination that matches their standard lease terms. If you are filling this out yourself, check your lease to see who is responsible for renewing the registration and returning plates at lease end, and choose the matching option.¹

Signing and Mailing

The certification at the bottom has one signature line, for the vehicle owner or an authorized representative. Signing certifies that the information on the form is true and correct, and the signature must be dated. The lessee does not sign.¹

Mail the completed form to:

Bureau of Motor Vehicles
PO Box 68593
Harrisburg, PA 17106-8593

There is no online submission option for this form. Certified mail gives you a delivery receipt, which is worth the small extra cost if you need proof of filing.

When the MV-1L accompanies an initial title and registration (Forms MV-1 and MV-140), send everything in one envelope. The MV-140 instructions state that if an MV-1L has never been filed for the vehicle, the leasing company must complete one and include it with the registration paperwork.³

After You Submit

PennDOT typically delivers updated documents within about ten days of receiving a mailed registration transaction. The designated recipient under the combination you selected will receive an updated registration card reflecting the current lessee details. That card is your confirmation that PennDOT’s records match the lease.

If the Bureau finds a problem such as a VIN that doesn’t match its records, a missing signature, or an incomplete address, the form will be returned. Checking every field before mailing is the easiest way to avoid starting over.

Any later change to the lease, including a new lessee, an address update, or a switch between daily-rental and long-term lease status, requires a fresh MV-1L. The form tracks the current arrangement rather than the life of the vehicle, and PennDOT expects a new filing whenever that arrangement changes.¹

1
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Pennsylvania Form MV-1L – Application for Lessee Information
2
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 – Section 1305
3
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. MV-140 – Registration Application