Arizona’s vehicle lien release form 48-9901 is a one-page document the lienholder signs and notarizes to confirm your auto loan is paid in full, which lets the MVD clear the lien from your title record. You’ll only need the paper form in specific situations. Banks, credit unions, and finance companies are required to release liens electronically through the MVD’s Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) system, so if your lender is an institution, the release usually happens without you touching a form.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Electronic Lien and Title Form 48-9901 is for private-party lienholders, mobile-home liens, and the odd case where the electronic channel isn’t available.
When You Need the Paper Form
The most common trigger is a private-party lien. If an individual financed your purchase and recorded a lien with the MVD, they can’t transmit an electronic release and must sign Form 48-9901 instead. Mobile-home liens follow the same paper path.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Electronic Lien and Title The paper form also comes into play for older lien records that predate ELT and for lenders that have closed without processing the release.
You can download the form as a PDF from the Arizona Department of Transportation website, or pick up a copy at any MVD field office or authorized third-party provider.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Lien Release Form 48-9901
Filling Out Form 48-9901
Every entry needs to match the MVD’s existing vehicle record exactly. A mismatched VIN, misspelled name, or wrong title number will send the form back. The fields are:
- Lienholder name — the full legal name of the person or company that held the lien.
- Certificate of title number — the number the Arizona MVD assigned to the title. It appears on the original title or on a Vehicle Inquiry Report.
- Borrower name — your name as it appears on the vehicle record.
- Lien amount — the original amount of the lien.
- Vehicle identification number — the 17-character VIN on the driver’s side dashboard or door jamb sticker.3National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. VIN Decoder
- Year and make of the vehicle.
- Representative name — only when the lienholder is an organization. The person signing on the company’s behalf enters their name here.
- Signature and date — the lienholder (or authorized representative) signs and dates the form, certifying that “the lien indicated above has been paid in full” and releasing “all claims to the vehicle.”2Arizona Department of Transportation. Lien Release Form 48-9901
Compare every entry against the title or Vehicle Inquiry Report before the lienholder signs.
Getting the Signature Notarized or Witnessed
The MVD will not accept Form 48-9901 unless the lienholder’s signature has been acknowledged before a notary public or witnessed by an authorized MVD employee.4Cornell Law School. Arizona Administrative Code R17-4-208 – Lien Clearance This is not optional. Arizona notaries can charge up to $10 per signature for an acknowledgment or jurat.5Arizona Secretary of State. Notary Public Services Fee Schedule To skip the notary fee, bring the lienholder to an MVD office and have them sign in front of a division employee.
Submitting the Form to the MVD
Send the completed form together with the most recently issued paper certificate of title (if one exists) and a completed Title and Registration Application, Form 96-0236, with the appropriate box checked.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title The title fee is $4.7Arizona Department of Transportation. AZ Vehicle Registration Fees
You have three submission options:
- By USPS mail: Motor Vehicle Division, PO Box 2100, MD 555M, Phoenix, AZ 85001.
- By FedEx or UPS: Motor Vehicle Division, 1655 W. Jackson Street, MD 555M, Phoenix, AZ 85007.
- In person at any MVD field office or authorized third-party provider. Third-party offices add a convenience fee on top of the state fee.8Arizona Department of Transportation. Authorized Third Party Providers
Allow up to six weeks for processing when submitting by mail.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title
Getting a Paper Title After the Lien Clears
Once the lien is cleared, your title remains in electronic form in the MVD’s records.9Arizona Department of Transportation. Title Lien (for Owners) That’s enough for most day-to-day purposes. If you want a physical title to sell the vehicle, move out of state, or just keep on hand, request one through the AZ MVD Now portal at azmvdnow.gov: log in, select “Title Replacement,” and pay the $4 fee. Only one owner’s signature is required regardless of how many names are on the title. You can also request the paper title in person at an MVD office or by mailing Form 96-0236 to the addresses above. Processing takes up to six weeks.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title
If the Lienholder Won’t Sign
Under Arizona Administrative Code R17-4-208, lienholders have 15 business days after receiving your final payment to release a satisfied lien.10Cornell Law School. Arizona Administrative Code Title 17, Chapter 4 – R17-4-208 Lien Clearance ARS 28-2134 provides for a civil penalty when they don’t.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2134 – Satisfaction of Lien or Encumbrance; Assignment of Obligation by Lienholder; Civil Penalty If a lienholder ignores your requests, send a written demand with proof of payoff by certified mail and keep copies of everything. A lienholder assessed a civil penalty can request an administrative hearing to contest it.
If the Lender Has Closed
When the bank that held your lien no longer exists, the path depends on what happened to it. If another institution acquired it, contact the acquiring bank; they inherited the lien records and can release yours. If the bank failed and went into FDIC receivership, the FDIC can release the lien on the defunct bank’s behalf.12FDIC. Obtaining a Lien Release
To request a release from the FDIC, register and submit documentation through the FDIC Information and Support Center (not by phone or email). You’ll need:
- A legible copy of the title, non-negotiable title, or a state-issued Vehicle Inquiry Report showing the owner’s name, lienholder’s name, VIN, title number, year, and make/model.
- Proof of payoff, such as a promissory note stamped “PAID” or a copy of the payoff check. The FDIC will not accept a credit report as proof.12FDIC. Obtaining a Lien Release
Allow 30 business days for the FDIC’s review once they have your documents. The FDIC does not handle credit unions; if your lender was a failed credit union, contact the National Credit Union Administration instead.12FDIC. Obtaining a Lien Release