How to Fill Out the Michigan Appointment of Agent Form (TR-128)

The Michigan TR-128 form, formally the Appointment of Agent, lets the owner of a vehicle, watercraft, off-road vehicle, or mobile home authorize another person to sign title and registration paperwork for them at a Secretary of State branch office. You fill it out when you can’t appear in person, sign it yourself, and hand it to the agent to carry into the branch with the rest of the transaction paperwork. The form is a free one-page PDF on the Michigan Secretary of State website and is also stocked at every branch.1Michigan Secretary of State. TR-128 Appointment of Agent

When the TR-128 Is the Right Form

Michigan requires the owner to sign titles, applications, and related documents personally. The TR-128 is the workaround: it appoints someone else to sign in your place for a single unit described on the form. Typical uses are a seller who has already moved out of state, a buyer whose work hours don’t line up with branch hours, or a dealership completing paperwork for a customer.1Michigan Secretary of State. TR-128 Appointment of Agent

The authorization is tied to the specific unit listed on the form. Two vehicles in the same trip means two TR-128s.

One important boundary: the TR-128 does not cover odometer disclosure when the original title is unavailable. Federal law requires a secure power of attorney, not a general appointment of agent, when a lienholder is holding the title or the title has been lost and the agent needs to sign the odometer statement for you. Ask the SOS which odometer power of attorney form to use before the visit.2National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Interpretation of Secure Power of Attorney Requirements

Information to Have Before You Start

Pull the current title and registration in front of you. Every name and address on the TR-128 needs to match what’s already on file. A misspelled name or an old address can get the form rejected at the counter.

  • Unit description: year, make, and the full Vehicle Identification Number, Hull Identification Number, or serial number, plus the plate or registration number if the unit has one.1Michigan Secretary of State. TR-128 Appointment of Agent
  • Agent information: full printed name and current street address, city, state, and ZIP code.
  • Owner information: full printed name and current street address, city, state, and ZIP code.

Filling Out the Form

Download the PDF from the Michigan Secretary of State forms page or grab a copy at any branch.3Michigan Department of State. Forms and Publications The form is one page and moves top to bottom.

Start with the unit description. Enter the year, make, and the full VIN or HIN, and add the plate or registration number if there is one. Print clearly. A single transposed digit in the VIN disconnects the authorization from the record the clerk is looking at, and there’s no way to salvage it at the counter.

Next, print the agent’s full legal name and complete street address. This is the person who will walk into the branch and sign for you.

In the owner certification section, print your name, fill in your street address, and sign. Your signature is what makes the appointment effective. The language you’re certifying reads: “I appoint the individual named in the agent information section as my agent to sign my name to legal documents pertaining to the sale, purchase or titling of the unit described on this form as required by Michigan law.”1Michigan Secretary of State. TR-128 Appointment of Agent

The form has no notary block, so the signature does not need to be notarized. It does need to be yours. Forging an owner’s signature on a TR-128 is fraud under Michigan law and exposes both parties to liability.

What the Agent Takes to the Branch

The TR-128 authorizes the signature. It doesn’t replace the transaction paperwork. For a standard vehicle title transfer, the agent also needs:4Michigan Department of State. Title Transfer and Vehicle Registration

  • The original title, with the seller’s portion completed and signed in advance if the seller won’t be present.
  • The odometer reading recorded on the title, or a separate Odometer Mileage Statement if the title has no space for it.
  • Proof of lien release if a loan existed on the vehicle: the lienholder’s signed and dated “paid” stamp on the title, a separate signed lien termination statement with the VIN, or a payoff letter on the lienholder’s letterhead.
  • Proof of Michigan No-Fault insurance covering the vehicle.
  • A valid government-issued photo ID for the agent, such as a driver’s license or state ID card.

If the agent is acting for a business, the clerk may ask for something linking the agent to the company, such as a letter of authorization on company letterhead or a business card paired with a dealer license number.

Fees and the 15-Day Clock

The agent should bring payment. For a standard title transfer, Michigan charges:

The 15-day clock runs from the date of sale, not the date of the branch visit. If you’re appointing an agent because you’re out of town, make sure they get to the counter before the window closes.

Mistakes That Get the Form Rejected

Most TR-128 rejections trace back to a few preventable errors:

  • VIN typos. Copy the number directly from the title or registration card, not from memory.
  • Name mismatches. The owner’s name on the TR-128 must match the name on the title exactly. If you legally changed your name after the title was issued, send the agent with proof of the name change so the clerk can reconcile the records.
  • Missing owner signature. The agent cannot sign the TR-128 for you. The whole point of the form is that you sign it in advance. An unsigned form sends the agent home.
  • Incomplete supporting documents. A perfectly filled TR-128 doesn’t rescue a missing title, missing proof of insurance, or missing lien release.
  • Using the TR-128 for an odometer disclosure that requires a secure power of attorney. If the title is with a lienholder or has been lost, the odometer signature needs the federal form, not this one.2National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Interpretation of Secure Power of Attorney Requirements

Get it right the first time and the branch visit is short. Get any of it wrong and, with the 15-day deadline running, there may not be room for a second trip.