Form DPSMV 1799 is Louisiana’s vehicle application, and you can download the current PDF from the Office of Motor Vehicles at expresslane.la.gov or pick up a blank copy at any OMV field office or public tag agent.1Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. New Title and Registration The same form covers a new car from a dealership, a used car from a private seller, and a vehicle you brought in from another state. Once you have it, you have five days from receiving the vehicle or its previous title to file the completed application with the OMV.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-707 – Application for Certificates of Title
Where to Download the Form
The OMV posts the PDF on its New Title and Registration page. Print it at home, or pick one up in person at any OMV field office or public tag agent location. There is no separate version for used vehicles, dealer purchases, or out-of-state transfers; DPSMV 1799 is the single application for all of them.
Documents to Gather Before You Start
An incomplete packet gets rejected, and the rejection eats into your filing window. Have all of this ready before you fill anything out:
- Proof of ownership. For a used vehicle, the previous certificate of title with the seller’s endorsed assignment. For a brand-new vehicle that has never been titled, the manufacturer’s certificate of origin from the dealer.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-707 – Application for Certificates of Title
- A notarized bill of sale or dealer invoice showing the actual purchase price and a full vehicle description. Without notarization, the OMV rejects the application outright.3Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Used Title and Registration
- Proof of liability insurance meeting Louisiana’s minimums of $15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 total bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage.4Louisiana Department of Insurance. Consumer’s Guide to Auto Insurance
- A current, valid driver’s license or state-issued ID for every person listed as an owner.5Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Code Office of Motor Vehicles Policy 2.03 Completion of Vehicle Application (DPSMV1799)
- Lienholder details if you financed. The lender’s full legal name and mailing address get recorded on the title itself.5Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Code Office of Motor Vehicles Policy 2.03 Completion of Vehicle Application (DPSMV1799)
How to Complete the Form
Every mandatory field must be filled in, or the OMV will send the packet back. In the vehicle description section, enter the year, make, body style, model, weight, Vehicle Identification Number, and current mileage.5Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Code Office of Motor Vehicles Policy 2.03 Completion of Vehicle Application (DPSMV1799) Check the VIN character by character against the title or manufacturer’s certificate. One wrong digit means resubmitting the whole packet.
The owner section takes your full legal name exactly as it appears on your driver’s license, your license number, and your Louisiana physical address. Add every co-owner with the same detail. The mileage field also serves as the federal odometer disclosure, so the number you enter certifies actual mileage at the time of transfer.
Every owner listed has to sign in the designated area at the bottom. If someone signs through a power of attorney, the representative signs on the owner’s behalf and the supporting legal document goes in with the packet.5Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Code Office of Motor Vehicles Policy 2.03 Completion of Vehicle Application (DPSMV1799) Check the boxes for any tax exemptions or special plate requests before you submit. Adding them later means starting the review over.
Fees and Sales Tax
The fixed costs are a $68.50 title fee and an $8 handling fee, due when you submit.6Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration, Title and Plate Fees Sales tax is calculated on the purchase price shown on your notarized bill of sale. Louisiana charges a state rate, and most parishes and municipalities add local tax on top; local rates run from under 2% to 7%, so the combined rate depends on where you live.7Louisiana Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Sales Tax On a $25,000 vehicle in a high-tax parish, the combined tax can top $2,000. Look up your parish rate through the OMV’s tax table before you buy.
Filing Deadline and Late Penalties
Louisiana requires the application to be filed within five days of receiving the vehicle or its previous title, whichever comes first.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-707 – Application for Certificates of Title That window is short. A separate 40-day window applies to paying the sales tax, and that is where the real money is at stake.
Miss the 40-day mark and penalty accrues at 5% of the tax owed for every 30 days delinquent, capped at 25% of the total tax. Interest also runs at 1.25% per month on the state portion and 1% per month on parish and municipal taxes.8Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles – Penalty and Interest Policy On a $2,000 tax bill, six months of delinquency adds roughly $500 in penalty alone. The commissioner can waive the penalty for reasonable cause upon written request, but interest cannot be waived.
If the OMV rejects your application, you get a single 30-day extension from the date you receive the rejection. Penalty and interest do not accrue during that extension, but only if you resubmit within those 30 days.8Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles – Penalty and Interest Policy
Where and How to Submit
You have three ways to get the completed packet to the OMV:
- By mail to the OMV headquarters, which processes all incoming mail centrally. Include payment with the packet. Mailing is the cheapest option, but the five-day filing deadline makes it risky if you delay.9Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Office of Motor Vehicles – Mailing Address
- At an OMV field office in person. You pay at the counter and catch any errors on the spot.
- Through a public tag agent. These private businesses process OMV transactions and often have shorter waits. State law caps their convenience fee at $18 per registration transaction.10Justia. Louisiana Code RS 47-532.1 – Public License Tag Agents, Auto Title Companies, Rules and Regulations, Surety Bonds, Fees
The OMV accepts money orders, cashier’s checks, and credit or debit cards. Card payments carry a 2.5% processing fee plus a $3 transaction charge. On a $2,000 tax bill the card surcharge alone is $53, so a cashier’s check saves real money for larger transactions.
Titling a Vehicle From Another State
If you bought the vehicle out of state or recently moved to Louisiana, the same DPSMV 1799 applies. Your application also has to show where and when the vehicle was last titled or registered outside Louisiana and the name and address of the person who held that title.2Justia. Louisiana Code RS 32-707 – Application for Certificates of Title Bring the out-of-state title itself or whatever proof of ownership the previous state issued.
The five-day filing deadline still runs. If you bought the car across state lines and drove it home, the clock starts on delivery. The same title fee, handling fee, and sales tax obligations apply, and Louisiana issues a new title in place of the out-of-state one.
Salvage and Reconstructed Titles Take Extra Forms
If the vehicle was previously declared a total loss, DPSMV 1799 alone is not enough. A reconstructed title in Louisiana also requires a properly endorsed salvage title showing the chain of ownership from the insurer to you, a law enforcement Affidavit of Physical Inspection, the Salvage-Reconstructed application (DPSMV 1637), the reconstructed parts list (DPSMV 1635), and receipts or a notarized affidavit covering major replacement parts.11Louisiana Department of Public Safety. Louisiana Department of Public Safety Office of Motor Vehicles – Salvage and Reconstructed Vehicle Policy The reconstructed brand stays on the vehicle permanently on every future title.