Montana’s MV20-1 VIN inspection form is a one-page document you fill out yourself in part, then hand to an authorized inspector who physically verifies your vehicle identification number and signs the rest. Once signed, it goes to your County Treasurer’s motor vehicle office as an attachment to your title application. You complete Section 1, the inspector completes Section 2, and the form travels with your other title paperwork.
When the Form Is Required
Not every title transaction needs one. The Motor Vehicle Division or your county office asks for an MV20-1 when the vehicle’s identity needs independent confirmation. Common triggers include:
- Vehicles titled in another state being brought into Montana
- Lost, missing, or illegible prior titles, including bonded title applications
- Salvage or rebuilt vehicles, before any electronic title record or certificate can be issued
- Custom vehicles, street rods, kit cars, and specially constructed vehicles, especially when no manufacturer’s certificate of origin exists
- Canadian registrations submitted for Montana titling
The county office or MVD can also request an inspection any time it considers one necessary to verify identity. If your situation isn’t on the list above, call ahead before making an appointment.
What to Bring
Arrive with the vehicle and a small stack of items ready. The inspection itself takes only a few minutes when you come prepared.
- The MV20-1 with Section 1 already completed. Download it from the Motor Vehicle Division at mvdmt.gov. The form accepts electronic input, and MVD recommends typing rather than handwriting. Write “N/A” in any field that doesn’t apply instead of leaving it blank.
- For vehicles from model year 1981 and newer, printed photos of the VIN. You need a clear picture of the public VIN on the driver’s side of the dashboard visible through the windshield, and a clear picture of the Federal Standards Label in the driver’s door area. Regular paper is fine as long as the images are readable. Attach the photos to the form.
- Your existing ownership documents: the out-of-state title, bill of sale, manufacturer’s certificate of origin, or Canadian registration. These aren’t attached to the MV20-1, but you’ll need them when you submit the title application afterward.
Filling Out Section 1
Section 1 is your responsibility and collects the vehicle’s basic identifying details. Fill in every field that applies:
- The full Vehicle Identification Number, typically 17 characters for vehicles built after 1980
- Year, make or manufacturer, and model, matching your existing documentation exactly
- Color and body style, both required for every vehicle
- Length, required only if the vehicle is a trailer
- Odometer reading, with the miles-or-kilometers box marked and the five-or-six-digit box marked
Accuracy is more important than it sounds. Forms that are incomplete, inaccurate, or unreadable get rejected. Altered forms also get rejected, so don’t cross out mistakes. If you write something wrong, discard the form and start fresh. The same rule applies to the inspector: if they make an error in Section 2, the whole form is thrown out and a new one is used.
Who Signs Section 2
Section 2 is the inspector’s part. The MV20-1 itself says any law enforcement officer can complete a Stage I inspection. MVD adds that driver license exam station staff and participating County Treasurer motor vehicle office staff are also authorized.
In practice, most people go to their local sheriff’s office or police department. Some County Treasurer offices perform the inspection at the same counter where you’ll file the title application, which saves a trip. Not all offices offer it, so call ahead. You cannot inspect your own vehicle. The inspector must physically examine the VIN, verify it matches your paperwork, and sign under penalty of law that the information is true and correct.
Salvage Vehicles Need a Stage III Inspection Instead
Salvage vehicles go through a stricter process. Montana statute requires VIN authentication by an authorized department employee, authorized agent, or a peace officer designated by the department before any title is issued for a salvage vehicle. The fee is $18.50 per vehicle inspected. Stage III inspections are handled by Commercial Vehicle Operator Licensing examiners, driver licensing regional managers, and motor vehicle compliance specialists at MVD regional offices in Kalispell, Missoula, Helena, Great Falls, Bozeman, Billings, and Glendive. Non-motorized trailers are exempt from the Stage III requirement.
Submitting the Form with Your Title Application
Once Section 2 is signed, take the completed MV20-1 to your local County Treasurer’s motor vehicle office along with your Application for Certificate of Title and supporting ownership documents. The MV20-1 is an attachment, not a standalone filing.
Title fees depend on the vehicle. A light vehicle, or a truck or bus weighing one ton or less, is $12. All other vehicles are $10. These fees are set by statute and remain in effect through June 30, 2028. Registration fees are separate and vary by vehicle type and age.
If your documents are in order, you’ll receive registration and plates that day. The county forwards the paperwork to the state, and Montana mails the new certificate of title within four to six weeks.
Bonded Titles, Custom Builds, and Other Variants
A few situations layer extra requirements on top of the VIN inspection.
Bonded titles. When you can’t produce a clean title because it was lost, the seller never had one, or the chain of ownership has gaps, Montana allows a bonded title application under MCA 61-3-208. It requires both an MV20-1 inspection and a surety bond equal to the vehicle’s value as determined by the applicable national appraisal guide as of January 1 of the application year. If no guide covers your vehicle, you certify the value with a bill of sale and a notarized statement. For a vehicle sold without a manufacturer’s certificate of origin, the bond equals the full retail price. You also submit a sworn affidavit describing how you acquired the vehicle and disclosing any known liens. The department releases the bond three years after the title is issued, provided no one has filed a claim.
Custom vehicles, street rods, kit cars, and specially constructed vehicles. These are titled under MCA 61-3-213. A custom vehicle or street rod is titled to the model year of the body it resembles, with the VIN taken from the chassis or frame. Kit vehicles use the donor chassis VIN when no certificate of origin is available. Specially constructed vehicles receive the calendar year of application as their model year and a state-assigned VIN. Expect a mandatory MV20-1 inspection if your build lacks a manufacturer’s certificate of origin.
If the Inspector Finds a Problem
Inspectors are trained to look for VIN plates that have been removed, altered, or swapped. If a defaced or missing VIN turns up during your inspection, or if the inspector has probable cause to believe the vehicle was stolen, the vehicle can be seized and held until its identity is established. Clear purchase documentation, including a detailed bill of sale and any prior title history you can gather, is what shortens that process.
Federal law makes knowingly removing, altering, or tampering with a VIN a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine, or both. Narrow exceptions apply to legitimate repair work and to restoring or replacing a number in compliance with state law, but those exceptions do not apply if you know the vehicle is stolen.