Montana no longer requires notarization for vehicle title transfers between individuals. HB 165, passed by the 69th Montana Legislature, struck the acknowledgment requirement from MCA 61-3-220 effective October 1, 2025. The seller still signs the title, but no notary stamp, county treasurer witness, or other official acknowledgment is part of the process anymore.
What HB 165 Changed
Before October 1, 2025, Montana law required the seller’s signature on a vehicle title to be acknowledged before one of several officials: a county treasurer, a deputy county treasurer, an elected official authorized to acknowledge signatures, a department employee or authorized agent, or a notary public. That requirement lived in subsection (2) of MCA 61-3-220.
HB 165 deleted that entire subsection. The Montana Secretary of State’s office confirmed the change, stating that the subsection “has been stricken, subsequently eliminating the need to notarize a title transfer.”1Montana Secretary of State. Notarizing Montana Motor Vehicle Titles Licensed dealers were already exempt from the acknowledgment requirement, so the practical effect is that private sellers now have the same streamlined process.
If you bought or sold a vehicle before October 2025 and the title was notarized, that title is still valid. For any transfer happening now, you can skip that step entirely.
What the Seller Still Has to Do
Even without notarization, the seller has legal obligations. Under MCA 61-3-220, the owner must either authorize the transfer in writing on a form prescribed by the department so it can be entered on the electronic title record, or sign the assignment section on the physical certificate of title and hand it to the buyer.2Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-3-220 – Certificate of Title – Voluntary Transfer – Duties Most private-party sales use the second method, since the seller already has the paper title.
Fill in the buyer’s name, the sale date, the sale price, and the odometer reading in the assignment area on the back of the title, then sign it. The buyer signs where indicated. Montana doesn’t require a separate bill of sale by statute, but both parties should keep a copy for their records.
Odometer Disclosure Is Still Required
Notarization is gone, but odometer disclosure is still mandatory for most sales, and getting it wrong will stall your title application at the county office the same way notarization errors used to. Under MCA 61-3-206, the seller must record the odometer reading on the certificate of title at the time of transfer. If the title has no space for it, the seller must provide a separate signed statement with the mileage, sale date, both parties’ names and addresses, and the vehicle’s year, make, model, and VIN.3Montana State Legislature. Montana Code Annotated 61-3-206 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements on Transfer of Vehicle
The seller must certify one of three things: that the reading reflects actual mileage, that the reading exceeds the mechanical limit of 99,999 miles, or that the reading doesn’t reflect actual mileage and shouldn’t be relied on. The buyer signs to acknowledge the disclosure.
Some vehicles are exempt from odometer disclosure:
- 2010 model year or earlier, automatically exempt regardless of age
- 2011 model year or later, exempt once the vehicle reaches 20 years old (a 2011 model becomes exempt in 2031)
- Non-self-propelled vehicles such as trailers, semitrailers, campers, and sailboats
- Heavy vehicles with a gross weight rating over 16,000 pounds
The 40-Day Deadline to Register
Once you buy a vehicle, you have 40 days from the sale date to apply for a new certificate of title and register the vehicle in your name.4MT Motor Vehicle Division. You Got a New Vehicle?! The deadline sits in MCA 61-3-220(3)(c) and covers cars, trucks, trailers, motorboats, snowmobiles, and other titled vehicles.2Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 61-3-220 – Certificate of Title – Voluntary Transfer – Duties
Bring the signed title to your county treasurer’s office along with a completed Application for Certificate of Title (Form MV1). Missing the 40-day window can create registration complications and may result in penalties, so don’t sit on a signed title.
Fees You’ll Pay at the County Treasurer
Montana’s title fee is $12.36 for light vehicles, trucks, and buses weighing less than one ton, and $10.30 for all other vehicles. These amounts include the 3% administrative fee required under MCA 61-3-111.5MT Motor Vehicle Division. Application for Title of Vehicle by Non-Probate Transfer
Registration fees for light vehicles depend on the vehicle’s age:
- 0 to 4 years old: $217
- 5 to 10 years old: $87
- 11 years or older: $28
Registration fees are separate from the title fee and are paid at the same time you apply for a new title.6MT Motor Vehicle Division. Light Vehicle Registration and Fees
Multiple Owners and Business Titles
When a title lists more than one owner, every person whose interest is being transferred has to sign the assignment. With notarization gone, there’s no need to coordinate a notary visit for all of them. Each owner simply signs, and they don’t have to do so at the same time or place.
If the registered owner is a business entity such as an LLC or corporation, the person signing for the business should print the business name and their capacity (for example, “owner,” “member,” or “president”) on the signature line. The same rule applies to trusts.
Vehicles Coming From Another State
Montana’s rule change only governs Montana titles. If you’re bringing a vehicle in from another state, the out-of-state title is your proof of ownership, and you apply for a Montana title through a Foreign Title Transfer using Form MV63, available from your county treasurer.7MT Motor Vehicle Division. Vehicle Title Information Some states still require notarized signatures on their titles, so if the vehicle was last titled somewhere with that requirement, the seller’s signature on the out-of-state title needs to meet that state’s rules before Montana will accept it.