New York DMV Form MV-35, the Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title, lets you hand a vehicle over to a registered dismantler, itinerant vehicle collector, or certified scrap processor when the title isn’t in your name or has been lost. The vehicle has to be worth $1,250 or less and at least eight model years old, and once it goes through this process it can never be titled or registered again.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
When MV-35 Is the Right Form
The form covers one narrow situation. You own a vehicle, but either you bought it and never got the title transferred into your name, or you had a title and it was lost or stolen. Instead of chasing down a duplicate, you want the vehicle scrapped or dismantled. The MV-35 stands in for the title so the salvage business can legally take possession and file proof of ownership with the DMV.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
This is a one-way transfer. The vehicle is gone from the road permanently. You cannot use MV-35 to transfer a vehicle to another private person, a tow truck operator, or a charity, and a salvage business cannot use it to claim a vehicle on its own — the actual owner has to sign.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
Eligibility: The Vehicle and the Receiving Business
Two thresholds govern the vehicle itself. It must be worth $1,250 or less, and it must be at least eight model years old. In 2026, that means a 2018 model qualifies; a 2019 does not. Condition and drivability don’t matter as long as the value sits at or below the dollar cap.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
Only three types of DMV-licensed businesses can accept the vehicle through this form:
- A registered vehicle dismantler, which acquires vehicles to take apart for parts or resale as scrap.
- An itinerant vehicle collector (IVC), who collects non-operable vehicles and sells them or their major parts to dismantlers or scrap processors.
- A certified scrap processor, which processes vehicles into raw material rather than reselling them as vehicles or parts.2New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 415-a
Before you sign anything, ask the business for its DMV business identification number. That number has to appear on the form, and a business that doesn’t have one isn’t licensed to take the vehicle through this process.
Filling Out the Four Sections
You can download the form from dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv35.pdf. Every section needs to be complete before submission.
Vehicle Description
Enter the year, make, model, VIN, and color. Copy the VIN exactly as it appears on the dashboard plate or door jamb; a single wrong character can hold up processing. Old registration documents or insurance cards also carry the VIN if you can’t read it off the vehicle.
Owner Information and Certification
Fill in your full legal name, address, and government-issued ID number, and attach a copy of that ID. You certify one of two things: either you bought the vehicle from the titled owner and never had the title put in your name, or you had a title in your name that was lost or stolen. You also certify the vehicle is worth $1,250 or less and is at least eight model years old. Sign and date.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
Delivery Agent Information and Certification
Whoever physically delivers the vehicle to the salvage business completes this section. If a tow operator brings it in, that person signs. If you drive or tow it yourself, you still fill this section out as the delivery agent. The agent provides their name, date of birth, government-issued ID number, the plate on the delivery vehicle, and the date, and attaches a copy of their ID.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
Dismantler, IVC, or Scrap Processor Section
The receiving business completes the last section with its business name, DMV business ID number, and the name and title of the representative taking the vehicle. The representative certifies that the business paid $1,250 or less and that there are no undisclosed liens, then signs and dates.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
What Gets Attached
Copies of government-issued ID for both the owner and the delivery agent go with the form in every case. The rest depends on who’s receiving the vehicle.
- Transfer to a dismantler or IVC: attach Copy 2 of Form MV-907A (Salvage Certificate) with “For Parts Only” written on the front, along with the ID copies.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
- Transfer to a scrap processor: ID copies only. No MV-907A.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
Who Mails It, and By When
The receiving business mails the completed form and attachments to the DMV, not you. The deadline is 15 business days after the business acquires the vehicle. The mailing address is:1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
NYS DMV Junk and Salvage
PO Box 2105
Albany, NY 12220-0105
Your job as the owner is to make sure your sections are accurate and your ID copy is in the packet before you hand the vehicle over.
Penalties for False Statements
Everyone who signs the MV-35 signs under penalty of law. Knowingly making a false written statement is a misdemeanor under Section 210.45 of the New York Penal Law. Inflating or lowballing the vehicle’s value to squeeze a car above the $1,250 cap through this process, or signing as the owner of a vehicle you don’t actually own, can lead to criminal charges.1New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Statement of Vehicle Owner Who Does Not Have a Valid Title (MV-35)
When MV-35 Is the Wrong Form
If your vehicle is worth more than $1,250, is newer than eight model years, or is going to anyone other than a licensed salvage business, you need a different route.
You Lost the Title but Want to Sell or Keep Driving
Apply for a duplicate title with Form MV-902, by mail or at a DMV office. The fee is $20, paid by check or money order through the mail or by any accepted method in person. You’ll need proof of identity, such as a current or recently expired New York driver license, learner permit, or non-driver ID. The duplicate is printed at a secure facility in Albany and mailed to you rather than handed over at the counter.3New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Replace a Title Certificate
You’re Selling or Gifting to Another Person
Private sales and gifts use Form DTF-802 (Statement of Transaction), not MV-35. Both buyer and seller complete it, and the buyer brings it to the DMV with the title certificate and a Vehicle Registration/Title Application (MV-82). The DMV uses the DTF-802 to calculate sales tax.4New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Sales Tax Information
A Vehicle Was Abandoned on Your Property
MV-35 won’t help here because you aren’t the owner. New York handles abandoned vehicles on private property through a separate process using Form MV-37, available for vehicles at least ten model years old.