PA Title Affidavit of Correction: MV-41, Fees, and Filing

In Pennsylvania, there is no single “affidavit of correction” for a vehicle title. To correct a title, you file one of three PennDOT forms depending on what is wrong: Form MV-41 for vehicle record errors such as a wrong VIN or body type, Form MV-41A for a name correction or change, and Form MV-38O when the problem is a lien that should no longer appear. A $72 title fee applies whenever the correction results in a new certificate of title being printed.

Match the Form to the Error

Using the wrong form is the fastest way to have your application bounced back weeks later. Before you download anything, identify what actually needs to change:

Vehicle data on the title (VIN, body type, axle count, weight rating) — Form MV-41.¹
The name on the title, whether from marriage, divorce, court order, or a data-entry mistake — Form MV-41A.²
A satisfied lien that still shows on your record, or incorrect lienholder data — Form MV-38O.³

Pennsylvania law puts the burden on the owner. Under 75 Pa. C.S. § 1115, if material information on the title changes or turns out to be wrong, the owner must notify PennDOT and apply for a corrected title.⁴

Fixing Vehicle Record Errors With MV-41

Form MV-41 handles vehicle data corrections and VIN verifications. The most common use is a VIN error, but the form is narrower than people assume. It can only correct a typographical error of one digit, a transposition of two digits, or a case where the engine number was recorded as the VIN. Anything larger than that falls outside what MV-41 can fix.¹

You only complete the sections that apply to your situation:

VIN correction or verification: Sections A, B, and E. The verification itself must be performed by an authorized vehicle safety inspection mechanic, a notary public employed by a full agent or motor vehicle dealer, or a police officer. You cannot verify the VIN on your own personal vehicle even if you hold one of those positions.
Replacement VIN plate or decal: Sections A, B, and E, with Section B completed by a police officer.
Body type, axle count, or other vehicle data corrections: Sections A, C, and E.
Weight rating verification: Sections A, D, and E. Only an inspection mechanic can complete Section D.¹

Get the verification done before you mail anything. If the form arrives without the required section signed off, PennDOT cannot process it.

Correcting or Changing a Name With MV-41A

Form MV-41A is for name corrections and name changes. It does not require notarization. You sign a certification under penalty of law that everything on the application is true, and false statements fall under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, Pennsylvania’s unsworn falsification statute.²

The form is two-sided, and the side you use determines both the documentation and the fee.

Side A: Update Records Only, No Fee

Use Side A when your name changed because of marriage, divorce, or a pending divorce and you only need PennDOT to update your registration card and internal records. You keep your existing title, and there is no fee. Attach a copy of your updated Pennsylvania driver’s license or photo ID showing the new name. For a pending divorce, also include a copy of the written notice to resume a prior surname, stamped by the court with the case caption and docket number.²

This matches the statute. Under 75 Pa. C.S. § 1115(b.1), name changes from marriage or divorce do not require a new certificate of title. The owner just notifies PennDOT of the new name and provides the title number for each vehicle in the former name.⁴

Side B: New Title Printed, $72 Fee

Use Side B if you want a corrected certificate of title actually printed in the new name. Side B also covers name changes that are not tied to marriage or divorce, such as a court-ordered name change. Submit your current certificate of title with the form and pay the $72 title fee. If you cannot locate the original title, an additional title fee applies and you complete the duplicate title section of the form. When a lien is recorded on the title, the lienholder must also sign.²

Lien Errors Use a Different Form

If the title shows a lien that has already been satisfied, or the lienholder information is wrong, neither MV-41 nor MV-41A is the right form. File Form MV-38O, the Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title by Owner. The lienholder completes the satisfaction-of-lien section on the form. If you still have the original title showing the lien was satisfied, you can attach it instead and skip that section.³

One trap: if the lien was recorded within the last six years, or longer for certain vehicle types such as truck tractors, recreational trailers, motor homes, and mobile homes, PennDOT still treats it as active. You will need to reach the lienholder directly to get their signature on the satisfaction section before PennDOT will process the request.³

What It Costs

The fee rule is simple. If the correction requires PennDOT to print a new certificate of title, the fee is $72. That covers MV-41A Side B and any MV-41 correction that results in a new title. If you file MV-41A Side A to update PennDOT’s records without a new physical title, there is no fee.² The full fee schedule sits on Form MV-70S, where the certificate of title fee is listed at $72.⁵

Where to Send the Application

Mail the completed form, supporting documents, and any required fee to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The address printed on Form MV-41 is:

PA Department of Transportation
Bureau of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 68593
Harrisburg, PA 17106-8593¹

Make the check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. An MV-41A Side A correction with no fee still needs to be mailed in with its supporting documents.

Penalties for False Information

Both MV-41 and MV-41A carry a printed warning that false statements are punishable under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904. Because the forms bear that penalty notice, a false statement is a misdemeanor of the third degree, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year of imprisonment.¹ The statute also requires a convicted person to pay a fine of at least $1,000, regardless of the circumstances.⁶

Most people who get in trouble here are not committing fraud. They are guessing at a digit in the VIN instead of walking out to the vehicle and reading the plate on the dashboard. Check every character against the vehicle and your legal identification before you sign.

1
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. MV-41 – Application for Correction of Vehicle Record or Verification of Vehicle Identification Number
2
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Application for Correction or Change of Name (MV-41A)
3
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title by Owner (MV-38O)
4
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 75 – Section 1115
5
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Bureau of Motor Vehicles Schedule of Fees
6
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 – Section 4904