Does Pennsylvania require an odometer disclosure when transferring a title?

The seller must indicate the mileage of the vehicle in the appropriate spaces on the ownership document. The assignment information on the PA title must include the odometer.

What happens to a lien when transferring a car title in Pennsylvania?

The assignment information on the attached Pennsylvania Certificate of Title must be completed, including the lienholder, purchaser name and address, seller signature(s), purchaser signature(s), and notary public information (MV-4ST fact sheet). For out-of-state titles: applicants are required to contact their lienholders prior to completing the MV-1 application to determine whether the lienholder will release the out-of-state title to the vehicle owner, because out-of-state lienholders often refuse to release a title in their possession to another state unless the lien has been satisfied.

How to Transfer a Car Title in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania transfer in one table

Step	Pennsylvania rule
Title transfer fee	None stated on the official pages opened.
Deadline and late penalty	none stated
Application form	Form MV-4ST, Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration (PA-titled vehicles; authorized agents only); Form MV-1, Application for Certificate of Title (out-of-state titles and new vehicles; authorized agents only); Form MV-13ST, Affidavit of Gift (gift transfers claiming Exemption 13)
Odometer	The seller must indicate the mileage of the vehicle in the appropriate spaces on the ownership document. The assignment information on the PA title must include the odometer. No age exemption was stated on the pages opened.
Lien	The assignment information on the attached Pennsylvania Certificate of Title must be completed, including the lienholder, purchaser name and address, seller signature(s), purchaser signature(s), and notary public information (MV-4ST fact sheet). For out-of-state titles: applicants are required to contact their lienholders prior to completing the MV-1 application to determine whether the lienholder will release the out-of-state title to the vehicle owner, because out-of-state lienholders often refuse to release a title in their possession to another state unless the lien has been satisfied. No lien-recording fee or lien-release procedure amount was stated on the pages opened.

What makes Pennsylvania different

Secondary sources state several different Pennsylvania title fees, including $58, $72, $51, and $22.50, and several different lien fees. No fee amount was stated on any official page opened, so this guide states no fee and carries none of the secondary figures. A 20-day deadline to submit transfer documentation after notarization appears in secondary summaries of the official Motor Vehicle Miscellaneous FAQs page. No deadline is stated on the pages opened for this guide.

The transfer, step by step

Buyer steps:

Provide the authorized PennDOT agent with a copy of current Pennsylvania driver's license or photo ID (business/non-profit buyers bring acceptable identification requirements) and a copy of the current insurance identification card if registration is to be issued.
For a PA-titled used vehicle: Pennsylvania Certificate of Title used in conjunction with Form MV-4ST, Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration (available only from authorized agents).
For an out-of-state title: out-of-state title used in conjunction with Form MV-1, Application for Certificate of Title (available only from authorized agents); VIN verification is required for out-of-state vehicles.
Check the back of an out-of-state title for the seller's signature and the car's present odometer reading; consult a dealer, tag service, notary or the Bureau of Motor Vehicles about out-of-state transfers.
If the vehicle is a gift, Form MV-13ST Affidavit of Gift must be attached to the title application (completed by all transferees and transferors) for a gift exemption.

Seller steps:

Sign and handprint name on the proof of ownership document; the seller's signature is required to be notarized or verified on the Pennsylvania title (may be required to be notarized on some out-of-state titles).
Provide the authorized PennDOT agent with proper proof of identification; if owned by a business, the person acting must be authorized or provide proof of authorization.
Indicate the mileage of the vehicle in the appropriate spaces on the ownership document.
After the title is transferred, remove the license plate; return it to PennDOT (Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Return Tag Unit, P.O. Box 68597, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8597) unless transferring the plate to another vehicle.

Check the requirements before you go

Run your state through the Title Transfer Requirements Checker: pick your state and see the fee, the deadline, the forms, and the odometer rule as the official pages state them. Then compare how the other states do it in the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Coming from another state

Out-of-state titles are used with Form MV-1, Application for Certificate of Title (authorized agents only). VIN verification is required for out-of-state vehicles. The purchaser should check the back of the out-of-state title for the seller's signature and present odometer reading; the seller's signature may be required to be notarized on some out-of-state titles. Applicants must contact lienholders before completing MV-1 (see lien field).

Renewing is not transferring

If the owner is staying the same and only the registration needs renewing, see Vehicle Registration Renewal in Pennsylvania for deadlines, grace periods, and late fees.

Transferring a title somewhere else

See Transferring a title in Oregon.

See Transferring a title in Tennessee.

For all states side by side, see the Car Title Transfer by State directory.

Source

Facts verified 2026-10-29.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.