How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Montana?

40 calendar days from the date the interest in the vehicle was transferred to the buyer (the sale date). MCA 61-3-220 provides that if the transferee fails to comply within the 40-day grace period, "a late penalty of $10 must be imposed against the transferee." MVD repeats this on its Tips for Selling page: "A late fee of $10 will be charged if you wait longer than 40 days."

How much does a title transfer cost in Montana?

The base title fee is $10.30–$12.36. $12.36 for light vehicles, trucks and buses weighing one ton or less; $10.30 for all other vehicles. Both figures already include the 3% administration fee imposed by MCA 61-3-111. They exclude the registration rate ($217, $87 or $28 by vehicle age), the county option tax, license plate fees, the $8.24 security-interest filing fee and the $10 late penalty. Montana has no sales or use tax on the purchase. There is no sales or use tax to pay when you buy a vehicle in Montana — the Department of Revenue states that "Montana does not have a general-use sales tax." What you do pay at the county treasurer's counter is the registration rate and, in most counties, a county option tax calculated from the vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price depreciated by age.

Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Montana?

Sometimes required. Montana titles no longer need to be notarised. MVD states that "HB165 has removed the notarization requirement for individuals as of October 2, 2025. Notarization will no longer be required on a Montana title by individuals or businesses," and the July 2026 Title Manual repeats "Notarization is not required in Montana." A notary is still needed on a handful of specific documents.

Transferring a vehicle title in Montana

Issued by Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Vehicle Services Bureau — working through the county treasurers' motor vehicle offices. Choose your situation below — the buyer’s and seller’s obligations are listed separately, and every answer links to the official source.

Title fee: $10.30–$12.36varies — details under fees
Deadline: 40 daysfrom the date the interest in the vehicle was transferred to the buyer (the sale date)
Documents: 3incl. MV1
Where: Countytax office, in person

The seller signs the assignment section of the Montana title, writes the buyer's name and address on it, completes the odometer disclosure if the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer, and takes the license plates off before handing over the keys. The buyer then has 40 days from the sale date to apply for the title and register the vehicle at the county treasurer's office in their own county of residence; miss that and MCA 61-3-220 imposes a $10 late penalty. Since HB165 took effect on 2 October 2025 no signature on a Montana title needs to be notarised.

10 things this answer does not settle

Two current MVD publications give different odometer thresholds. The Tips for Buying page and the Buying & Selling Vehicles in Montana quick-reference guide both say mileage must be disclosed on "any vehicle newer than nine years", while the Tips for Selling page, the July 2026 Title Manual and form MV90A all say model year 2011 or newer, with model years before 2011 exempt. This record follows the model-year-2011 rule because it matches the form, the manual and the federal Truth in Mileage Act.
The July 2026 Title Manual contradicts itself on notarisation. Its Montana Title Transfers section states "Notarization is not required in Montana", and the MVD FAQ says HB165 removed the requirement for individuals and businesses as of 2 October 2025 — but the same manual's Estates section still instructs that a remaining owner signing off a title as seller must "have their signature notarized", and Montana Title Transfers point A.7 still requires a separate notary acknowledgement for each seller signature made after the first. Ring MVD on 406-444-3661 before assuming an estate or multi-owner transfer needs no notary.
MVD gives two different lengths for the temporary registration permit issued when the plates you want are not in stock: the FAQ and the Tips for Buying page both say 40 days, while the License Plate Information page says 90 days.
County option tax is set county by county under MCA 61-3-503 and MVD publishes no table of the rates. The total payable at a county treasurer's counter therefore cannot be quoted from published material — use MVD's vehicle fee estimator or telephone the county.
Montana title applications are taken by county treasurers rather than by MVD itself, and MVD tells applicants to telephone first because not every county will process every transaction type — form MV10 says outright to "call ahead to make sure the county is willing to complete the transaction".
No official Montana page we could find states either that a vehicle emissions test is required or that Montana has no emissions programme. Every emissions requirement in this record is therefore recorded as unpublished rather than as "not required", even though no emissions certificate appears anywhere in MVD's published list of titling and registration documents.
mvdmt.gov and dojmt.gov sit behind a bot-challenge layer. Their pages were read in a browser for this record and their content is quoted accurately, but an automated re-fetch of those URLs may be refused; the PDF forms and the Title Manual on the same domain fetch normally.
MVD's own pages disagree about the age at which the odometer disclosure stops being required. The Tips for Buying page and the Buying & Selling quick-reference guide both say "any vehicle newer than nine years", while the Tips for Selling page, the July 2026 Title Manual and form MV90A all say model year 2011 or newer. We follow the 2011 rule because it matches the form and the federal Truth in Mileage Act.
County option tax rates are set county by county and MVD publishes no table of them, so the total at the counter cannot be quoted here — use MVD's vehicle fee estimator or telephone your county treasurer.
MVD gives two different lengths for the temporary registration permit issued when your chosen plates are not in stock: 40 days on the FAQ and Tips for Buying pages, 90 days on the License Plate Information page.

Do this first

Before you pay, compare the VIN on the title with the VIN on the vehicle — MVD says they must match — and read the front of the title for the section headed "This vehicle/vessel is subject to the following security interest". If a lender is named there, do not complete the purchase until the seller hands you a Release of Security Interest or Lien (MV37A) or the lender's release on its own letterhead.
Check that the seller has written your name and address in the buyer's section of the title and has signed the seller's assignment — every owner shown on the face of the title must sign individually, in blue or black ink. White-out, erasures or scratched-out entries void the title and the seller will have to get a replacement.

Your checklist

Before you pay, compare the VIN on the title with the VIN on the vehicle — MVD says they must match — and read the front of the title for the section headed "This vehicle/vessel is subject to the following security interest". If a lender is named there, do not complete the purchase until the seller hands you a Release of Security Interest or Lien (MV37A) or the lender's release on its own letterhead.MV37AOfficial page
Check that the seller has written your name and address in the buyer's section of the title and has signed the seller's assignment — every owner shown on the face of the title must sign individually, in blue or black ink. White-out, erasures or scratched-out entries void the title and the seller will have to get a replacement.Official page
Complete and sign the purchaser's application section on the back of the Montana title, showing your name and Montana residential address. If the seller left your details blank, or the application section cannot be used, file a Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle Application (MV1) instead — MVD says the MV1 may be used in lieu of section D of the Montana title.MV1Official page
Take the signed title and your driver license to the county treasurer's motor vehicle office in the county where you live, within 40 days of the sale date, and apply for the Montana title and registration together. Telephone the office first — MVD advises confirming they have the paperwork and asking whether an appointment is required or encouraged.Official page
Pay the title fee at the counter — $12.36 for a light vehicle, truck or bus of one ton or less, $10.30 for anything else, both including the 3% administration fee — plus the registration rate for the vehicle's age and your county's option tax. There is no sales or use tax to pay: Montana does not have a general sales tax.Official page
Choose and pay for your own license plates in the same transaction — the seller's plates leave with the seller. If the plate design you want is not on hand, buy a temporary registration permit from the county treasurer so you can legally drive; MVD says it is the purchaser's responsibility to obtain one.Official page
Arrange liability insurance meeting Montana's $25,000/$50,000/$20,000 minimums before you drive. You will not be asked for an insurance card at the title counter — MVD and the county treasurers check the Montana Insurance Verification System electronically — but you must carry proof in the vehicle.Official page
Keep a photocopy of both sides of the reassigned title, or the Bill of Sale (MV24), as your record of the purchase until the new Montana title arrives in the post.MV24Official page

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The seller's checklist

Sign the assignment section of the Montana title where the word "Seller" appears. Each owner named on the face of the title signs individually — MVD will not accept "John and Mary Smith" as one signature; it must be "John Smith" and "Mary Smith". Use blue or black ink only and do not use white-out.Official page
Write the buyer's name and address on the title. MVD states this is required by Montana law, and that it is the seller's responsibility to complete the buyer's information on the certificate of title.Official page
Complete the odometer certification in the assignment section of the title if the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer — the reading with no tenths, ticking the "exceeds mechanical limits" or "not the actual mileage" box only if it applies. If the title is not a conforming title, use the separate Odometer Disclosure Statement (MV90A) instead.Applies when: The vehicle is model year 2011 or newer.MV90AOfficial page
Take your license plates off the vehicle before you hand over the keys. MVD warns that if you leave them on you may be liable for parking or traffic violations that happen after the sale. Ask your county treasurer to transfer the plates to another vehicle you own if you want to keep them in use.Official page
If a security interest is printed on the face of the title, give the buyer the lender's Release of Security Interest or Lien (MV37A), or a release on the lender's letterhead showing the year, make and VIN and signed with the agent's official capacity. MVD is explicit: if the title shows a lien, "you MUST provide the purchaser with a lien release".Applies when: A security interest or lien is shown on the face of the Montana title.MV37AOfficial page
Keep a photocopy of both sides of the reassigned title, or complete a Bill of Sale (MV24), recording the buyer's name, address and driver license number, the year, make and VIN, the purchase price and the date of sale. MVD warns that a private sale is not reported to the state until the buyer titles the vehicle, so without proof of sale you can be chased for the buyer's parking tickets and fines.MV24Official page
Cancel the vehicle's insurance policy once the sale is done, and ignore any annual registration renewal notice that still arrives. You do not have to notify the county treasurer's motor vehicle office that you sold the vehicle — Montana publishes no seller notice-of-transfer form.Official page

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Both of you, together

MVD's own recommendation is that buyer and seller go to the county treasurer's office together with the title: the seller signs off as owner in front of the clerk, the buyer then completes the application, pays the fees and gets a new set of plates, and the seller takes their own plates off there and then.Official page
Complete the odometer disclosure together on the same document: the seller certifies the reading and signs as transferor, and the buyer signs as transferee to acknowledge it. On a separate Odometer Disclosure Statement (MV90A) both signatures are on the form; on a conforming Montana title both are in the assignment section.Applies when: The vehicle is model year 2011 or newer.MV90AOfficial page

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Documents and official forms

The Montana certificate of title, with the seller's assignment signed by every owner named on its face and the buyer's name and address enteredA bill of sale cannot be used to transfer ownership of a Montana title — the Title Manual states that all registered owners must sign off on the title itself.
MV1The completed purchaser's application section on the back of the title, or a Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle Application (MV1)Must show the buyer's Montana residential address and their driver license, FEIN, Tribal ID or Corporate ID number. Only one applicant signature is required where the title is to be issued in more than one name.
The buyer's valid identification and driver license number with its issuing jurisdictionMVD's FAQ tells buyers they will need "the vehicle's title, valid identification, and pay any associated title and registration fees".

Also required in some cases

The vehicle is model year 2011 or newer and the title being surrendered is not a conforming title, or the transfer is recorded on a Bill of Sale.

MV90AOdometer Disclosure Statement (MV90A)

A security interest or lien is shown on the face of the title and has not already been released on the electronic record.

MV37ARelease of Security Interest or Lien (MV37A), or the lender's release on its own letterhead

The parties want a written record of the sale, or the Montana title cannot be surrendered and the sale runs through the Electronic Record Transfer process.

MV24Bill of Sale (MV24)

An entry on the title has to be explained or corrected, a name appears in more than one form, or the seller is relinquishing a personalised or classic plate to the buyer.

MV100Statement of Fact (MV100)

Someone other than an owner will sign the title or the application for them.

MV65Power of Attorney (MV65)

Deadlines

Deadline40 calendar days from the date the interest in the vehicle was transferred to the buyer (the sale date) — Buyer: Apply for the Montana title and register the vehicle within 40 days of the sale dateA $10 late penalty is imposed against the transferee under MCA 61-3-220. If you have financed the vehicle and still have not applied after 40 days, your lender may pay the title and lien fees and force a title to be issued in your name — the Title Manual notes that the secured party is not subject to the $10 penalty.

Fees and taxes

Charge	Amount	Paid by
Base title fee	$10.30–$12.36$12.36 for light vehicles, trucks and buses weighing one ton or less; $10.30 for all other vehicles. Both figures already include the 3% administration fee imposed by MCA 61-3-111. They exclude the registration rate ($217, $87 or $28 by vehicle age), the county option tax, license plate fees, the $8.24 security-interest filing fee and the $10 late penalty. Montana has no sales or use tax on the purchase.	Buyer
Montana certificate of title fee	$10.30–$12.36$12.36 for light vehicles, trucks and buses weighing one ton or less; $10.30 for all other vehicles. Both include the 3% administration fee of MCA 61-3-111 and exclude registration, plates and the county option tax.	Buyer
Light vehicle registration rate	From $28Varies by the age of the vehicle, worked out by subtracting the model year from the calendar year: $217 if 4 years old or less, $87 if 5 through 10 years old, $28 if 11 years or more, each plus a 3% administrative fee.MVD offers a vehicle fee estimator at MVD Online Services. A light vehicle 10 years old or newer with a manufacturer's suggested retail price over $150,000 pays an extra $825 under MCA 61-3-321(2)(b).Official calculator	Buyer
County option tax	VariesVaries by your county, the manufacturer's suggested retail price when the vehicle was new, and the vehicle's age — the price is depreciated by a published multiplier that starts at 100% and falls to 9% for a 16-year-old automobile.Authorised by MCA 61-3-503. Counties choose whether to impose it and at what rate, and MVD does not publish a per-county table, so use the fee estimator or ask your county treasurer.Official calculator	Buyer
New standard license plate issue fee	$12.36The new-issue fee for a set of standard plates. A replacement plate with a new number is also $12.36; a duplicate of the same number and type is $15.45. Personalised plates cost an extra $25, then $10 for each transfer or renewal. Sponsored and specialty plates carry their own donation fees.	Buyer
Sales or use tax on the purchase	$0Zero because Montana levies no such tax at all: the Department of Revenue states that "Montana does not have a general-use sales tax." This is a genuine no-charge, not a figure we failed to find. The county option tax collected at registration is a separate, annual property-style tax.	Buyer
Late penalty for applying after 40 days	$10Imposed against the transferee under MCA 61-3-220 when the 40-day grace period is missed. It does not replace any of the other fees.	Buyer

There is no sales or use tax to pay when you buy a vehicle in Montana — the Department of Revenue states that "Montana does not have a general-use sales tax." What you do pay at the county treasurer's counter is the registration rate and, in most counties, a county option tax calculated from the vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price depreciated by age.

Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer

Inspection: Sometimes required
The identity of the vehicle is in question — a Stage I VIN inspection on form MV20 is then required
No title can be surrendered and a break/bond application is being made
The vehicle carries a Montana salvage certificate, which triggers a Stage III inspection
Montana has no periodic safety inspection and does not inspect a vehicle just because it comes from another state. The only inspection MVD publishes is a VIN inspection, needed when the vehicle's identity is in question, when a Canadian registration or a break/bond application is submitted, or when a salvage certificate is involved.
Emissions: Not publishedNo Montana emissions test appears anywhere in the MVD's published titling and registration requirements — not on the Vehicle Title Information page, not in the July 2026 Title Manual's out-of-state transfer procedures, and not among the documents any county treasurer is told to collect. We found no official Montana page that either imposes a test or publishes an exemption, so we record it as unpublished rather than assert a negative.
Notarization: Sometimes required
Nothing on an ordinary Montana title transfer needs a notary — HB165 removed the requirement for individuals and businesses as of 2 October 2025
A Bill of Sale (MV24) does need the seller's signature notarised where the Montana title cannot be surrendered and the sale runs through the Electronic Record Transfer process
A Power of Attorney (MV65) needs the principal's signature notarised
A seller who cannot sign the title in person and uses remote online notarisation must complete the Remote Online Notarization Transfer form (MV24T) instead — remote online notarisation may not be used on the title itself
A signature made by mark (a thumbprint or an X) must always be notarised
Montana titles no longer need to be notarised. MVD states that "HB165 has removed the notarization requirement for individuals as of October 2, 2025. Notarization will no longer be required on a Montana title by individuals or businesses," and the July 2026 Title Manual repeats "Notarization is not required in Montana." A notary is still needed on a handful of specific documents.
Odometer disclosure: Required, unless you are exempt
Model year 2010 or older — exempt
Gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds — exempt
Not self-propelled — exempt
Off-highway vehicles and snowmobiles — exempt
The seller must disclose the mileage when ownership of a vehicle of model year 2011 or newer is transferred. On a conforming Montana title the odometer certification is completed in the assignment section; if the title is not conforming, a separate Odometer Disclosure Statement (MV90A) must be submitted.

What happens to the plates

Montana license plates belong to the person, not the vehicle. MVD tells the seller to take the plates off before handing over the keys, and the buyer must buy new plates when they title and register at their county treasurer's office. Two plates must be displayed, front and rear.

The seller keeps the plates
The buyer gets new plates
The seller may move the plates to a replacement vehicle

"The plates belong to you, not the vehicle. Don't let the buyer drive the vehicle home with the promise that they will return the plates. If you do not remove the plates, you may be liable for any parking or traffic violations that happen after the sale." A seller may instead ask the county treasurer to transfer the plates to another vehicle they own. On a classic car or personalised plate a seller who wants the buyer to have the plate must complete a Statement of Fact (MV100) relinquishing all rights to it — MVD warns that paying the registration fees alone will not transfer the plate. Montana law requires new plates to be issued every five years; the new-issue fee is $12.36, a replacement plate with a new number is $12.36 and a duplicate of the same number is $15.45. Personalised plates cost $25 plus $10 for each transfer or renewal. If the plate design you want is not on hand the county treasurer issues a temporary registration permit.

How to submit

In person at a county office
In person at an authorized third-party office

MVD states it plainly: "A motor vehicle cannot be titled in Montana without also being registered—the two processes occur simultaneously." You do both in one visit to the county treasurer's office in your county of residence, and you choose and pay for your license plates in the same transaction.

Official state links

Source: Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Vehicle Services Bureau — working through the county treasurers' motor vehicle offices. Checked July 31, 2026. Report a correction

Common questions about Montana

How long do I have to transfer a vehicle title in Montana?: 40 calendar days from the date the interest in the vehicle was transferred to the buyer (the sale date). MCA 61-3-220 provides that if the transferee fails to comply within the 40-day grace period, "a late penalty of $10 must be imposed against the transferee." MVD repeats this on its Tips for Selling page: "A late fee of $10 will be charged if you wait longer than 40 days."
How much does a title transfer cost in Montana?: The base title fee is $10.30–$12.36. $12.36 for light vehicles, trucks and buses weighing one ton or less; $10.30 for all other vehicles. Both figures already include the 3% administration fee imposed by MCA 61-3-111. They exclude the registration rate ($217, $87 or $28 by vehicle age), the county option tax, license plate fees, the $8.24 security-interest filing fee and the $10 late penalty. Montana has no sales or use tax on the purchase. There is no sales or use tax to pay when you buy a vehicle in Montana — the Department of Revenue states that "Montana does not have a general-use sales tax." What you do pay at the county treasurer's counter is the registration rate and, in most counties, a county option tax calculated from the vehicle's manufacturer's suggested retail price depreciated by age.
Does a vehicle title transfer need to be notarized in Montana?: Sometimes required. Montana titles no longer need to be notarised. MVD states that "HB165 has removed the notarization requirement for individuals as of October 2, 2025. Notarization will no longer be required on a Montana title by individuals or businesses," and the July 2026 Title Manual repeats "Notarization is not required in Montana." A notary is still needed on a handful of specific documents.
What happens to the license plates in Montana?: Montana license plates belong to the person, not the vehicle. MVD tells the seller to take the plates off before handing over the keys, and the buyer must buy new plates when they title and register at their county treasurer's office. Two plates must be displayed, front and rear.

About this page

Everything here is a summary of procedures published by official state title authorities, with a link to the source for each answer.

Unusual ownership, probate, lien, salvage, court-order or identity situations commonly require steps beyond those listed here.

We do not file anything with any agency, and we cannot submit, expedite, or check the status of a transfer. Ticking a box on this site records your own progress in your browser and nothing more.

38 official sources · last checked July 31, 2026 · How this was compiled · Report a correction