What Do I Need for a Mississippi Title Transfer?
When you want to transfer a vehicle title in Mississippi, you need certain documentation, and you need to follow different steps. You will need to complete an Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 78-015), and pay the $9 vehicle title transfer fee in addition to all applicable vehicle registration fees and/or taxes. If you are the vehicle’s seller, you are required to sign the vehicle title over to the buyer. Check out this Mississippi vehicle title transfer guide for the required steps to transfer your vehicle’s title.
Smog Certification/Vehicle Inspection
In the state of Mississippi, there is currently no vehicle emissions testing or smog check requirements. However, in the Magnolia State, vehicles that are registered in this state are required to pass a safety inspection if they have tinted windows.
Many auto repair centers and gas stations are certified to perform vehicle safety inspections. For more information regarding vehicle safety inspections in Mississippi, contact the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (PDS) at (601) 987-1243 or (601) 987-1252.
How to Transfer Your Vehicle Title in Mississippi?
There are specific steps you need to follow when you are transferring a vehicle title in Mississippi, whether you are buying or selling a vehicle.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title After Buying or Selling a Vehicle in Mississippi
When you purchase or sell a vehicle in Mississippi, you must complete an MS DOR vehicle title transfer with the Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR).
The DOR requires titles for the following vehicles:
- Manufactured homes
- Trailers that exceed 5,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW)
The following vehicles can have a title, but it’s not required:
- Vehicles manufactured before 1969
- All-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
For more information about MS DOR vehicle title transfers for special vehicles, including scooters, manufactured homes, and boats, visit the MS DOR website here.
Transferring a Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Dealership
After you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, the dealer submits the vehicle title and registration application for you. Once this paperwork is completed, you need to take the yellow copy of the application to your local MS tax collector’s office when you register your vehicle.
Transferring a Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Private Party
When you buy or sell a vehicle in a private-party sale, you must work with the other party involved in the vehicle sale to complete the vehicle title transfer process.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title When Selling a Vehicle
As the seller of a vehicle, you are required to provide the vehicle’s buyer with the following documentation:
- The completed vehicle title assigned to the buyer (if you don’t have the vehicle’s title, you must request a duplicate vehicle title (Form 78-006) before you can complete the MS vehicle title transfer.
- A bill of sale (only required if there is no space to record the sale’s price on the vehicle title
- An Affidavit or Relationship if the vehicle buyer is a relative. This form is available at any county tax collector location in Mississippi
Make sure you remove the plates from the vehicle once the vehicle title transfer is complete, and you have delivered the vehicle to its buyer.
NOTE: It’s a good idea to keep a copy of both the front and back of the vehicle title for your records once the vehicle title has been assigned.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title When Buying a Vehicle
When you purchase a vehicle from a private party, you need to apply for an MS vehicle title transfer by taking the following steps:
- Receive a correctly assigned vehicle title from the vehicle seller
- Complete an Application for Mississippi Title and License (Form 78-002). This form can be obtained from your local MS tax collector’s office.
- Visit your local MS DOR office
- Pay the appropriate vehicle title transfer and registration fees, as well as all applicable taxes
NOTE: If you never received the vehicle title or the seller can’t obtain the vehicle’s title, please contact the MS Title Bureau at (601) 923-7640.
How to Transfer a Car Title When the Owner is Deceased?
When the owner of a vehicle passes away, and you’re beneficiary of the vehicle and plan on keeping the vehicle, you need to transfer the vehicle’s title. As the beneficiary, you can keep the vehicle, gift it to a family member or sell it.
As long as you are the beneficiary, joint-owner, or surviving spouse, you have the legal authority to transfer the vehicle title to someone else after the owner passes away. The key to transferring a vehicle title in this situation is determining the probate status.
Whether the vehicle is in the individual’s name as a descendant or joint ownership will be one of the determining factors in transferring a vehicle’s title when the vehicle’s owner is deceased. If the vehicle’s title was solely in the descendant’s name, you need to determine if the estate is being probated.
Probate occurs if there is no beneficiary or living spouse listed on the will. This process proves the last will and testament are legitimate. Probate is a legal process that administers the estate of a deceased individual. Probate Court will determine how to proceed with the deceased individual’s belongings.
When a vehicle is part of a probated estate, you need to follow these steps to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased individual:
Contact an Attorney and Probate Court
The administrator or executor of the deceased needs to contact Probate Court or an attorney to receive further instructions on how to navigate the probate process. The title of a vehicle can’t be transferred until the probate process is complete. When the probate process is complete, the heir receives the vehicle. If the executor was given the vehicle, they can choose to sell the vehicle.
Gather the Necessary Documents
Make sure you have all the following documentation to successfully transfer a vehicle’s title in this situation. The following documents are ones you need to obtain:
- Certificate of title
- Odometer disclosure statement
- Death certificate
- Order from Probate Court to transfer the vehicle
- Transfer fee
Visit the Title Office
If you are the administrator of the deceased person’s estate or the beneficiary of the vehicle, you can visit your local MS title office with the above-listed documentation to initiate the vehicle title transfer process.
How to Transfer a Car Title Without Probate
In order to successfully transfer a vehicle title without probate, in Mississippi, the deceased person’s property can’t exceed a certain amount, and a certain amount of time needs to have passed since the person passed away before the vehicle title transfer process can begin.
As the spouse, joint-owner, or beneficiary, you may be only be required to present a death certificate and the vehicle’s title to your local MS title office and have the title retitled. Court orders and attorneys are not required for this scenario.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title After Inheriting a Vehicle
When you inherit a vehicle in MS, you are required to complete a DOR vehicle title transfer in person at your local MS county tax collector’s office. In order to successfully transfer a title of an inherited vehicle, you need to provide:
- The current vehicle title (you are required to obtain the surviving spouse’s signature if the vehicle owner’s names are separated by the words OR, AND/OR, or AND.
- A completed Application for Mississippi Title and License (Form 78-002) This form is available at your local MS county tax collector’s office.
- A court-endorsed copy of the descendant’s will (required if the vehicle title shows joint ownership with the words AND or AND/OR
- A letter of administration or testamentary to name the new owner (required if the will was not probated)
- An Affidavit When Owner Dies Without a Will (Form 78-014) Required if the current vehicle owner didn’t have a will
- Payment for the MS vehicle title transfer fee, and other applicable fees or taxes (You can receive your vehicle title faster if needed by applying for a fast track vehicle title)
Transferring a Title After a Lease Buyout
Congratulations! You paid off your vehicle loan. When you pay off your vehicle loan, the lien holder will send you the complete vehicle title and a lien release letter.
You can apply for a new MS vehicle title by submitting the following documents:
- A completed Application for Replacement Certificate of Title (Form 78-006)
- The correctly signed vehicle title indicating your lien holder is no longer the official vehicle owners
- A lien release letter
- Payment for the $9 MS vehicle title fee
You can present the above-items in person at your county tax collector’s office, or mail these documents and payment to:
Mississippi Department of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Licensing Bureau
P.O. Box 1383
Jackson, MS 39215
When all the submitted paperwork checks out, you will receive your new vehicle title and officially own your vehicle.
How to Transfer Ownership of a Vehicle Without a Title in Mississippi?
In the state of Mississippi, it is illegal to transfer vehicle ownership without a vehicle title. If you’re purchasing a vehicle without its title, the vehicle seller is required to obtain a duplicate vehicle title (Form 78-006), so ownership can be transferred.
Can I Gift a Car to a Family Member?
Yes, you can gift a vehicle to a family member in Mississippi. In order to complete a vehicle title transfer when receiving a vehicle as a gift, you need to follow the same steps you would if you were transferring the title of a vehicle that was purchased from a private party. In the vehicle price section of the vehicle title, write gift or put the price as $0.
In addition to these steps, you need to complete and submit an Affidavit of Relationship form, which is available at your local MS DOR office, if you are related to the individual gifting you the vehicle.
Transferring a Vehicle Title When You Have an Out-of-State Title
When you are transferring an out-of-state vehicle title in Mississippi, there are different steps you need to make sure you take and a variety of forms you need to complete and submit.
When you are transferring the title of a vehicle you purchased out of state, you need to provide:
- The vehicle’s out-of-state title (you can provide the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin if the vehicle was not titled in a different state). If you didn’t receive the vehicle’s title from the seller, you can contact the Title Bureau at (601) 923-7200.
- The current valid registration receipt (For more information regarding registration receipts or other registration, contact the MS Highway Patrol at (601) 987-1212.
- A completed Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 78-015)
- Payment for all applicable vehicle title transfer and registration fees
You must submit the above-listed documentation to your local Mississippi DOR office in person. You will also have to register your vehicle at the DOR office. The DOR will mail your vehicle title within 4 weeks of receiving your vehicle title application.
You are required to register and title your out-of-state vehicle within 30 days of establishing residency in Mississippi.
NOTE: If your vehicle has tinted windows, you are required to have your vehicle inspected before you can register it and successfully complete the vehicle title transfer. You can contact the MS Highway Patrol at (601) 987-1212 to find the closest inspection to you.
Requesting a Duplicate Vehicle Title in Mississippi
There are different situations when you need to apply for a duplicate MS vehicle title. You are required by the Mississippi Department of Revenue to replace your vehicle’s title if the original title is:
- Destroyed
- Damaged
- Illegible
- Stolen
- Mutilated
If you never receive your original vehicle title from the MS DOR or lien holder, you must require a duplicate vehicle title.
Applying for a Duplicate Mississippi Vehicle Title
If you need to replace your original vehicle title, you can apply for a duplicate MS vehicle title by mail or in person.
Whether you want to apply for your vehicle title in person or by mail, you must complete an Application for Replacement Certificate of Title (Form 78-006) and include a payment of $9 for the duplicate vehicle title fee. If you are requesting a duplicate vehicle title by mail, mail the required document and payment to:
Department of Revenue
Title Bureau
P.O. Box 1383
Jackson, MS 39201
Keep in mind, you can also drop off your duplicate vehicle title application and payment at any MS tax collector’s office.
Once the vehicle title is received, the DOR will take no longer than 4 weeks to process your title request.
NOTE: If the name on the title application differs from the name on the vehicle title, or will mailed to someone other than the vehicle owner, you are required to have a copy of a power of attorney form.
Obtaining a Fast Track Vehicle Title
If you can’t wait for your vehicle title to arrive, you can use the Fast Track program. The MS DOR will process your vehicle title within 72 hours. To apply for a Mississippi fast track vehicle title, you need to:
- Complete a Fast Track Application for Replacement Certificate of Title (Form 78-026)
- Write a check for $9 to cover the duplicate vehicle title fee, plus the fast track fee of $30
You need to mail these items to:
Mississippi Fast Track Title Program
P.O. Box 22845
Jackson, MS 39225
Make sure you fill out the form completely to avoid delays with receiving your duplicate vehicle title.
How Much Does a Title Transfer Cost in Mississippi?
In Mississippi, you are responsible for paying the vehicle title transfer fees that are associated with your situation.
You may be required to pay any of the following MS vehicle title transfer fees depending on your situation:
- New Mississippi vehicle title: $9
- Manufactured home title: $9
- Duplicate MS vehicle title: $9
- Fast track service: $30 (in addition to the titling fee)
Be advised that some MS DOR locations may charge a fee of $1 for services. Also, in addition to these fees, you may be required to pay vehicle registration fees.
Where Can I Go to Transfer a Vehicle Title in Mississippi?
The good news is, Mississippi has multiple DOR locations that allow you to transfer the title of a vehicle.
Department of Motor Vehicles
1301 Cypress Ave
Greenwood, MS 38930
(662) 453-4515
Monday-Friday (8 AM to 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Department of Motor Vehicles
102 Park St
Walnut Grove, MS 39189
Monday-Friday (8 AM to 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Department of Motor Vehicles
1230 Fairground Rd
Grenada, MS 38901
(662) 226-2341
Monday-Friday (8 AM to 5 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
How to Fill Out the Mississippi Title and Title Transfer Forms
In order for an MS vehicle title transfer to be valid, you need to make sure you fill out the required forms correctly and submit all necessary payments. You may also need to create a bill of sale that discloses information about the vehicle, such as its color, year, model, and make. A VIN for your vehicle may also be required.
If you decided to sell a vehicle instead of gifting it, you are required to add sales tax to the vehicle total price. In the “transfer of title by seller” section of the vehicle title, you need to provide an accurate odometer reading. The person receiving the vehicle needs to sign the vehicle title in the provided spaces.
Additional documents may be required at the time you initiate the MS vehicle title transfer process, such as a valid MS vehicle insurance policy that meets or exceeds the minimum coverage limits set by the state of Mississippi. You may also need to provide a valid government-issued photo ID, but if you don’t have one, a foreign passport will suffice as an acceptable proof of identification.
My Car Title Was Signed But Never Transferred. What Do I Do?
A vehicle’s title can be signed, but never transferred. If you find yourself in this situation, this means the vehicle’s seller neglected to transfer ownership of the vehicle and register the vehicle in their name.
A vehicle that has a title that is not transferred is known as an open title, which means the seller of the vehicle is not liable for anything that pertains to the vehicle, such as paying applicable taxes and fees.
If the vehicle’s seller loses the vehicle’s title, the title will be temporarily open, but they can easily request a duplicate MS vehicle title (Form 78-006). The seller or individual who is listed on the vehicle’s title can request a replacement vehicle title, then sign it. Once the vehicle’s title is signed by the vehicle’s seller, make sure you sign the title in the designated spaces on the title, then you can title the vehicle in your name.