In the state of Pennsylvania, you are required to have specific documentation and payment to complete a vehicle title transfer. In PA, it’s a good idea for the buyer and seller of the vehicle to go to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) and complete the back of the vehicle title.
The buyer of the vehicle is responsible for submitting the vehicle title, an application, their ID, and proof of a valid PA vehicle insurance policy. The buyer will also pay the applicable vehicle title transfer fees, sales tax, and registration fees that pertain to the vehicle.
Be advised you may be required to submit additional documents and payments at the time of the vehicle title transfer.
Smog Certification/Vehicle Inspection
The state of Pennsylvania requires drivers in the state to subject their vehicle(s) to emissions tests and safety inspections, unless the vehicle is exempt, for the initial vehicle registration and the annual registration renewal process in eligible counties.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot) will send you testing notices informing you when these tests must be completed. You have 60 days to complete the emission test before the testing deadline. In PA, private business owners can run inspection locations, giving you multiple testing locations around the state. Be advised, these facilities set their own testing fees.
In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Environmental Quality (DEQ) and PennDOT operate Pennsylvania’s emissions testing program.
Pennsylvania Emissions and Smog Check Requirements
In Pennsylvania, light-duty vehicles that weight less than 9,000 pounds that were made in the 1975 model year or newer are required to pass a smog check if your vehicle is registered in the following counties:
- Allegheny
- Beaver
- Berks
- Blair
- Bucks
- Cambria
- Centre
- Chester
- Cumberland
- Dauphin
- Delaware
- Erie
- Lackawanna
- Lancaster
- Lebanon
- Lehigh
- Luzerne
- Lycoming
- Mercer
- Montgomery
- Northampton
- Philadelphia
- Washington
- Westmoreland
- York
If your vehicle falls in one of the following categories, the vehicle must also pass a safety inspection:
- Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV)
- Cars and trucks that do not exceed a weight limit of 9,000 pounds
- Recreational, utility, and semi-trailers
- Trucks that exceed 9,000 pounds
- Motorcycles
- Constructed and reconstructed vehicles
- Buses (including school busses)
- Street rods
Keep in mind, vehicles with sunscreen accessories are required to be inspected also.
Smog Check Exemptions in Pennsylvania
If your vehicle falls into one of the following categories, you are not required to have it pass a smog check:
- Vehicles that were driven less than 5,000 miles and owned by the current owner for more than one year
- Motorcycles
- New vehicles that were driven less than 5,000 miles
- Vehicles with antique, collectible, or classic vehicle registrations
- Vehicles registered as street rods
Smog Check Fees
Vehicle testing facilities are privately owned, so smog check fees will vary depending on the station.
How to Transfer Your Vehicle Title in Pennsylvania?
Whether you are buying or selling a vehicle in Pennsylvania, you must transfer ownership of the vehicle by transferring the vehicle’s title.
Transferring a Vehicle’s Title As a New Resident of Pennsylvania
As a new resident of Pennsylvania, you are required to complete a vehicle title transfer and register your vehicle within 20 days of establishing residency in the state.
In Pennsylvania, you apply for the vehicle title and registration at the same time at a Penn DOT title office in person. To apply, you need:
- Your current vehicle title
- The Application for Certificate of Title (Form MV-1) This form is available at the PennDOT office.
- Your valid PA driver’s license, ID, or a U.S. Armed Forces Common Access Card
- Proof of a valid PA vehicle insurance policy, such as:
- Your vehicle insurance card
- The declaration page of your vehicle insurance policy
- A copy of your vehicle insurance binder
- A copy of your Pennsylvania Assigned Risk Plan Application
- A tracing of your vehicle identification number (VIN) or VIN verification from a dealership or PennDOT agent
- The Application for Lessee Information (Form MV-1L) completed by your leasing company if your vehicle is leased. (You may also be required to have Power of Attorney documentation from your leasing company)
- Proof of paid sales tax paid to a different state if you purchased your vehicle within the last 6 months
- Payment for all applicable fees
- Vehicle title transfer fee: $58
- Vehicle title transfer with a lien: $86
- Vehicle registration fee
Once you title and register your vehicle, you have 10 days to have your vehicle inspected.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Private Seller
When you are transferring the title of a vehicle purchased from a private seller, the buyer and seller of the vehicle must complete the PA DOT vehicle title transfer process through the PennDOT. The buyer and seller of the vehicle must also go to a PennDOT agent together to successfully complete the PA vehicle title transfer process.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle Purchased From a Dealership
When you purchase a vehicle from a motor vehicle dealer in PA, the dealer usually handles the vehicle title transfer and registration paperwork on your behalf. You need to make sure you have a valid PA vehicle insurance policy because it is required for registration.
Transferring the Title of a Vehicle You’re Selling in Pennsylvania
When you’re selling a vehicle in Pennsylvania, you are required to visit your local PennDOT office with the vehicle’s buyer. You must have a valid form of ID, such as your driver’s license, in case the agent requires proof of identity.
You must also complete the back of the vehicle title by recording the vehicle’s mileage, and print and sign your name in front of the PA DOT agent.
Once you transfer ownership of the vehicle, you need to take your license plates off the vehicle. You can transfer or surrender your license plates. Do not provide your license plates to the vehicle’s buyer.
You also need to provide written acknowledgment from the vehicle’s buyer as proof that you completed the vehicle title transfer and delivered the vehicle.
How to Transfer a Vehicle Title When the Owner is Deceased?
In order to transfer the title of a vehicle when the owner is deceased, as the beneficiary if you want to keep the vehicle, gift it to a family member, or sell the vehicle to someone else, you need to transfer the title of the vehicle.
As a beneficiary, joint-owner, or surviving spouse, you have the legal authority to transfer the vehicle’s title to someone else when the owner passes away.
Transferring a Vehicle Title of a Probated Estate
When the vehicle owner passes away, to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased person, you need to know if the vehicle’s title is in the individual’s name as the descendant or whether it was in joint ownership. If the vehicle title was only in the descendant’s name, the probate process can become a factor.
Probate is a legal process that involves administering the estate of the deceased individual. This legal process occurs when there is no living spouse or beneficiary listed on the will. The probate proves the last will and testament are legitimate, and this process assesses the deceased individual’s assets and property. The probate court determines how you will proceed with the individual’s belongings according to the will.
If the vehicle is part of a probated estate, you must follow these steps to transfer the vehicle title of a deceased individual:
Contact an Attorney or Probate Court
The executor or administrator of the deceased need to contact the Probate Court or an attorney immediately because a vehicle title can’t be transferred until the probate process is completed. Once this process is complete, the heir receives the vehicle, or the executor can choose to sell it if they were given the vehicle.
Gather the Necessary Documents to Transfer the Vehicle Title With a Deceased Owner
The required documents to transfer the vehicle title with a deceased owner varies by state, but in Pennsylvania, you need the following to transfer the vehicle’s title:
- Death certificate
- Order from Probate Court to transfer the vehicle
- Odometer disclosure statement
- Certificate of the vehicle title
- Vehicle title transfer fee
Visit the Title Office
If you are the administrator of the deceased individual’s estate or the beneficiary, you can visit the PA title office with the above-listed documents to begin the vehicle title transfer process.
How to Transfer a Car Title Without Probate
If there is no probate, the process for transferring a vehicle title varies depending on the state in which you reside. In the state of Pennsylvania, the deceased individual’s property can’t exceed a certain amount, and it needs to be a certain amount of time since the person passed away before you can initiate the vehicle title transfer.
If you are the joint-owner, administrator, beneficiary, or spouse, you may only need to take the death certificate and the vehicle’s title to your local PA title office, and they will retitle the vehicle. There is no court order or attorney required.
Transferring the Title of an Inherited Vehicle in Pennsylvania
If you inherit a vehicle, you are required to transfer the vehicle title into your name in person at your local PennDOT title office. The vehicle title transfer requirements differ depending on the inheritance circumstances.
As the joint owner of the vehicle and the surviving spouse, or you have the right of survivorship, you are required to submit:
- The vehicle’s title (do not write anything on the title)
- The original death certificate (the attending doctor or funeral director can complete a section of the form below)
- The Notification of Assignment/Correction of Vehicle Title Upon Death of Owner (Form MV-39) Make sure you include insurance information for registered vehicles
- Payment for the vehicle title transfer fee(s). If the surviving spouse is receiving the vehicle title and was the joint owner, the transfer fee is free. If any other person is receiving the vehicle title, the fee is $58.
If you inherited a vehicle from a probated will, you are required to submit:
- The vehicle title transferred to you by the executor of the estate
- A Short Form Certificate from the Register of Wills
- The Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration (Form MV-4ST) This form is available at PennDOT title agent offices
- Pay the appropriate fees:
- Vehicle title transfer fee: $58 (this fee is free if the title is transferred by a surviving spouse and the spouse was a joint owner)
- Sales tax, if applicable
- $9 plate transfer fee (the vehicle’s plate can only be transferred to a spouse, parents, stepparents, parents-in-law, children, step-children, or children-in-law)
Make sure you have the required documents and all applicable payments to avoid penalties unnecessary and delays.
How to Transfer Ownership of a Vehicle Without a Title in Pennsylvania?
In the state of Pennsylvania, you are required to have a vehicle title to transfer the vehicle title in your name. If you have lost or damaged your vehicle’s title, you must apply for a duplicate PA vehicle title (Form MV-38D).
Can I Gift a Car to a Family Member?
In the state of Pennsylvania, you can gift a vehicle to a family member, as long as you have the proper documentation. If you received a vehicle as a gift, or the vehicle is being transferred from a family member, you must complete a vehicle title transfer at your local PA DOT office. The steps you need to take to transfer the title of a gifted vehicle are similar to the steps you need to follow when you’re buying or selling a vehicle in Pennsylvania.
In the “price” section of the vehicle title, make sure you write “0”. The person receiving the vehicle may be exempt from paying the vehicle sales tax. Like you would with a private vehicle sale, you are required to fill out the transfer of ownership sections on the back of the original vehicle title.
Even though the vehicle is being gifted to a family member, they may still owe tax on the current market value of the vehicle when they are registering the vehicle. You need to make sure to take the signed original vehicle title to the city clerk to have the application for a new vehicle title completed.
Transferring a Vehicle Title When You Have an Out-of-State Title
If you are transferring the title of an out-of-state vehicle in Pennsylvania, you must meet a variety of requirements. The following out-of-state vehicle title transfer paperwork is required to correctly transfer the vehicle title from one state to Pennsylvania:
- The original out-of-state vehicle title
- A completed application for a certificate of ownership
- A completed Pennsylvania vehicle registration application
- Proof of a valid PA vehicle insurance policy
- Proof of identification (ex. A valid driver’s license)
If there is a lien on the vehicle, and the lien holder is in possession of the vehicle’s title, you must fill out an application for the release of the vehicle title, which will be sent to the PA DOT. Be advised, you may be required to submit additional information.
Requesting a Duplicate Vehicle Title in Pennsylvania
If your vehicle title is lost, stolen, or damaged, you must apply for a duplicate vehicle title by mail from the PennDOT. Be advised, you can only apply for a duplicate PA vehicle title if you are the owner of the vehicle and any liens on the vehicle have been paid.
To get a duplicate Pennsylvania vehicle title, you need:
- The Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title by Owner (Form MV-38D)
- The damaged title (if applicable)
- The duplicate vehicle title fee by check or money order paid to “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania” of $58
You need to mail your application to the address provided on the form.
Transferring a Vehicle Title With a Lien
Yay! You paid off your vehicle loan. Once you pay off your vehicle loan, you should receive the vehicle title from the lien holder with the lien marked as paid or with a separate lien satisfaction document.
If you prefer a new vehicle title that doesn’t show the lien, you need to request a duplicate vehicle title (Form MV-38D)
How Much Does a Title Transfer Cost in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) charges the following fees for car title transfers and related transactions:
- Title transfer fees:
- Transfer of ownership: $58.
- Transfer to PA from another state: $58.
- Title transfer resulting from inheritance:
- Free to surviving spouse who was the joint owner.
- $58 for all others.
- Lien recorded with title transfer: $86.
- Title change fees:
- Name change:
- Free for name changes resulting from marriage or divorce AND no new title is requested.
- $58 for names changes for reasons other than marriage or divorce OR a new vehicle title is requested.
- Lien removal: See duplicate title fee below.
- Duplicate title fee: $58.
When you title a vehicle in Pennsylvania, you may also be responsible for making the payment for the:
- PA sales tax.
- Vehicle registration fees
Where Can I Go to Transfer a Vehicle Title in Pennsylvania?
There are different DOT locations in Pennsylvania where you can transfer a vehicle’s title.
Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles
160 Fort Couch Rd
Pittsburgh, PA 15241
(412) 833-5203
Monday-Friday (9 AM to 7 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicle
984 Perry Hwy
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
(412) 367-4343
Monday – Friday (11 AM to 7 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicle
7540 Rte 30
Irwin, PA 15642
(724) 863-7670
Monday – Friday (9 AM to 6 PM)
Saturday and Sunday (Closed)
How to Fill Out the Pennsylvania Title and Title Transfer Forms
In order to ensure you complete the Pennsylvania vehicle title and title transfer forms, you need to make sure you have the required signatures of the vehicle’s seller and vehicle buyer in the designated areas on the vehicle title. You also need to create a bill of sale that provides information about the vehicle, such as its make, year, model, and color. You also need to include the vehicle’s VIN.
If you sold a vehicle instead of gifting it, proper sales tax needs to be added to the vehicle’s total price. In the “transfer of title by seller” section of the vehicle title, provide an accurate odometer reading, and make sure the recipient of the vehicle signs the vehicle’s title in the designated spaces.
Keep in mind that you may be required to provide additional documentation, including a valid Pennsylvania vehicle insurance policy that meets or exceeds the state’s minimum coverage limits. You may also be required to provide a valid government-issued photo ID or a foreign passport for proof of identification.
My Vehicle Title Was Signed But Never Transferred. What Do I Do?
When a vehicle’s title is signed but not transferred, the vehicle has an open title. With an open vehicle title, the vehicle’s seller didn’t transfer ownership of or register the vehicle in their name.
Since the vehicle seller’s name is not on the vehicle title, they do not assume any legal responsibility for anything associated with the vehicle, such as taxes and any other applicable fees.
If the vehicle’s seller has lost the title, they can apply for a duplicate PA vehicle title (MV-38D) and sign it over to you for you to put in your name. Be advised, the person who is listed on the vehicle’s title is responsible for requesting a duplicate vehicle title.