The Registry's own power of attorney, and the only one built for a vehicle transaction. It lets a named person sign the certificate of title or the supporting papers in your place, for one identified vehicle, and it dies on its own: thirty days from signature, or the moment the transaction is processed, whichever comes first.
Written against TTLREG109 (TTLREG109_0823, August 2023), issued under M.G.L. c.90 and c.90D.
Thirty days sounds generous until a title has to be ordered first. A duplicate certificate posted from Boston can easily take longer than the power of attorney lasts, so sign the power of attorney once the certificate is actually in hand rather than at the start of the process.
Two documents, and they are not the same thing. Take the blank TTLREG109 from the mass.gov copy so you get the revision that is current today.
This is the actual TTLREG109, rendered from the PDF the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles publishes and completed end to end: letterhead, every field, and the blocks at the foot.
Amber — you write it
Grey — not yours to fill
Numbered — explained below
Look at the bottom third. Two witnesses, each signing, printing and giving a date of birth - the Registry asks for more identification from the witnesses on this form than most agencies ask for from the parties. Every one of those signatures has to be handwritten.
Field by field
Every line, in the order you meet it
1
You fill this in
Owner 1, and Owner 2 if there is one
First, middle and last name, driving licence number, issuing state, street address, city, state and ZIP.
Watch out: The names have to match the front of the certificate. If the title names two people, the second owner block is not optional.
2
You fill this in
Skip the company block
Company name, federal identification number, address and representative - only for a vehicle owned by a business.
Watch out: Leaving it blank is correct for a personally owned car, and is not the same as leaving a required section out.
3
You fill this in
Name the agent
The full legal name, licence number, issuing state and address of the person who will sign for you.
Watch out: Give them one job. This is a limited power of attorney tied to one vehicle, and the Registry reads it that way.
4
You fill this in
The vehicle
Model year, make, model, vehicle identification number, title number and the state that issued the title.
Watch out: The title number goes in even though the whole reason for the form may be that somebody else is holding the certificate. A title inquiry will give you the number.
5
You fill this in
Sign, and have the agent sign
Owner signatures and dates, then the named agent or attorney-in-fact signs and dates underneath.
Watch out: The thirty days start from your signature, not from the agent's, so do not sign it weeks before anybody can use it.
6
Somebody else fills this in
Two witnesses
Each witness signs, prints their name and gives their date of birth.
Watch out: Use two people who are not part of the transaction. A witness who is also the agent is not a witness.
At a glance
What goes where
On the form
What to put in it
Vehicle Owner(s)
Owner 1 and Owner 2, each with first, middle and last name, driving licence number, the state that issued it, and a full street address.
Company block
For a vehicle owned by a business: company name, federal identification number, address, and a company representative with their own licence number and issuing state.
Limited Power of Attorney Granted to
The agent's full legal name, licence number and issuing state, and their address, plus a line for the name and address of anyone they are acting as agent for.
Vehicle Information
Model year, make, model, vehicle identification number, title number and the state that issued the title. One vehicle only.
Certification and Signature
The printed grant - to sign in my/our stead any certificate of title or other supporting papers covering said motor vehicle, in whatever manner necessary to register and/or transfer ownership - then the owners' signatures and dates, the named agent's signature and date, and two witnesses who sign, print their names and give their dates of birth.
What gets this one rejected
•A section left out. All sections of this limited power of attorney form must be completed in order for it to be valid.
•A typed or stamped signature anywhere on it. All signatures must be handwritten.
•Witnesses who sign but do not print their names or give their dates of birth. The form asks for all three from each of them.
•Using it for anything other than a Registry transaction. The note at the top is that this power of attorney can only be used to perform Massachusetts RMV transactions.
•Presenting one signed more than thirty days ago. It expires on the earlier of thirty days from signature or the transaction being processed.
•Covering two vehicles on one form. There is a single vehicle block and it is not repeated.
Rules that decide whether it is accepted
•A general power of attorney is not a substitute. The Registry publishes this form because it wants its own wording, its own thirty-day limit and its own two witnesses. A solicitor's general power of attorney is a different document with different scope.
•The agent signs it too. There is a line for the named agent or attorney-in-fact underneath the owners'. A power of attorney nobody has accepted is not complete.
•Both owners appoint. Where two people are named on the certificate, both of them have to grant the power. One owner cannot appoint an agent for the other.
•Keep it with the transaction. The Registry treats the completed form as part of the paperwork for the transaction it was used in, which is why it is asked for again when a duplicate title is posted anywhere other than the owner's own address.
Every line here was read off TTLREG109 (TTLREG109_0823, August 2023) itself — the PDF is here — and off the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles pages.
This is plain-language help with a form, not legal advice, and where our wording and the agency's differ,
theirs governs.
