How to fill out Pennsylvania MV-1

The other half of the pair, and the one a Pennsylvania seller meets when the car is not already titled here - an out-of-state certificate, a manufacturer's statement of origin, a repossession or a court order. Like the MV-4ST it is issued to authorized agents only, and unlike the MV-4ST it carries its own notarisation block at the foot of the page.

Written against MV-1 (not published online), issued under 75 Pa.C.S. 1103.1. The department will accept an odometer reading on this form that differs from the one on the proof of ownership - it happens when the title application comes later than the transfer. What gets recorded on PennDOT's system in that case is the reading from the ownership document, not the one on this form.

There is no download link for the MV-1 here because there is not one anywhere - PennDOT does not publish it. The card below explains where it does come from.

Step 1 · how to get one The MV-1 is not downloadable Why, and how to order it · pa.gov · new tab

Filled in

What a completed one looks like

This is the actual MV-1, rendered from the PDF the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation 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

PennDOT's own completed sample of Form MV-1 from the Agent Services Handbook: Section A describing a 2007 Ford with a verified VIN and a notary's printed name, Section B naming Smith and a co-owner Jones with a county code, Section C the mileage block with the discrepancy warning, Section D recording a lien to ABC Bank, Section F the additional vehicle information, Section G the registration application with a temporary plate number and insurance details, Section H the fee column reaching 1,042 dollars, and Section I the notarisation block reading Place Notary Stamp Here. — PennDOT's completed specimen from page 105 of PUB 457, revision 5-25 - the same invented cast the department uses throughout: Smith, Jones, Anytown, Marion Notary, and years written 20XX. Look at the bottom left: an entire block of the form is a notary's stamp, which is the difference between this and the MV-4ST.

Field by field

Every line, in the order you meet it

1
The buyer fills this in
Section A, the vehicle
Make, VIN, body type, model year, weight rating and fuel type, taken off the proof of ownership and checked against the plate on the car.
Watch out: Compare the two numbers character by character. If they disagree, the instruction is to contact the selling dealer or the nearest Pennsylvania State Police station, and the discrepancy has to be resolved before anything is submitted.
2
The buyer fills this in
Section A, the VIN tracing
A pencil rubbing of the VIN plate, taped to the reverse of the white copy, where the vehicle comes from outside Pennsylvania or is a truck, truck-tractor or motor home.
Watch out: If the plate is defaced, altered or missing, the tracing is not the answer - a state replacement VIN plate application and a State Police verification are.
3
The buyer fills this in
Section B, the applicant
The first person to whom ownership was assigned on the proof of ownership. Name as it reads on the Pennsylvania photo credential, ID number, date of birth, address and county code.
Watch out: On an out-of-state car the applicant is the first Pennsylvania resident to whom ownership is assigned - not whoever ends up with the car three assignments later.
4
You fill this in
Section C, mileage
The reading on the odometer, plus a box for mileage that exceeds mechanical limits and a box for a reading that is not the actual mileage.
Watch out: Once written it is fixed. The instruction says the information may not be erased or otherwise altered, and no separate odometer statement is attached - the disclosure on the ownership document carries it.
5
The buyer fills this in
Section D, lien information
If nobody is lending, the if-no-lien box must be checked. Otherwise the lienholder's name and address, whether they are in the electronic programme, and their Financial Institution Number.
Watch out: Where two liens are recorded, the certificate goes to the first lienholder rather than to the buyer - so the buyer should expect not to see it.
6
The buyer fills this in
Section F, what kind of vehicle it is
Seating capacity, cylinder capacity, axles or chassis manufacturer, depending on what is being titled.
Watch out: Skip it entirely for a mobile home - the instruction sheet says so in a note at the top of the section.
7
The buyer fills this in
Section G, registration
New plate, exchange, temporary plate, or a transfer of an existing one, plus insurance details and the agent's dated certification.
Watch out: Temporary registration cannot be issued on this form for a reconstructed, specially constructed or recovered theft vehicle, or where a court order is the proof of ownership. The car stays off the road until the credentials arrive.
8
The buyer fills this in
Section H, tax and fees
Purchase price, trade-in, taxable amount, tax at 6, 7 or 8 per cent, credit for tax properly paid to a reciprocal state, then the fees.
Watch out: A credit needs proof of payment from the state where the tax was paid attached. Without it there is no credit, whatever the buyer says they already paid.
9
You fill this in
Section I, the seal
Signatures in front of the notary, the applicant's telephone number, and the notarisation completed by the authorised agent on the white copy only.
Watch out: This is signed last, after the whole form is complete and the fees are paid. Verification in lieu of notarisation is open only to agents with a dealer identification or business partner number who issue temporary plates.

At a glance

What goes where

On the form	What to put in it
Section A, vehicle description	Make, the complete VIN as shown on the plate the manufacturer attached, body type as a department abbreviation, model year, gross vehicle weight rating, fuel type, and a place for the VIN tracing or the verifier's certification. Two tick boxes ask whether the vehicle was ever a taxi or a police vehicle.
Section B, applicant information	The buyer's full legal name, PA driver's licence or photo ID number, date of birth, dealer or business partner ID if there is one, a co-purchaser, the date acquired, street address, city, state, ZIP and county code, plus the joint-ownership and leased-vehicle ticks.
Section C, mileage information	The reading shown on the odometer, with two boxes for a reading that differs from actual mileage or exceeds mechanical limits. Once listed, the instruction says, this information may not be erased or otherwise altered.
Section D, lien information	An if-no-lien box, then first and second lienholder blocks with an electronic lien and title indicator and a Financial Institution Number.
Section E, vehicle traded	Make, VIN, model year, body type and condition of anything traded in.
Section F, additional vehicle information	Seating capacity for a passenger vehicle, taxi, limousine or bus; cylinder capacity and brake horsepower for a motorcycle; chassis manufacturer for a motor home; axles and weights for a trailer.
Section G, application for registration	The same registration block the MV-4ST carries - new plate, exchange, temporary plate, or a transfer - plus insurance details and the issuing agent's dated certification.
Section H, tax and fees	Purchase price, trade-in, taxable amount, sales tax at 6%, 7% or 8%, any credit for tax paid in a reciprocal state, then the title, lien, registration, county and transfer fees.
Section I, seal and application for title	Where the MV-4ST simply has a certification, this has a notary block. The application must be signed in the presence of a notary public, or of an employee of a dealership authorized to verify signatures, and the stamp goes on the white copy.

What gets this one rejected

•Using it for a car already titled in Pennsylvania. That is the MV-4ST's job, and the two are not interchangeable.
•A reassignment to a second applicant. The instruction is flat: this form does not allow a reassignment of ownership to a second applicant.
•Signing before you reach the notary. Section I is signed in the presence of the notary or of a dealership employee authorised to verify.
•Two owners with only one of them present. Where there are two owners for assignment, both have to be present for signature and notarization or verification of signature.
•A missing VIN tracing where one is required - a vehicle bought from a non-resident, one brought in from another state, or any initial application for a truck, truck-tractor or motor home.
•Signing Section I before the fees are worked out. It must be signed after the form is completed in its entirety, including payment for all fees due.

Rules that decide whether it is accepted

•The tracing is done with a pencil. PennDOT describes it literally: tracing paper against the VIN plate, pressure with a lead pencil, stroking left to right across the whole surface to reproduce what is embossed on the plate.
•When the plate is missing. A certified inspection mechanic, or a notary public employed by a dealership, manufacturer or full agent, may inspect and visually verify the VIN instead. A photograph of the plate is acceptable if a certified inspection mechanic signs and dates it.
•Out of state, out of options. If the vehicle is physically outside Pennsylvania the VIN must be verified by a police officer, a mechanic employed by a motor vehicle dealer, or an armed forces provost marshal or motor officer.
•Repossessions split two ways. Judgment and execution, non-judicial sale under the Uniform Commercial Code, and court orders run through this form with a repossession application attached. Everything else runs on the financial institution's own form and never touches this one.

Every line here was read off MV-1 (not published online) itself — the PDF is here — and off the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation pages. This is plain-language help with a form, not legal advice, and where our wording and the agency's differ, theirs governs.

Back to all Pennsylvania seller paperwork, or what selling a car in Pennsylvania involves.

How to fill out Pennsylvania MV-1

What a completed one looks like

Every line, in the order you meet it

Section A, the vehicle

Section A, the VIN tracing

Section B, the applicant

Section C, mileage

Section D, lien information

Section F, what kind of vehicle it is

Section G, registration

Section H, tax and fees

Section I, the seal

What goes where

What gets this one rejected

Rules that decide whether it is accepted

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