How to fill out Pennsylvania MV-6

Turns a certificate of title into a different kind of document. Three blocks at the top choose between an original certificate of salvage, a duplicate of one, and an original nonrepairable certificate - and the last of those is a one-way door: a nonrepairable vehicle may only be used as a source for parts or scrap and can never be issued a certificate of title or a salvage certificate again.

Written against MV-6 (4-25), issued under 75 Pa.C.S. 1161. Choosing the nonrepairable block instead of the salvage block on a car that could have been rebuilt destroys the vehicle's value permanently and cannot be undone. If there is any doubt about which one applies, that is a question for the department before the form is signed, not after.

Two documents, and they are not the same thing. Take the blank MV-6 from the pa.gov copy so you get the revision that is current today.

Every line, in the order you meet it

1. 1
   You fill this in

   The three blocks

   Original certificate of salvage, duplicate certificate of salvage, or original nonrepairable certificate.

   Watch out: Each one names the sections to complete beside it. Nonrepairable is irreversible - it ends the vehicle's life as a vehicle.

2. 2
   You fill this in

   Flood or theft

   Two more ticks under the first row: a total loss due to flood brands the certificate with a W, a total loss due to theft brands it with an N.

   Watch out: Tick the theft box and Section E becomes compulsory unless a police incident report is attached. There is no third option.

3. 3
   You fill this in

   Section A, the applicant

   Name, co-owner, PA driver's licence or photo ID number, dates of birth and address. An insurance company adds its NAIC number.

   Watch out: It has to be the person on the face of the title, or the last assignee on the reverse. Nobody else can apply, however clearly they own the wreck.

4. 4
   You fill this in

   Section B, the vehicle and the mileage

   Title number, VIN, year, make, the owner's name as printed on the attached title, then the odometer reading in a row of boxes with two warning ticks.

   Watch out: The note beside it says to complete the disclosure only where the ownership document does not carry one. Where the title has an odometer block, that is the record.

5. 5
   The vehicle verifier fills this in

   Section C, VIN verification

   The tracing taped in place where an out-of-state title is attached, plus purchase price, weights, the sales tax paid or exemption code, and the verifier's signature and identification number.

   Watch out: Trucks, truck tractors, trailers and motor homes need the weight information verified as well as the number.

6. 6
   You fill this in

   Section E, the police report

   Force, incident number, date, station name, address and telephone, the nature of the incident, the investigator's name and badge number, and a recovery date if the car turned up.

   Watch out: Only needed on a theft brand with no report attached. If the vehicle was recovered before this form went in, the recovery date has to be listed.

7. 7
   You fill this in

   Section F, signatures

   Applicant or authorised person, a co-applicant, telephone number and date.

   Watch out: Read the line above the signatures before you sign: a misstatement of fact here is a misdemeanor of the third degree, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and a year inside. Salvage paperwork is where PennDOT looks hardest.

What gets this one rejected

• •An application from somebody who is not on the title. The applicant must be either the owner whose name appears on the face of the attached certificate of title, or, if the title is assigned, the last assignee named on the reverse.
• •An assignment to an individual that has not been notarised. The form's own note says so, and it is the ordinary Pennsylvania rule appearing again.
• •Applying without the certificate. The certificate of title currently in the name of, or assigned to, the applicant must accompany the application.
• •A theft brand with neither a police report nor Section E. One of the two has to be there.
• •An out-of-state title with no VIN tracing and no verification. Where a tracing cannot be obtained, a certified inspection mechanic or an authorised notary public employed by a full agent or motor vehicle dealer has to verify the number.

Rules that decide whether it is accepted

• •What the letters mean. W for water - a total loss due to flood. N for a total loss due to theft. Both are printed on the certificate that issues, and both follow the vehicle.
• •Nonrepairable is permanent. When a nonrepairable certificate is issued, the vehicle may only be used as a source for parts or scrap and may not be issued a certificate of title or a salvage certificate.
• •The duplicate is free. Where a certificate of salvage has been lost, stolen, defaced or never received, the owner listed on the front of the original may obtain a duplicate, and no fee is required.
• •When a fee applies to an out-of-state car. None where the out-of-state title is assigned to a Pennsylvania dealer or to an individual with a Pennsylvania residence. A title fee is required where that individual then reassigns it to another Pennsylvania resident.
• •The plate still has to come back. Section 1334 requires registration plates to be returned within five days of applying for a certificate of salvage, with a statement of the reason - the salvage route does not exempt a seller from it.

Every line here was read off MV-6 (4-25) 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.