You can apply for an original, duplicate or replacement title in any County in the State of Ohio. A photo ID or current Ohio Driver's License is required.
Never make any alterations or erasures on a Certificate of Title: if this done, the Title becomes null and void and a replacement title will have to be obtained. Do not fill in any p
art of the assignment or application on the reverse side of the Title unless it is done in the presence of a Notary Public or other duly authorized officer with power to administer oaths. All signatures must be notarized.
If two names are to appear on the Title, both signatures are required for all transactions in the State of Ohio. It is required that a photo ID or Ohio License be presented to the Title Department at time of transfer.
Your Certificate of Title must be procured within 30 days after the assignment or you will be subject to the late fee of $5.00 which must be paid at the time the title is issued.
Always make a physical inspection of any automobile you buy, checking the serial number to see if it corresponds with serial number on your Certificate of Title. A Federal Odometer Statement is required for vehicles less that 10 years old.
Do not execute the assignment of the reverse side of the Certificate of Title until a bonafide sale has been made. Make certain that the buyer’s full name and address is inserted before you sign the title. Initials are not acceptable. Use full legal name, no “nicknames”. This must be notarized. The seller must provide a Federal Odometer Statement if the title does not show Federal Odometer information.
You cannot transfer ownership of an automobile with the Memorandum Certificate of Title (white copy). It is issued only for the purpose of obtaining License Plates when the original title is held by the lienholder.
If the original title is lost, stolen or destroyed, you may obtain a Duplicate Certificate of Title. If, after issuance of the Duplicate, the original if recovered, the Original must be returned to The Auto Title Department for cancellation. You must apply for the Duplicate Title in the County where it was originally issued. If the title was titled in joint names, both parties are required to be present to sign the application. Photo ID is required.
If you apply for a loan using your car as collateral, always insist upon getting a Memorandum Certificate of Title with which you can obtain license plates.
Upon satisfaction of your loan, you should receive the original Certificate of Title from the bank or finance company, properly stamped “paid” and the lien cancelled by the Clerk of Courts.
Upon satisfaction of your electronic lien, the Title Department can issue a replacement title for your vehicle. You will need to sign an Application(s) for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle (form BMV 3774) and pay the title fees of $16.00. If the title was titled in joint names, both parties are required to be present to sign the application. Photo ID is required.
A Replacement Title can also be requested by mail by sending the signed and notarized Application(s) for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle (form 3774) and a Money Order or Cashier's Check in the amount of $15.00.
A Certificate of Title is not required on any utility trailer weighing less than 4,000 pounds. To obtain license plates you must get a weight card from a license bureau and have the trailer weighed.
Commercial trailers or semi-trailers weighing in excess of 4,000 pounds must have a Certificate of Title. To sell, transfer or file a lien on such trailers the Certificate of Title must be presented.
To convert a van to a motor home or after installation of a camping unit on your pick-up truck you must record this “body change” with your Clerk of Courts. Both original titles for the truck camper & pick up truck must be presented for this change.
The owner of a manufactured home is required to obtain a Certificate of Title. All manufactured home titles must have a Tax Approval Stamp from the County Treasurer’s Office where the manufactured home is located before transfer. They are transferred in the same manner as motor vehicles. The title is issued in the County of residence of the owner.
Manufactured homes sold after January 1, 2000, also need a conveyance stamp from the Auditor's Office placed on the Title before transfer. Sales tax is not collected on units sold after January 1, 2000. After January 1, 2000, a $5.00 Archival fee is also charged.
When you dismantle, destroy or change the character of your car so that it no longer is a complete car, you must surrender your Certificate of Title to the Clerk of Courts for cancellation.
When you sell your car to a salvage dealer, you must surrender your Certificate of Title to that dealer with the assignment completely executed.
To convert a Salvage Title to a Regular Title, a HP 106 inspection must be made by the State Highway Patrol. A fee of $50.00 is charged. The HP-105 application for the inspection may be obtained at the State Highway Patrol.
Any vehicle transfer from out of state to an Ohio Title must be physically inspected by an authorized new car dealer in Ohio or an Ohio Deputy Registrar. The customer pays $5.00 inspection fee to the Inspector and $1.50 fee at the Auto Title Department when the Ohio Title is issued.
This title law is effective as of July 1, 1999. Acceptable evidence for the issuance of titles for Off Highway motorcycles and All Purpose Vehicles are one of the following:
Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin or Importer’s Certificate of Origin.
Another jurisdiction’s Certificate of Title in applicant’s name, or assigned to Ohio resident.
A current or expired registration issued by Ohio or any other jurisdiction.
A notarized bill of sale.
A current insurance policy or declaration page that described the vehicle by VIN, Year, Make and Model and issued to the applicant in this or another state.
A warranty order in applicant name that described the vehicle by VIN, Year, Make, Model.
A security agreement that lists the owner, lender, VIN, Year and Make.
An Out of State Inspection is required unless evidence is a newly assigned manufacturer Statement of Origin. Contact the Title Department for additional Titling requirements for the above.
No person can sign for you without a Notarized Power of Attorney. This Power of Attorney is attached to our files and becomes a part thereof. The forms are available at the Title Department. Trustees and Executors cannot complete title transactions by Power of Attorney.
Security Agreements are no longer required when processing titles with lien. The Lienholder information MUST APPEAR on the Application.
Self-assembled vehicles are assembled at a personal (non-manufacturing) level, that have no title and have been assembled together with various parts or through fabrication. To convert a salvage Title or self-assembled vehicle to regular Title, an inspection must be made by the State Highway Patrol. You must purchase a salvage package from the BMV. A fee of $53.00 is charged. Receipts for repairs and replacement parts are required. The application for the inspection may be obtained at the State Highway Patrol Station.