Montana car title transfer

At a glance

Seller's signature

Yes. Every owner signs the title in front of a notary public.

Odometer

The seller completes the mileage disclosure; the brochure says this applies to vehicles newer than nine years.

Buyer's deadline

The buyer has 40 days from the sale date to transfer ownership.

Plates

Plates belong to the seller, who takes them off before handing over the vehicle.

Agency

Montana Motor Vehicle Division (Department of Justice)

Finding a notary: a local notary near the buyer and seller is the simplest route, since everyone usually signs at once. MCC Solutions meets people in person only in New Jersey; for other paperwork in the sale we also offer remote online notarization, where the receiving office accepts it.

If you're selling

1. Find the title and clear any lien. Have the original title in hand. If a lender is listed, get the lien release or the lender's sign-off before the sale; the buyer can't title the car over an open lien.
2. Sign the title over. Yes. Every owner signs the title in front of a notary public. Don't sign until the buyer is ready, and write in the buyer's name and the sale date exactly.
3. Write down the mileage. The seller completes the mileage disclosure; the brochure says this applies to vehicles newer than nine years.
4. Deal with the plates. Plates belong to the seller, who takes them off before handing over the vehicle.
5. Cancel insurance and keep copies. Once the car is gone and the plates are off, call your insurer. Keep a photo of the signed title, the bill of sale and any sale report.

If you're buying

1. Check the title against the car and the seller. The VIN on the title should match the car, and the seller's ID should match the owner's name on the title. Ask about any lien listed on it.
2. Watch the title get signed. Seller: Yes. Every owner signs the title in front of a notary public. Buyer: the pages we read don't say whether your signature needs a notary.
3. Check the mileage entry. The seller completes the mileage disclosure; the brochure says this applies to vehicles newer than nine years.
4. Insure the car before you drive it. Most states require insurance to register. Arrange it before driving away.
5. Title it in your name in time. The buyer has 40 days from the sale date to transfer ownership.
6. Plates and fees. Plates belong to the seller, who takes them off before handing over the vehicle.

Sold on the first of a month? See the due date for a December 1, 2026 sale.

Your own checklist, marked step by step: seller · buyer.

In the agency's words

Seller

"All owners must sign the title in front of a notary public."

Deadline

"As the buyer, you have 40 days from the sale date to transfer vehicle ownership to you."

Plates

"The plates belong to you, not the vehicle."

Worth knowing

The brochure is dated September 2014 and the federal odometer rule has changed since; check the current form for which model years need a disclosure.

Not stated on the pages we read: the buyer's notary rule, a bill of sale rule, the title fee.

Official sources

• Montana DOJ: Buying and Selling a Vehicle in Montana (brochure, Sept. 2014) (checked November 2026)

General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Checked November 2026 against the official pages listed above. Forms, fees and deadlines change, a county office can add its own steps, and gifts, estates, liens and out-of-state titles follow other rules; the agency or an attorney can tell you how a rule applies to your sale. MCC Solutions is not affiliated with any motor vehicle agency.

Common questions

All states: car title notarization by state · Missouri · Nevada