Pennsylvania car title transfer

At a glance

Seller's signature

Yes. The seller's signature on a Pennsylvania title is notarized or verified by an authorized agent.

Buyer's signature

Yes. Buyer and seller meet at a notary, tag service or dealer, and both sign in front of the authorized agent.

Odometer

The seller writes the mileage in the spaces on the title.

Buyer's deadline

The buyer applies for a new title within 20 days of the assignment (75 Pa.C.S. §1111(b)).

Plates

After the transfer the seller removes the plate; it is never given to the buyer.

Agency

PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services

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. The seller's signature on a Pennsylvania title is notarized or verified by an authorized agent. 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 writes the mileage in the spaces on the title.
4. Deal with the plates. After the transfer the seller removes the plate; it is never given to the buyer.
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. The seller's signature on a Pennsylvania title is notarized or verified by an authorized agent. Buyer: Yes. Buyer and seller meet at a notary, tag service or dealer, and both sign in front of the authorized agent.
3. Check the mileage entry. The seller writes the mileage in the spaces on the title.
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 applies for a new title within 20 days of the assignment (75 Pa.C.S. §1111(b)).
6. Plates and fees. After the transfer the seller removes the plate; it is never given to the buyer.

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

"The seller's signature is required to be notarized or verified on the Pennsylvania title."

Buyer

"The buyer and seller should meet at a notary, tag service, or motor vehicle dealer."

Deadline

"within 20 days of the assignment or reassignment of the certificate of title"

Plates

"After the title is transferred, the seller must remove the license plate from the vehicle."

Worth knowing

A used vehicle must pass the yearly safety inspection within 10 days of sale, and the buyer contacts an insurer within 14 days of buying.

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

Official sources

• PennDOT: Buying or Selling a Vehicle (checked November 2026)
• PennDOT fact sheet: Buying or Selling Your Vehicle in Pennsylvania (Oct. 2023) (checked November 2026)
• 75 Pa.C.S. §1111: Transfer of ownership of vehicle (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

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