Michigan: Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements

Requirements one by one

The seller signs the title; the buyer transfers it within 15 days

Michigan runs vehicle titles through the Secretary of State. Under MCL 257.233(8),
the owner must "indorse on the certificate of title as required by the secretary
of state" and "deliver or cause the certificate to be mailed or delivered to the
purchaser or transferee at the time of the delivery" of the vehicle. The
Secretary of State adds the practical rule that every owner named on the title
must sign, and that crossing out a name "invalidates the title."

The buyer's job is to transfer the title. Under MCL 257.234, the buyer presents
the assigned certificate of title to the Secretary of State, and the transfer
must be made within 15 days of the sale. Michigan lets a qualifying
individual-to-individual sale be completed online, but the deadline is the same.

No notary, and no bill of sale

Michigan does not notarize its titles. The Secretary of State's transfer
requirements are the signed title, the odometer entry, lien termination if there
was a loan, proof of Michigan No-Fault insurance, and a Michigan ID — no notary,
witness, or agent verification. There is also no bill-of-sale requirement; the
assigned title is the transfer instrument, and any bill of sale a party keeps is
just evidence. It may, however, serve as the seller's separate sale record if it
contains every item required by § 257.240.

Odometer disclosure comes before delivery

Under MCL 257.233a(1), the seller "shall present to the transferee before
delivery of the vehicle, written disclosure of odometer mileage" — on the title
or a signed statement (the BDVR-108 Odometer Mileage Statement) — with the
reading and the date of transfer. Older vehicles are exempt: a model-year-2010-
or-earlier vehicle transferred 10 or more years after its model year needs no
disclosure, with a rolling 20-year rule for 2011-and-later vehicles
(§ 257.233a(5)). Odometer fraud is a felony.

Tax and fees at the Secretary of State

The buyer pays a $15 title transfer fee, a $10-$15 plate transfer, and 6% use tax
collected at the transfer. Michigan No-Fault insurance is required to register
the vehicle.

Seller protection requires an office visit or an 18-month record

Michigan has no separate private-seller report-of-sale filing. Instead,
§ 257.240 gives the seller two routes: accompany the buyer to a Secretary of
State office to assure the transfer, or keep a qualifying record for at least
18 months. A front-and-back copy of the reassigned title qualifies. Another
document qualifies only if it includes the buyer's name, address,
driver-license number, and signature plus the sale price and date.

That record does not transfer title. It protects the seller if the buyer does
not file. Skipping both routes brings a $15 civil fine and a presumption that
the seller remains the last titled owner for abandoned-vehicle towing and
storage charges. Separately, § 257.239 makes failure to properly endorse and
deliver the title a civil infraction punishable by up to $100.

What trips people up

• The plate stays with the seller. Under § 257.233(1) the plates are removed
  on transfer and either moved to a family member who receives the vehicle or
  kept by the owner to put on another vehicle. They do not go with the car to an
  unrelated buyer, who must register for or transfer their own plate. The buyer
  may drive without a plate for three days only directly to the first place of
  storage, carrying the assigned title and proof of insurance.
• Fifteen days, or the car is "without registration." Section 257.234(3) says
  that unless the transfer is made and the fee paid within 15 days, the vehicle
  "is considered to be without registration," and a valid registration can be had
  afterward "only upon payment of a transfer fee of $15.00" — the $15 late fee.
• No inspection — but insurance is non-negotiable. Michigan has no periodic
  safety or emissions inspection, so there is no test to pass. But you cannot
  register or drive without Michigan No-Fault insurance.
• Don't alter the title. Crossing out a name or making changes invalidates
  the Michigan title, which then cannot be transferred as-is.
• A 21-day proposal is not current law. Pending HB 5356 would extend the
  deadline to 21 days but raise the late fee to $50. Until enacted, the current
  15-day/$15 rule controls.

Common questions

Does Michigan require the title to be notarized?
No. The Secretary of State's transfer requirements call for signatures, the
odometer entry, lien termination, and No-Fault insurance — not notarization.

How long does the buyer have to transfer the title?
15 days from the sale (§ 257.234). After that the vehicle is treated as
unregistered and a $15 late transfer fee applies.

Does the buyer get the seller's license plate?
No. Plates belong to the owner. The seller keeps the plate; the buyer registers
for a new plate or transfers one they already own.

Is a safety or emissions inspection required?
No. Michigan has no periodic state vehicle inspection. Insurance and a valid
title and plate are what you need to drive.

Statutes and sources

• MCL 257.233 — plate disposition on transfer and the owner's duty to indorse
  and deliver the certificate of title.
  https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-233 (accessed 2026-07-23)
• MCL 257.233a — written odometer mileage disclosure on transfer, the age
  exemptions, and the felony for odometer fraud.
  https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-233a (accessed 2026-07-23)
• MCL 257.234 — the buyer's presentation of the assigned title, the 15-day
  transfer limit and $15 late fee.
  https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-234 (accessed 2026-07-23)
• MCL 257.239-.240 — the title-delivery civil infraction and the seller's
  office-visit-or-18-month-record liability rule.
  https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-239 and
  https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-240 (accessed
  2026-07-23)
• Michigan Secretary of State — Title transfer and vehicle registration —
  office document requirements, fees, the $15 late fee, and the No-Fault
  insurance requirement.
  https://www.michigan.gov/sos/all-services/title-transfer-and-vehicle-registration (accessed 2026-07-23)
• Michigan Secretary of State — Buying, selling, or leasing — reviewing and
  signing the title, all-owner signatures, and what is needed to operate the
  vehicle.
  https://www.michigan.gov/sos/vehicle/ownership (accessed 2026-07-23)
• Michigan Secretary of State — Titles FAQ — seller proof retention,
  immediate plate removal, and three-day direct-to-storage operation.
  https://www.michigan.gov/sos/faqs/vehicles/titles (accessed 2026-07-23)