Montana title and registration, step by step

Which forms, which fees and which deadlines. For a car bought in the state and for one you bring from another.

In Montana the title is issued by Montana Department of Justice — Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Montana keeps an electronic title record. When you title, you can ask for the paper title right away or keep it electronic only and request it later at no charge (MCA § 61-3-216 and § 61-3-218). Since October 1, 2025, titles no longer need a notary.

Where it happens. At the County Treasurer's office in the county where you live, not at a driver license office. Confirm the deadline and the event that starts it for your transaction: a purchase, receipt of the signed title or a move into the state can have different rules. Late-fee information in the state sources: $10.

Case 1: you bought a car in Montana (private seller)

What the seller hands you

• The title with the transfer section completed: your name and address, sale price, date, odometer reading and the seller's signature (both owners if two names are joined by "and").
• If there was a loan: a lien release from the bank, or the lien already removed from the title.
• A bill of sale with VIN, price and signatures. You need it for the sales tax.

What you bring to the office

• The state forms (below), completed.
• The signed title and the bill of sale.
• Applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents: Minimum liability 25/50/20: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for injuries and $20,000 for property damage (MCA § 61-6-103). The county checks it in the MTIVS verification system when you register.
• Valid photo ID.
• Payment: title, registration, plate and sales tax if not paid yet.

Case 2: you bring a car from another state

• Everything above, plus: Most out-of-state cars do not need a VIN inspection. A Stage I inspection (form MV20, done by local police, a driver license station or the county treasurer) is required if the car's identity is in question, if it has a Canadian registration or a bonded title. A car with an out-of-state or Montana salvage title needs a Stage III inspection (MV208).
• The original out-of-state title (or the bank's letter if it holds it for the loan).
• Tax: Montana has no general sales tax: you pay no tax on the price, at a dealer or in a private sale, and there is no trade-in credit because there is no tax. What you do pay every year when registering: the fee based on the car's age, the county local option tax (up to 0.7% of value) and, if the MSRP is over $150,000, an $825 surcharge.

Forms

• MV1 — Application for Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle
• MV24 — Bill of Sale
• MV7 — Application for Replacement Certificate of Title (if the seller lost the title)
• MV37A — Release of Security Interest or Lien (signed by the lender)
• MV63 — Request for Foreign Title Transfer (when an out-of-state lender holds the title)
• MV90A — Odometer Disclosure Statement
• MV20 — Stage 1 VIN inspection (only if required)

Fees — confirm current amounts (MVD)

Amounts come from the linked state sources and can change. This guide distinguishes source checkpoints from narrow claim reviews; confirm the total for your transaction before you go. A dash means an amount has not been confirmed here.

Sales tax

Montana has no general sales tax: you pay no tax on the price, at a dealer or in a private sale, and there is no trade-in credit because there is no tax. What you do pay every year when registering: the fee based on the car's age, the county local option tax (up to 0.7% of value) and, if the MSRP is over $150,000, an $825 surcharge.

If you sell: protect yourself

Confirm which sale notice, plate return or registration cancellation applies to your situation; keep written proof of the handover. The plates belong to the seller, not the vehicle: the seller removes them before handing over the keys. If left on, the seller can be liable for the buyer's tickets. Montana has no notice of sale: the sale is not on record until the buyer titles, so the seller should keep a copy of both sides of the title and a bill of sale (MV24). The buyer gets a 40-day temporary permit from the county treasurer and then buys new plates. Keep copies of the title, filed notices and handover date to answer later registration, toll or ownership questions.

Mistakes that cost

• Missing the deadline. Check the deadline and consequence for your transaction; filing periods and penalties do not all start from the same event.
• Title with cross-outs or correction fluid. Ask the issuing agency which correction or replacement document it accepts before using it.
• Buying with an "open" title (signed by a previous owner, not the person selling to you). Confirm the ownership chain and the documents the agency requires before paying.
• Showing up without in-state insurance. Confirm the insurance or financial-responsibility documents required for your situation.