How to fill out the 48-0902 in Arizona
A field-by-field walkthrough of the Arizona 48-0902 (Repossession Affidavit) for licensed used car dealers — what goes in every section, who signs what, and the documents you attach. Verified against the official form as of October 2026.
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Filling out the AZ 48-0902 after a sale:
- What it is
- ADOT's one-page Repossession Affidavit: the lienholder's certification, a bill of sale to the next buyer, and an odometer statement
- Who completes it
- The lienholder signs the certification and the bill of sale as seller. The buyer signs the odometer acknowledgment
- Where to file it
- Arizona MVD, with the title transaction for the vehicle. The form itself prints no filing address or instructions
- Processing time
- None of its own. It travels with the title transaction
- Cost
- The form lists no fee of its own
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Arizona instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with the Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division before you file.
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What the 48-0902 is and why it matters
Form 48-0902 is ADOT's Repossession Affidavit. ADOT describes its purpose in one line: "For a lienholder to certify that a vehicle has been legally repossessed." If you sold the car on a buy-here-pay-here note, your dealership is the lienholder, so this is your form when you take a car back.
It does more than most states' repo forms. The same page carries a bill of sale to the next buyer and a federal odometer statement. This guide walks through each box. It covers the paperwork after the car is back on your lot, not when or how you may repossess.
The current revision is 48-0902 R05/25. When people search for an "Arizona affidavit of repossession," this is the ADOT form. It's one page with three parts: the lienholder's certification at the top, a bill of sale in the middle, and an odometer statement at the bottom.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the 48-0902. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the the Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division bounces a title application back.
- The completed 48-0902, all three parts — Certification, bill of sale, and odometer statement. The form says sequential bills of sale will not be accepted.
- The title application for the vehicle — Form 96-0236. See the 96-0236 guide for how the rest of the Arizona title packet goes together.
48-0902, section by section
Vehicle and owner: VIN, year, make, owner, repossession date, title state
The top box identifies the vehicle and who it was repossessed from. Copy the VIN, year, and make from the title. "Registered Owner Names (printed)" is the person or people on the title you repossessed from: your BHPH buyer and any co-buyer. "Repossession Date" is the day the vehicle came back into your possession. "Title State" is the state that issued the current title.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Vehicle Identification Number All 17 characters, from the title. | You (dealer) |
Year, Make | You (dealer) |
Registered Owner Names (printed) The owners you repossessed from. | You (dealer) |
Repossession Date | You (dealer) |
Title State | You (dealer) |
The lienholder's certification
Read the paragraph before you sign it. The lienholder certifies that it is "the legal owner and a lienholder of record" for the vehicle, that the vehicle "is physically located in Arizona," and that it repossessed the vehicle "upon default pursuant to the terms of the lien and all applicable laws and regulations." It also agrees the State of Arizona won't be held liable for relying on the affidavit. Then fill the three boxes under it. Lienholder Company Name is your dealership's legal name, as it's recorded as lienholder. Lienholder Agent Name is the person signing for the dealership. The form has no notary block.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lienholder Company Name Your dealership, as recorded on the title. | You (dealer) |
Lienholder Agent Name The person who signs. | You (dealer) |
Lienholder Signature | You (dealer) |
Bill of sale to the next buyer
The middle of the page is a bill of sale: "I hereby sell to the Buyer, the vehicle described above." Fill in the buyer's name, street address, city, state, and ZIP, and the sale date. If the buyer is financing, put the new lienholder's name and the lien date. If not, the form says to write NONE. This is the sale of the repossessed car, so the buyer here is whoever is buying it from you, not the person you repossessed from. At the bottom of the page the form says "Sequential Bills Of Sale Will Not Be Accepted."
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Buyer Name The person buying the repossessed vehicle. | You (dealer) |
Street Address, City, State, Zip | You (dealer) |
Sale Date | You (dealer) |
Name of New Lienholder (if no lien, write NONE) | You (dealer) |
Lien Date Date of the new lien, if there is one. | You (dealer) |
Odometer statement
The form reminds you that "Federal and State law require that the seller states the mileage in connection with the transfer of ownership." Enter the odometer reading with no tenths and check miles or kilometers. Check "Mileage in excess of the odometer mechanical limits" or "NOT Actual Mileage, WARNING – ODOMETER DISCREPANCY" only if one applies. Leaving both unchecked certifies the reading is the actual mileage to the best of your knowledge. Read the odometer when the car is back on your lot, not from the original deal: the mileage has changed since you sold it.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Odometer Reading (no tenths), miles / kilometers | You (dealer) |
Mileage in excess of mechanical limits / NOT Actual Mileage boxes Only if one applies. | You (dealer) |
Seller and buyer signatures
The seller block takes the seller's printed name, signature, date, and street address, city, state, and ZIP. On a repo sale the seller is the lienholder selling the car, so that's your dealership's signer and address. The last line is the buyer's acknowledgment: "I am aware of the above odometer certification made by the seller." The buyer prints their name, signs, and dates it.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Seller Name (printed), Seller Signature, Date | You (dealer) |
Seller Street Address, City, State, Zip | You (dealer) |
Buyer Name (printed), Buyer Signature, Date | Buyer |
Common 48-0902 mistakes that cause rejections
The original buyer goes in Registered Owner Names at the top. The bill of sale is for whoever buys the car from you after the repossession.
The bill of sale is part of this form. Fill it in here. The form says sequential bills of sale will not be accepted.
The form says to write NONE if there's no lien.
Read the odometer after the car is back. The odometer statement is for this transfer.
It certifies you're a lienholder of record, the vehicle is physically in Arizona, and the repossession followed the lien terms and the law. Make sure each of those is true first.
Common questions
What is the Arizona affidavit of repossession?+
It's ADOT Form 48-0902, the Repossession Affidavit. ADOT lists its purpose as "For a lienholder to certify that a vehicle has been legally repossessed." It's one page: the lienholder's certification, a bill of sale to the next buyer, and an odometer statement. The current revision is R05/25.
Does the 48-0902 have to be notarized?+
The R05/25 form has no notary block. The lienholder's agent signs the certification, and the seller and buyer sign the bill of sale and odometer sections.
Who signs the Arizona repossession affidavit?+
The lienholder signs the certification, with the company name and the agent's printed name. The seller (the lienholder selling the car) signs the odometer statement, and the buyer signs the acknowledgment that they're aware of the seller's odometer certification.
Can I use a separate bill of sale with the 48-0902?+
The form has its own bill of sale built in, and it says "Sequential Bills Of Sale Will Not Be Accepted." Fill in the bill of sale on the form itself.
What does the lienholder certify on the 48-0902?+
That it is the legal owner and a lienholder of record for the vehicle, that the vehicle is physically located in Arizona, that it repossessed the vehicle upon default under the terms of the lien and all applicable laws and regulations, and that the State of Arizona won't be held liable for relying on the affidavit.
Where do I get the current 48-0902?+
From ADOT's MVD forms library at azdot.gov. Check the revision in the top-left corner: the current one reads 48-0902 R05/25.
Is there software that fills out the 48-0902 automatically?+
Not this one. The Arizona 48-0902 is published as an encrypted PDF that DealerVLO's form upload can't open, so it's completed by hand and signed in ink. Dealer management software like DealerVLO handles the paperwork around it from the deal you already entered: the official Arizona 96-0236 title application, the Bill of Sale, the FTC Buyers Guide, and the odometer disclosure, so the 48-0902 is the only page left to write. It's $29/month flat with a 14-day free trial.
- Affidavit of repossession forms by state
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- How to fill out Arizona Form 96-0236
- Arizona used car dealer license
- Arizona dealer plates
- E-signatures and e-titling for Arizona dealers
- Arizona lien release (48-9901)
- Title application forms in every state
- How much is a dealer's license? Cost in every state
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