How to fill out the BMV 3771 in Ohio
A field-by-field walkthrough of the Ohio BMV 3771 (Power of Attorney) 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 OH BMV 3771 after a sale:
- What it is
- The Ohio BMV's power of attorney to assign or apply for a certificate of title on one vehicle
- Who completes it
- The owner signs; you fill your dealership as attorney-in-fact and the vehicle
- Where to file it
- Presented to the county clerk of courts title office with the title paperwork; the clerk keeps it
- Processing time
- None of its own. Title applications are due within 30 days of assignment
- Cost
- No fee for the form
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Ohio instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles before you file.
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DealerVLO fills the official Ohio BMV 3771 straight from your deal: your dealership as attorney-in-fact with its address, the vehicle's year, make, model, and VIN, and the buyer's printed name, plus a second page for the trade-in when there is one. The replica question, the date, the last four of the SSN, and the notary block stay blank. $29/month, free to try — cancel any time.
What the BMV 3771 is and why it matters
The BMV 3771 is the Ohio vehicle power of attorney form. The owner appoints an attorney-in-fact "to make and execute the assignment of or application for my Certificate of Title" for one vehicle. On a dealer deal it does two jobs. Your buyer appoints your dealership to apply for their title. And on a trade-in, the customer appoints you to assign the trade's title, for example once the lender releases it.
Ohio law sets the limits. R.C. 4505.071 lets a licensed dealer, or its employee or agent, be the attorney-in-fact, but only for assigning a title or completing a title application, and both exclude the federal odometer statement. The same section exempts that power of attorney from notarization. The odometer is where most dealers trip. This guide walks the form in order and covers what it can't do.
The current revision is BMV 3771 12/25, from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The BMV's titles page calls it the Power of Attorney for Certificate of Title. It's one page: the attorney-in-fact, the vehicle, a replica question, the execution date and the owner's signature, then a notary acknowledgement with a note that a licensed dealer who owns or buys the vehicle doesn't need it notarized. Don't confuse it with the BMV 3772 Application for Dealer Assignment, which carries its own power of attorney and mileage attestation for a vehicle with an Ohio electronic title.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the BMV 3771. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles bounces a title application back.
- The title application (BMV 3774) and the assigned title — The power of attorney lets you sign for the owner. See the BMV 3774 guide for the application.
- An original BMV 3771 — For electronic-title transfers, the BMV's titles page says the original power of attorney (BMV 3771) is required.
- The owner's odometer disclosure, separately — R.C. 4505.071 excludes the federal odometer statement from a dealer's power of attorney. The owner still discloses mileage on the title or the BMV 3724.
- Your title office's answer on a lender-held trade title — A power of attorney for mileage disclosure is allowed federally only when the title is held by a lienholder or lost, on a secure form issued by the state (49 CFR 580.13 and 580.4). The BMV 3771 isn't that form.
BMV 3771, section by section
Who is appointed: the attorney-in-fact
The form opens "the undersigned does hereby make, constitute and appoint," then the attorney-in-fact's name (last name with suffix, first name, MI) and street address, city, state, and ZIP. When your dealership is appointed, put the dealership's legal name across the name row and the dealership's address below it. R.C. 4505.071 allows the appointment of a licensed dealer involved in the transfer, or its employee or agent.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Attorney-in-fact name Your dealership's legal name. | You (dealer) |
Street address, city, state, ZIP Your dealership's address. | You (dealer) |
The vehicle: year, make, model, VIN
The power covers one vehicle: year, make, model, and VIN. On a sale, that's the car you sold, so you can apply for the buyer's title. On a trade-in, it's the trade, so you can assign it. Use a separate BMV 3771 for each. Copy the VIN from the title. R.C. 4505.071 requires a dealer's power of attorney to state the make, body type, model, and VIN.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Year, make, model | You (dealer) |
VIN All 17 characters, copied from the title. | You (dealer) |
Replica motor vehicle question
"Is this a Replica Motor Vehicle? Yes / No." If yes, the form asks for the year, make, and model it replicates. For an ordinary used car the answer is No. The owner answers it before signing.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Replica motor vehicle: yes or no | Buyer |
If yes: year, make, model replicated | Buyer |
Execution date, printed name, SSN, signature
The grant gives the attorney-in-fact full authority with power of substitution and revocation. Then "In Witness whereof" with the day, month, and year it's signed, the printed name of the person giving the power, the last four digits of their Social Security number, and their signature. With a co-owner, each owner who isn't signing the title papers themselves signs their own power of attorney.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Day, month, year | Buyer |
Printed name of person giving power of attorney | You (dealer) |
Last 4 digits of SSN | Buyer |
Signature | Buyer |
The notary acknowledgement, and when a dealer can skip it
The form has a notary block (day, month, county, state, seal, commission expiration). Below it, the form notes that a licensed Ohio dealer who is the owner or purchaser of the vehicle isn't required to have it notarized under R.C. 4505.063. That section says when a licensed dealer is party to the transfer, powers of attorney and the other title documents the dealer gives the clerk need no notarization, and they may be signed electronically. R.C. 4505.071(B) separately exempts a power of attorney granted to a dealer from notarization. The clerk can still ask for a notarized affidavit to correct a document. The BMV's titles page says dual ownership requires both parties to be present unless a notarized power of attorney is provided.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Notary acknowledgement Not required when a licensed dealer is party to the transfer (R.C. 4505.063). | At the counter |
What the BMV 3771 can't do: the odometer
R.C. 4505.071 limits a dealer's power of attorney to assigning a title or applying for one, each excluding the odometer statement or acknowledgment federal law requires. So the owner still makes the mileage disclosure. On a trade-in where the customer has the title, they disclose on the title. When the trade's title is with the lender or lost, federal rule 49 CFR 580.13 is the only path for a power of attorney on the mileage, and 580.4 requires that form to be state-issued and securely printed. Ask your clerk of courts title office which form it accepts. Federal odometer disclosure covers model year 2011 and newer vehicles until they're 20 years old. For a vehicle with an Ohio electronic title, the BMV 3772 combines the dealer assignment, a power of attorney, and the mileage attestation in one form.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Odometer disclosure by the owner On the title or the BMV 3724. Not on the BMV 3771. | Buyer |
Mileage power of attorney on a lender-held or lost title Secure, state-issued form (49 CFR 580.13). Dealers keep a copy 5 years (580.8). | You (dealer) |
Common BMV 3771 mistakes that cause rejections
R.C. 4505.071 excludes the federal odometer statement from a dealer's power of attorney. Get the owner's disclosure on the title or the BMV 3724.
The form covers one vehicle. Use one for the car you sold and another for the trade-in.
When a licensed dealer is party to the transfer, R.C. 4505.063 drops the notary requirement on powers of attorney. The form's own note says the same.
The BMV's titles page says the original BMV 3771 is required for electronic-title transfers.
Have the owner answer the replica question and write the last four of their SSN before they sign.
Common questions
What is the Ohio BMV 3771 form?+
The BMV 3771 is the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles' Power of Attorney. A vehicle owner appoints an attorney-in-fact to assign or apply for the certificate of title on one vehicle. The current revision is BMV 3771 12/25.
Does an Ohio vehicle power of attorney need to be notarized?+
The form has a notary block, but not always. Under R.C. 4505.063, when a licensed dealer is party to the transfer, a power of attorney given to the clerk needs no notarization, and the form's note says the same for a licensed dealer that owns or buys the vehicle. R.C. 4505.071 also exempts a power of attorney granted to a dealer. The BMV says dual ownership needs both parties present unless a notarized power of attorney is provided.
Can a dealer use the BMV 3771 to sign the odometer disclosure?+
No. R.C. 4505.071 limits a dealer's power of attorney to assigning a title or completing a title application, and both exclude the odometer statement federal law requires. The owner makes the disclosure. When a title is held by a lender or lost, federal rule 49 CFR 580.13 governs a mileage power of attorney, on a secure state-issued form.
Who can be the attorney-in-fact on an Ohio title?+
Anyone the owner appoints on the form. For dealers, R.C. 4505.071 specifically lets a licensed dealer involved in the transfer, or its employee or agent, be the attorney-in-fact for assigning the title or applying for it.
What's the difference between the BMV 3771 and the BMV 3772?+
The BMV 3771 is the standalone power of attorney for a title assignment or application. The BMV 3772, Application for Dealer Assignment, is for a vehicle with an Ohio electronic title going to or from a dealer. It combines a power of attorney to transfer ownership, the mileage attestation, and the title application in one form.
What happens to the BMV 3771 after I file it?+
Under R.C. 4505.071(B), a dealer power of attorney used to transfer title is presented to the clerk of the court of common pleas, who keeps it the same way it keeps certificates of title. Keep a copy in the deal jacket.
Is there software that fills out the BMV 3771 automatically?+
Yes. Dealer management software like DealerVLO fills the official Ohio BMV 3771 from the deal you already entered: your dealership as attorney-in-fact with its address, the vehicle's year, make, model, and VIN, and the buyer's printed name, plus a second page for the trade-in when there is one. The replica question, the date, the last four of the SSN, and the notary block stay blank. Signatures stay blank for ink. It's $29/month flat with a 14-day free trial, and the same deal also generates your federal documents (Bill of Sale, FTC Buyers Guide) and your state title paperwork.
- Vehicle power of attorney forms by state
- How to fill out the Ohio BMV 3774 title application
- How to fill out the Ohio BMV 3724 odometer statement
- Odometer disclosure statements and secure powers of attorney
- Dealer reassignment forms by state
- Ohio dealer plates
- How to get an Ohio used car dealer license
- E-signatures and e-titling for Ohio dealers
- Title application forms in every state
- How much is a dealer's license? Cost in every state
Stop filling out the BMV 3771 by hand.
DealerVLO fills the official OH BMV 3771 straight from your deal jacket: your dealership as attorney-in-fact with its address, the vehicle's year, make, model, and VIN, and the buyer's printed name, plus a second page for the trade-in when there is one. The replica question, the date, the last four of the SSN, and the notary block stay blank. $29/month. 14-day free trial, cancel any time.
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