How to fill out the DMV-1-TR in West Virginia
A field-by-field walkthrough of the West Virginia DMV-1-TR (Application for Certificate of Title) 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 September 2026.
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Filling out the WV DMV-1-TR after a sale:
- What it is
- West Virginia's application to title a vehicle in the buyer's name, including the 6% sales tax computation
- Who completes it
- The dealer prepares it (typically via VRS) and signs the Dealer Certification; the purchaser(s) sign the application
- Where to file it
- West Virginia DMV — dealers submit electronically through VRS; mail-in goes to the DMV in Charleston
- Processing time
- VRS prints a temporary tag at the sale; the title must reach the buyer or lienholder within 60 days
- Cost
- 6% sales tax on net cost ($30 minimum under $500) + $15 title fee + $10 per lien + registration or plate transfer
This guide is informational and does not replace the official West Virginia instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) before you file.
See the WV DMV-1-TR filled — from just a VIN
Enter a VIN, the buyer's name, and the price. We decode the vehicle and drop it onto the actual West Virginia DMV-1-TR — the same fill DealerVLO produces from a deal. Watermarked preview; nothing is saved.
What the DMV-1-TR is and why it matters
Form DMV-1-TR is West Virginia's Application for Certificate of Title — the one-page application that titles a vehicle in the buyer's name, records any lien, and computes the 6% sales tax. On a dealer sale the dealer prepares it (usually generated by VRS), the buyer signs as purchaser, and the dealer signs the Dealer Certification at the bottom.
The line that decides whether the deal goes through clean is the price row: purchase price, trade-in, net cost, and 6% sales tax. West Virginia taxes the net cost after a trade-in, but only a trade titled in West Virginia in the buyer's name counts, there's a $30 minimum when the net price is under $500, and there's no local sales tax on vehicles. This guide walks the current Rev. 11/2022 form top to bottom.
The DMV-1-TR is West Virginia's standard Application for Certificate of Title for a regular vehicle; leased vehicles use the DMV-1L instead. On a dealer sale, West Virginia dealers collect the 6% tax and title fees and send them to the DMV with the application paperwork. Dealers typically do that through the DMV's Vehicle Registration System (VRS), which generates the title application, temporary tag, and other DMV forms from the deal data and uploads them electronically, with fees withdrawn automatically. The paper DMV-1-TR is the same application — its bottom Dealer Certification is where the dealer certifies the price, trade-in, net cost, and odometer. The current revision is Rev. 11/2022.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the DMV-1-TR. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) bounces a title application back.
- The reassigned title or MCO/MSO — An out-of-state title must accompany the application; for a new vehicle the dealer completes the reassignment on the MCO.
- Odometer disclosure — The dealer certifies the reading in the Dealer Certification; the federal disclosure goes on the title reassignment or a separate odometer statement.
- Proof of insurance — A WV-1 certificate of insurance or a completed statement of insurance — insurance must be in effect when the DMV receives the application.
- Registration card (front and back), if transferring a plate — Needed for the Registration Plate Transferred From section.
- Trade-in details — Make, year, VIN, and West Virginia title number of each trade, for the tax credit.
- Lienholder information, if financed — Name, complete address with ZIP, amount, and lender code; high-volume lenders are on West Virginia's ELT system.
DMV-1-TR, section by section
Header and applicant (buyer/owner)
The boxes at the top left and right — class, expiration date, plate number, DL or ID number, department and unit number — sit under "For DMV Use Only"; leave them. The application proper starts with the buyer(s): the names the title will be issued in and the full mailing address, including county.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Class / Exp. date / Plate number / DL or ID number For DMV use only. | At the counter |
Dept. number / Unit number For DMV use only. | At the counter |
Name(s) Exactly as the title should read; "AND" means every owner must sign. | Buyer |
Mailing address: number, street, city or town, county, state, ZIP | Buyer |
Vehicle description
Identify the vehicle as it appears on the title or MCO. The odometer goes in with no tenths. Weight has two boxes — one for passenger vehicles and one for the gross vehicle weight requested for a truck. Check Reconstructed (or Other) only if the vehicle carries that brand.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Make, year, V.I.N. Must match the title/MCO. | You (dealer) |
Style of body | You (dealer) |
Weight Passenger vehicle only, or trucks: GVW requested. | You (dealer) |
Odometer reading (no tenths) | You (dealer) |
Title brands: Reconstructed / Other Carry any brand forward from the incoming title. | You (dealer) |
Purchase price, trade-in, net cost, and 6% sales tax
The tax row. Enter the purchase price, subtract the trade-in, and the net cost is what the 6% is figured on. The form spells out the catch in the fine print under this row: the trade-in credit is allowed only on vehicles titled in West Virginia and on which the applicant paid the tax. The DMV also requires $30 instead of 6% when the net price is under $500. Below the tax row, describe each trade (up to two) with its West Virginia title number.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Purchase price $ Match the buyer's order. Manufacturer rebates can't be subtracted. | You (dealer) |
Trade in $ Only a trade titled in WV in the applicant's name, tax paid. | You (dealer) |
Net cost $ Purchase price − trade-in. | You (dealer) |
6% sales tax 6% of net cost; $30 if the net price is under $500. | You (dealer) |
Trade-in description 1) and 2): make, year, VIN/serial no., WV title number | You (dealer) |
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West Virginia's motor vehicle sales tax is 6% of the net cost (purchase price minus a qualifying trade-in), collected by the DMV; the DMV charges a flat $30 instead when the net price is under $500. Only a trade-in titled in West Virginia in the applicant's name qualifies. There is no municipal or local sales tax on vehicle sales. Per the DMV's dealer titling seminar, documentary fees, service contracts, warranties, and GAP are not subject to the 6% tax; rebates, freight, and accessories are. Add $10 for each lien. Registration is extra (Class A car/truck basic registration is $51.50; a plate transfer is $10.50). Confirm current figures with the WV DMV.
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Registration plate transferred from
Only when the buyer is moving a plate from another vehicle. Identify the vehicle the plate is coming off and attach a copy of its registration card, front and back. The DMV charges a plate transfer fee.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Make of vehicle, weight, VIN/serial number | You (dealer) |
Title number, license plate number | You (dealer) |
Liens and encumbrances
If the deal is financed, the first lien goes in block 1 (a second lien in block 2): lienholder name, amount, lender code, complete mailing address with ZIP, kind of lien, and date. The form prints C/S/C, D/T, and S/A as the kind-of-lien choices. The $10 lien fee is per lien.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Name, amount, lender code Lender code for an ELT lienholder. | You (dealer) |
Mailing address: street, city, state, ZIP The form asks for the complete address and ZIP. | You (dealer) |
Kind of lien (C/S/C, D/T, S/A) and date | You (dealer) |
Second lien (block 2) Only if there is one. | You (dealer) |
Insurance statement and purchaser signatures
The purchaser states that a liability policy is in effect on the vehicle and certifies the application is true under penalty of false swearing (W. Va. Code § 17A-9-1). Fill in the insurance company, agent, policy number, and the company's NAIC number. The application must be signed by the purchaser(s)/owner(s); if the title will read "AND," both owners sign.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Name of insurance company / insurance agent | Insurance agent |
Insurance policy number | Insurance agent |
NAIC number The insurer's National Association of Insurance Commissioners number. | Insurance agent |
Purchaser/owner signature(s) (X) Both owners if the title reads "AND". | Buyer |
Dealer Certification
The dealer's section. State who the vehicle was acquired from and when, and the date it was sold to the purchaser. By signing, the dealer certifies that the sale price, trade-in, and net cost are true and accurate and that the federal odometer rules are satisfied. Enter the odometer reading again and check one exception box only if it applies: mileage in excess of mechanical limits, or not the actual mileage.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Acquired from ___ on month/day/year | You (dealer) |
Sold to the above named purchaser on month/day/year | You (dealer) |
Odometer reading + exception boxes Exceeds mechanical limits, or not actual mileage (odometer discrepancy). | You (dealer) |
Dealer name, address, dealer license no. | You (dealer) |
Dealer signature (X) | You (dealer) |
Title number For DMV use only. | At the counter |
The DMV-1-TR is one car's paperwork. A 20-second read on your lot, and the tax-and-fee math for the whole deal — built for dealers, no signup. Free calculators dealers actually use — no signup, no email.
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Common DMV-1-TR mistakes that cause rejections
The trade-in credit applies only to a vehicle titled in West Virginia in the applicant's name, on which the tax was paid. An out-of-state-titled trade doesn't reduce the tax, so the full price stays taxable.
The DMV says manufacturer rebates are fully taxable and can't be subtracted from the purchase price. Tax the price before the rebate; only a qualifying trade-in comes off.
When the net price is under $500, West Virginia charges a flat $30 instead of 6%. Six percent of a $300 net price is $18 — the DMV will want $30.
The form says insurance must be in effect when the DMV receives the application, and it asks for the insurer, agent, policy number, and NAIC number. Capture the buyer's insurance at the desk so the application doesn't come back.
The DMV's dealer titling seminar lists 60 days to deliver the title to the consumer or lienholder. File the title work promptly through VRS so the buyer's title and any lien are on record well inside that window.
Common questions
What form do I use to title a vehicle in West Virginia?+
Form DMV-1-TR, the Application for Certificate of Title, from the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. On a dealer sale the dealer prepares it and signs the Dealer Certification, and the purchaser signs the application. Leased vehicles use the DMV-1L instead.
Where do I get the West Virginia DMV-1-TR?+
The WV DMV publishes the DMV-1-TR as a free fillable PDF on its forms page. The current revision is Rev. 11/2022. Dealers who use the DMV's Vehicle Registration System (VRS) get the application generated automatically from the deal data.
How much is sales tax on a car in West Virginia?+
6% of the net purchase price after a qualifying trade-in, collected by the DMV when the vehicle is titled. If the net price is under $500, a flat $30 is charged instead. There is no municipal or local sales tax on vehicle sales in West Virginia.
Does a trade-in lower West Virginia sales tax?+
Yes, if the trade-in is titled in West Virginia in the applicant's name and the tax was paid on it. The 6% is then figured on the purchase price minus the trade-in value. A trade titled in another state doesn't qualify for the credit.
Is the dealer doc fee taxable in West Virginia?+
No. The WV DMV's dealer titling seminar lists documentary fees as not subject to the 6% motor vehicle sales tax, along with service contracts, warranties, and GAP insurance. Rebates, freight, destination, and accessories are taxable.
How much does a West Virginia title cost?+
The title fee is $15. Each lien recorded is $10. Registration is separate — a basic Class A car or truck registration is $51.50, and transferring a plate from another vehicle is $10.50.
Do West Virginia dealers have to use VRS?+
VRS is the DMV's online system for dealers and license services. It generates the title application, temporary tag, and other DMV forms, uploads them, and withdraws the fees and taxes electronically. The DMV's VRS pages describe what it does rather than a blanket mandate, so confirm your dealership's filing options with WV DMV Dealer Services at (304) 926-0705.
Is there software that fills out the DMV-1-TR automatically?+
Yes. Dealer management software like DealerVLO fills the West Virginia DMV-1-TR from the deal you already entered — the VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, lienholder, and sale price are placed for you instead of hand-writing them. For most states that's the official DMV form itself; where a state issues its form only through its own dealer portal, you get a print-ready worksheet with every value already in place. 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, odometer disclosure) and any other state's title forms.
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