How to fill out the Form MV1 in Montana
A field-by-field walkthrough of the Montana Form MV1 (Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle Application) 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.
Filing these every week? DealerVLO fills the Form MV1 from the deal you already entered, $29/month flat. See pricing
Filling out the MT Form MV1 after a sale:
- What it is
- Montana's application for a certificate of title for a motor vehicle (title and registration are done together)
- Who completes it
- The dealer completes the vehicle, lien, and odometer statement of sale; the buyer signs the acknowledgement
- Where to file it
- The county treasurer's office in the buyer's county of residence — not MVD directly, and not handed to the buyer
- Processing time
- Dealer issues a 40-day temporary registration permit; title work is due to the county within 30 calendar days
- Cost
- No sales tax. $12.36 title fee + $8.24 per lien + age-based registration ($217 / $87 / $28 before the 3% admin fee) + county option tax
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Montana instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Department of Justice — processed by county treasurers before you file.
See the MT Form MV1 filled — from just a VIN
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What the Form MV1 is and why it matters
Form MV1 is Montana's application for a certificate of title for a motor vehicle. On a dealer sale, the dealer completes the vehicle, lien, and odometer statement-of-sale sections, the buyer signs the acknowledgement, and the dealer forwards the MV1 with the assigned title to the buyer's county treasurer within 30 calendar days of delivery. Montana won't title a vehicle without registering it, so the county handles both in one visit.
The quirk that trips up out-of-state habits: Montana has no general sales tax, so there's no tax line on the MV1 at all. The cost of titling is fees — a $12.36 title fee printed at the top of the form, $8.24 per lien, and a registration fee set by the vehicle's age, plus any county local option tax figured on the depreciated MSRP (which is why the MV1 asks for the price when new). This guide walks the current MV1 (6/26) section by section.
The MV1 is published by the Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD, part of the Department of Justice), but title work on a dealer sale isn't sent to MVD in Helena — it goes to the county treasurer's office in the county where the buyer lives, which confirms Montana residency and processes the title and registration together. MVD's dealer guidelines say the title work cannot be handed to the purchaser; the dealer mails or delivers it to the county. The current form is the MV1 (6/26), a two-page revision with numbered Sections 1–5 that replaced the older lettered (12/24) version.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the Form MV1. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), Department of Justice — processed by county treasurers bounces a title application back.
- The assigned title, using the dealer reassignment section — If every dealer reassignment on the title is used, a Montana dealer must apply for a dealer title only before the sale can be transferred.
- Odometer reading and signatures — Required for vehicles model year 2011 or newer and 20 years old or less — made in MV1 Section 4 and acknowledged by the buyer in Section 5.
- Buyer's driver license number (or FEIN / tribal ID / corporate ID) — MVD's dealer guidelines require the purchaser's identification number on the title work.
- Lien information and the $8.24 filing fee, if financed — Or confirm the lender is paying the fee separately.
- Statement of Fact (MV100) for any error — Montana rejects altered forms — explain a mistake on an MV100 instead of correcting it on the MV1.
Form MV1, section by section
Fee box (top of page 1)
The MV1 prints its own title fee: $12.36 for light vehicles and for trucks and buses weighing less than one ton, and $10.30 for all other vehicles. Both include the 3% MVD administrative fee (MCA 61-3-111) on top of the statutory $12 / $10. The form notes that additional fees and taxes are due at registration — that's where the real cost of a Montana title lands.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Title fee: $12.36 light vehicle / $10.30 other Collected by the county treasurer. | At the counter |
Section 1 — Applicant information
The buyer. Enter each applicant's legal name (first, middle, last) with a driver license number, FEIN, tribal ID, or corporate ID and the issuing jurisdiction. Mailing and residential addresses each include the county — the county of residence decides which treasurer processes the title and which local option tax applies. Phone, phone type, email, and an electronic-notice opt-in/opt-out follow. The current form also asks whether the vehicle is leased and, if so, the lessor's name, ID, and address.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Applicant's legal name + DL/FEIN/Tribal ID/Corp. ID + jurisdiction | Buyer |
Co-applicant's legal name + ID + jurisdiction | Buyer |
Mailing address, city, state, ZIP, county | Buyer |
Residential address, city, state, ZIP, county Sets the county treasurer and local option tax. | Buyer |
Phone, phone type, email, electronic notice opt in/out | Buyer |
Is vehicle leased? + lessor's name, ID, address | You (dealer) |
Section 2 — Vehicle information
Describes the vehicle. The manufacturer's suggested retail price when new is here because Montana values light vehicles for the county local option tax by depreciating the original MSRP by age (MCA 61-3-503) — it's not the selling price. Add year, make, model, VIN, color, fuel type, and style, and check the box if the vehicle is specially constructed, custom, a street rod, or a kit vehicle. Trucks over one ton need the manufacturer's rated capacity; trailers, campers, and motor homes need declared weight and length (and motor home class).
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Manufacturer's suggested retail price when new Original MSRP — used to value the vehicle for local option tax. | You (dealer) |
Year, make, model | You (dealer) |
VIN, color, fuel type, style VIN must match the title and the vehicle. | You (dealer) |
Special-construction checkboxes / motor home class | You (dealer) |
Rated capacity (trucks over one ton) or declared weight + length | You (dealer) |
Section 3 — Security interest or lien
Answer whether there's a security interest or lien. If yes, the form requires a filing fee of $8.24 for each security interest or lien, and you enter the secured party's name, its DL/FEIN/tribal/corporate ID or ELT number, and its mailing address. If no, skip to Section 4.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Security interest or lien? (yes / no) | You (dealer) |
Name of secured party or lienholder + ID/ELT number | You (dealer) |
Lienholder mailing address, city, state, ZIP $8.24 filing fee per lien. | You (dealer) |
Section 4 — Odometer statement of sale
The dealer's certification under penalty of law (MCA 45-7-203). Check new or used, enter the sale date, and the seller's printed name and address. Record whether the odometer has five or six digits, the reading (no tenths), and the date it was read. It reflects actual mileage unless you check one of the two exceptions — over mechanical limits, or not actual mileage — which the form says not to check unless applicable. The dealer's agent signs and dates, and enters the dealer's license number.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Sold new / used + date of sale | You (dealer) |
Seller's printed name + address | You (dealer) |
Five- or six-digit odometer, reading (no tenths), date read Model year 2011+ and 20 years old or less. | You (dealer) |
Mileage exception boxes Do not check unless applicable. | You (dealer) |
Signature of dealer's agent + date + dealer's license # | You (dealer) |
Section 5 — Applicant's acknowledgement
The buyer certifies under penalty of law that they're an applicant named in Section 1, are aware of the odometer certification in Section 4, have provided their identification number, and that everything on the form is true. They print their name (and the full business name if the applicant is a business), sign, and date. MVD's dealer guidelines list the purchaser's signature on the MV1 as a required check before the title work goes to the county.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Applicant's printed name / full business name | Buyer |
Applicant's signature + date Signing for a business or trust certifies full authority. | Buyer |
The Form MV1 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.
DealerVLO fills the official Montana Form MV1 straight from your deal — VIN-decoded vehicle, buyer, co-buyer, and sale price already in place. $29/month, free to try — cancel any time.
Common Form MV1 mistakes that cause rejections
Montana has no general sales tax, and the MV1 has no tax line. What the buyer pays at the county is the title fee, lien fee, age-based registration fee, and any county local option tax. Don't carry another state's tax math onto a Montana deal.
Section 2 asks for the manufacturer's suggested retail price when new — Montana depreciates that original MSRP by age to value the vehicle for the county local option tax. The selling price doesn't belong there.
MVD's dealer guidelines say title work must go to the purchaser's county treasurer's office — mailed or delivered by the dealership — and cannot be given directly to the purchaser. State law gives the dealer 30 calendar days from delivery to forward it.
Montana county and state authorities can reject any form that's been altered, and highlighting isn't allowed (black or blue ink only). Explain a mistake on a Statement of Fact (MV100) rather than writing over the MV1.
MVD's dealer guidelines say the same dealer agent can't sign as power of attorney for the seller and as an agent for the buyer. The odometer reading must be acknowledged by both seller and buyer on vehicles model year 2011 and newer that are 20 years old or less.
Common questions
What form do I use to title a vehicle in Montana?+
Form MV1, the Certificate of Title for a Motor Vehicle Application, published by the Montana Motor Vehicle Division. The current revision is MV1 (6/26). It's submitted to the county treasurer in the owner's county of residence, which titles and registers the vehicle together.
Is there sales tax on a car in Montana?+
No. Montana has no general sales tax, so there's no sales tax on a vehicle purchase. Buyers pay title and lien fees, an annual registration fee based on the vehicle's age, and any county local option motor vehicle tax (up to 0.7% of the vehicle's depreciated MSRP value, where the county has adopted one).
How much is the Montana title fee?+
$12.36 for light vehicles and trucks or buses under one ton, and $10.30 for other vehicles, as printed on the MV1. Those include MVD's 3% administrative fee on the statutory $12 and $10. Each lien adds an $8.24 filing fee.
How much is vehicle registration in Montana?+
The annual light-vehicle registration fee under MCA 61-3-321 is $217 for a vehicle 4 years old or less, $87 for 5 through 10 years, and $28 for 11 years or more, before MVD's 3% administrative fee. A light vehicle with an MSRP over $150,000 that is 10 years old or less pays $825 more. County local option tax and other fees are added; the county treasurer calculates the total.
Where does a Montana dealer submit title work?+
To the county treasurer's office in the purchaser's county of residence (or an authorized agent), by mail or dealership delivery. MVD's dealer guidelines say title work cannot be given directly to the purchaser. For an out-of-state buyer, follow that state's rules.
How long does a Montana dealer have to submit title work?+
Within 30 calendar days following delivery of the vehicle, the dealer must forward the assigned title and the buyer's title application to the county treasurer or an authorized agent (MCA 61-4-111). Buyers separately have a 40-day grace period to title and register, with a $10 late penalty after that.
How long is a Montana temporary registration permit good for?+
A temporary registration permit issued through MVD's electronic system is valid for 40 days or until the vehicle is registered, whichever comes first. A licensed Montana dealer can issue only one 40-day permit per vehicle sale.
Is there software that fills out the Form MV1 automatically?+
Yes. Dealer management software like DealerVLO fills the Montana Form MV1 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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