How to fill out the MVR-46D in North Carolina
A field-by-field walkthrough of the North Carolina MVR-46D (Affidavit by North Carolina Lienholder) 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 NC MVR-46D after a sale:
- What it is
- NCDMV's notarized lienholder affidavit that the lien on an NC title is paid in full
- Who completes it
- The lienholder (your dealership). An authorized representative signs before a notary
- Where to file it
- Give it to the owner, who presents the release and the title to NCDMV or a license plate agency for a new title
- Processing time
- Paper title you hold: release within 30 days of payoff, or 10 days after demand if sooner (G.S. 20-58.4)
- Cost
- No fee on the form itself
This guide is informational and does not replace the official North Carolina instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles before you file.
The MVR-46D 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 North Carolina MVR-46D straight from your deal: the owner names on the "in the name of" line, the year, make, body style and VIN, and your dealership's legal business name on the LIENHOLDER line (check it matches the title; the deal page reminds you). The NC title number, who the title went to, the authorized representative and the notary block stay blank. It's in the servicing section of a BHPH deal where you carry the note, not every deal. $29/month, free to try — cancel any time.
What the MVR-46D is and why it matters
MVR-46D is North Carolina's Affidavit by North Carolina Lienholder: a notarized statement that the lien shown on an NC title has been satisfied in full, that the title went to a named person or firm, and that the lienholder has no further interest in the vehicle. On a buy-here-pay-here deal you're the lienholder, so when the customer pays off, the release is on you.
Know which system your lien is on before you print anything. G.S. 20-58.4A makes anyone who does at least five lien transactions a year use the state's electronic lien system, and an electronic lien gets released electronically within seven business days of payoff. The MVR-46D is a paper affidavit. This guide covers it box by box, plus the release deadlines in G.S. 20-58.4. In DealerVLO it's in the servicing section of a BHPH deal where your dealership carries the note, not on every deal.
The current revision is MVR-46D (Rev. 04/26). It's one page: a statement that the lien on a North Carolina title is satisfied in full, who the title was delivered to, the lienholder's signature by an authorized representative, and a notary acknowledgment. NCDMV lists it under "Other documents and forms" on its title forms page and tells you to contact the DMV about when or how to use those forms. It publishes no separate instructions for it.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the MVR-46D. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles bounces a title application back.
- Proof the note is paid in full — Your payment ledger showing the final payment. The affidavit says the lien "has been satisfied in full."
- The NC certificate of title number — From the title or your deal file. DealerVLO leaves this box blank because the deal doesn't record it.
- How the lien was recorded: electronic or paper — If you're on the electronic lien system, the release goes through it, not on paper (G.S. 20-58.4(a1)).
- A notary — The authorized representative signs and acknowledges the signature before a notary.
MVR-46D, section by section
First: electronic lien or paper title?
G.S. 20-58.4A(i) says all individuals and lienholders who conduct at least five transactions a year must use the state's electronic lien system to record the perfection and release of a security interest. If your lien is electronic, G.S. 20-58.4(a1) gives you seven business days from the date of satisfaction to send the electronic release to the Division, with the address where the paper title should go. The Division then mails the title to that address within three business days. A low-volume dealer whose lien is on a paper title follows the paper rules in the rest of this guide.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Electronic lien: release through the electronic lien system Within 7 business days of payoff. | You (dealer) |
Title mailed to the address in your release Within 3 business days of the electronic release. | At the counter |
Title number and owner
The statement opens: "This will confirm that the lien as indicated on North Carolina certificate of title number ___, in the name of ___." Write the NC title number and the owner names exactly as the title shows them. With a co-buyer on the title, both names go on the line.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
North Carolina certificate of title number DealerVLO leaves it blank. | You (dealer) |
In the name of (owners on the title) | You (dealer) |
Vehicle: year, make, body style, VIN
The "covering a" line takes the year, make and body style, and the next line takes the 17-character VIN. Copy them from the title.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Year, make, body style | You (dealer) |
Vehicle identification number All 17 characters, matching the title. | You (dealer) |
"Title was delivered to"
The form states the lien "has been satisfied in full and the title was delivered to" a named person or firm. Write whoever actually received the title: the owner, or the next lienholder if there is one. Fill it in when the title has gone out, not before. The next sentence certifies that you have no further interest in the vehicle.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Name of person or firm the title was delivered to DealerVLO leaves it blank for whoever actually received it. | You (dealer) |
Lienholder and authorized representative
Print the lienholder's name on the LIENHOLDER line, the way it appears on the title. Below it, "By:" is the authorized representative who signs for the dealership. Sign in front of the notary, because the notary is certifying that the signer personally appeared.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lienholder Your dealership's name as on the title. DealerVLO prints your legal business name, so if the title shows it differently (a DBA, an abbreviation), correct it before you sign. | You (dealer) |
By: authorized representative Signed in front of the notary. | You (dealer) |
Notary acknowledgment
The bottom of the form is a notary acknowledgment: the date, county and state where it's notarized, the names of the principals who personally appeared and acknowledged signing voluntarily, then the notary's signature, printed name, seal and commission expiration.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Date, county, state Completed by the notary. | At the counter |
Name(s) of principal(s) The representative who signed. | At the counter |
Notary signature, printed name, seal, commission expiration Completed by the notary. | At the counter |
Paper-title deadlines and the release on the title itself
When you hold the paper title, G.S. 20-58.4(a) says to execute the release "in the space provided therefor on the certificate or as the Division prescribes" within the earlier of 10 days after demand or 30 days from the date of satisfaction, then mail or deliver the title and release to the next secured party, or to the owner if there is none. G.S. 20-59 makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for a lienor holding a title to refuse or fail to surrender it within 10 days after the lien is paid, when the person entitled to it asks. The owner then presents the signed release and the title to the Division or a license plate agency for a new title or an endorsement showing the release (G.S. 20-58.4(c)).
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Release on the title, or as the Division prescribes Earlier of 10 days after demand or 30 days after payoff. | You (dealer) |
Title and release to the next lienholder, or to the owner | You (dealer) |
New title or release endorsement | At the counter |
Common MVR-46D mistakes that cause rejections
Five or more lien transactions a year puts you on the electronic lien system (G.S. 20-58.4A). Release electronically within seven business days.
The affidavit swears the title was delivered to that person or firm. Write it after you hand it over.
The notary certifies the signer personally appeared and acknowledged signing. Sign in front of them.
The paper deadline is 30 days from payoff, or 10 days after the owner asks if that's sooner. Refusing to surrender the title within 10 days of a paid lien, on request, is a Class 3 misdemeanor (G.S. 20-59).
Copy the "in the name of" line from the title, with every owner listed there.
Common questions
What is the NC MVR-46D form?+
MVR-46D is NCDMV's Affidavit by North Carolina Lienholder. The lienholder confirms that the lien on a North Carolina title is satisfied in full, names who the title was delivered to, and certifies it has no further interest in the vehicle. An authorized representative signs it before a notary. The current revision is MVR-46D (Rev. 04/26).
Do I need the MVR-46D, or can I just sign the title?+
G.S. 20-58.4(a) says the lienholder executes the release in the space provided on the title or as the Division prescribes. NCDMV lists the MVR-46D with its other forms but publishes no instructions for when it's required and says to contact the DMV about those forms. If you're unsure which one a license plate agency will want, call NCDMV before the customer goes in.
How long does a North Carolina lienholder have to release a lien?+
For a paper title you hold, the earlier of 10 days after demand or 30 days from the date of satisfaction (G.S. 20-58.4(a)). For an electronic lien, seven business days from satisfaction to send the electronic release (G.S. 20-58.4(a1)). If a prior lienholder holds the title, you have 10 days to execute the release and deliver it to the owner (G.S. 20-58.4(b)).
Do NC dealers have to use electronic lien and title?+
If they do at least five lien transactions a year. G.S. 20-58.4A(i) requires all individuals and lienholders who conduct at least five transactions annually to use the electronic lien system to record the perfection and release of a security interest.
Does the MVR-46D need to be notarized?+
Yes. The form ends with a notary acknowledgment certifying that the signer personally appeared and voluntarily signed, with the notary's signature, seal and commission expiration.
What happens if a lienholder won't surrender the title after payoff?+
G.S. 20-59 makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for a lienor holding a title to refuse or fail to surrender it within 10 days after the lien is paid, when the person entitled to it asks. Separately, G.S. 20-58.4(e) lets an owner who can't get a release submit other evidence of payment with a sworn affidavit, and the Division can cancel the lien after notice to the secured party.
Is there software that fills out the MVR-46D automatically?+
Yes. Dealer management software like DealerVLO fills the official North Carolina MVR-46D from the deal you already entered: the owner names on the "in the name of" line, the year, make, body style and VIN, and your dealership's legal business name on the LIENHOLDER line (check it matches the title; the deal page reminds you). The NC title number, who the title went to, the authorized representative and the notary block stay blank. It's in the servicing section of a BHPH deal where you carry the note, not every deal. 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.
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Stop filling out the MVR-46D by hand.
DealerVLO fills the official NC MVR-46D straight from your deal jacket: the owner names on the "in the name of" line, the year, make, body style and VIN, and your dealership's legal business name on the LIENHOLDER line (check it matches the title; the deal page reminds you). The NC title number, who the title went to, the authorized representative and the notary block stay blank. It's in the servicing section of a BHPH deal where you carry the note, not every deal. $29/month. 14-day free trial, cancel any time.
Curious how it works? See how DealerVLO auto-fills every dealer document — bill of sale, FTC Buyers Guide, odometer disclosure, and state title & registration forms for all 50 states, from one deal.
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