How to fill out the MVT 15-1 in Alabama
A field-by-field walkthrough of the Alabama MVT 15-1 (Repossessed Motor Vehicle 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 AL MVT 15-1 after a sale:
- What it is
- ALDOR's affidavit that a lienholder repossessed a vehicle and sold or reassigned it under the security agreement
- Who completes it
- The lienholder. Its authorized representative signs and prints their name
- Where to file it
- With the properly assigned title, as a supporting document for the title application on the repossessed vehicle
- Processing time
- None of its own. It travels with the title application
- Cost
- The form lists no fee of its own
This guide is informational and does not replace the official Alabama instructions. Always confirm the current form and procedure with the Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division before you file.
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DealerVLO fills the official Alabama MVT 15-1 straight from your deal: the VIN, year, make and model; your buyer and co-buyer as former owners with the buyer's address; and your dealership as lienholder with its address. It prints from the servicing section of a BHPH deal where your dealership carries the note, for when you've taken a car back, not on every deal. The date of repossession and the representative's printed name and date stay blank. $29/month, free to try — cancel any time.
What the MVT 15-1 is and why it matters
MVT 15-1 is Alabama's Repossessed Motor Vehicle Affidavit. ALDOR's rule 810-5-75-.17 says that when a lienholder repossesses a vehicle in Alabama, the MVT 15-1 "must accompany the properly assigned certificate of title." The form itself says it's a supporting document for an Alabama Certificate of Title for a Repossessed Vehicle. If you carried the note on a buy-here-pay-here sale and took the car back, you're the lienholder.
This guide covers the paperwork after the car is back: each box on the form, the certification your representative signs, and the rule's three situations (lien on the title, lien not on the title, more than one lien). It doesn't cover when or how you may repossess.
The full title on the current revision, MVT 15-1 (2/20), is "Repossessed Motor Vehicle Affidavit and Disposition of Vehicle Under Lien." ALDOR's rule 810-5-75-.17 calls it the Repossessed Motor Vehicle Affidavit. It's one page with no instruction page and no notary block: vehicle, former owner, lienholder, a certification, and the authorized representative's signature.
Documents to have before you start
Gather these before you complete the MVT 15-1. A missing attachment is the number-one reason the the Alabama Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Division bounces a title application back.
- The certificate of title, properly assigned — Rule 810-5-75-.17(1)(a): the MVT 15-1 goes with the properly assigned title.
- A copy of the security agreement, if your lien isn't recorded on the title — Rule 810-5-75-.17(2): an unrecorded lienholder titles the vehicle in its own name first, with the outstanding title or certificate of origin, the security agreement copy, and the MVT 15-1.
- The title application for the transfer — See the MVT 5-1E guide for how dealers submit Alabama title applications.
MVT 15-1, section by section
Vehicle: VIN, date of repossession, year, make, model
The top row takes the VIN (17 boxes) and the date of repossession; the next row takes year, make, and model. Copy the vehicle details from the title so they match the title application.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Vehicle identification number All 17 characters, from the title. | You (dealer) |
Date of repossession | You (dealer) |
Year, make, model | You (dealer) |
Former owner
"Name (Former Owner)" is the person you repossessed from: on a BHPH deal, your buyer, and the co-buyer if there was one. Use the names as they appear on the title. Then their address, city, state, and ZIP.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Name (former owner) Buyer and co-buyer, as on the title. | You (dealer) |
Address, city, state, ZIP | You (dealer) |
Lienholder
Your dealership's name and address. Use the legal name recorded as lienholder on the title, so the affidavit ties to the lien the title shows.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lienholder As recorded on the title. | You (dealer) |
Address, city, state, ZIP | You (dealer) |
Certification and signature
By signing, the lienholder certifies that it "has repossessed the motor vehicle described above because of the failure of the former owner to meet the obligation for settlement of a Lien of Security Interest on said vehicle and that the Interest of the Owner was lawfully terminated." The next line states that the vehicle "was sold or reassigned, pursuant to the terms of the Security Agreement." So the form is written for after the sale or reassignment, not the day you pick the car up. The authorized representative signs, dates it, and prints their name. There's no notary block on the form.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Signed by (authorized representative) | You (dealer) |
Date | You (dealer) |
Printed name | You (dealer) |
Your lien is on the title, or it isn't
Rule 810-5-75-.17 splits it two ways. For a vehicle in Alabama with your lien recorded, the MVT 15-1 goes with the properly assigned title. If you repossessed without recording your lien on the title, you have to title the vehicle in your own name before you transfer it, supported by the outstanding certificate of origin or title issued or assigned to the owner in default, a copy of the security agreement, and the MVT 15-1.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Lien recorded: MVT 15-1 + properly assigned title | You (dealer) |
Lien not recorded: title in your name first, with the security agreement copy | You (dealer) |
Out-of-state titles and second liens
For a vehicle outside Alabama, the rule says "an equivalent out-of-state motor vehicle or manufactured home repossession affidavit" goes with the properly assigned title instead. When more than one lien is recorded, the rule says later liens are subordinate to the first, so a release isn't needed from a subordinate lienholder recorded on the title when the first recorded lienholder repossesses.
| Field | Who fills it |
|---|---|
Out-of-state vehicle: that state's repossession affidavit | You (dealer) |
Subordinate lien release: not required when the first lienholder repossesses | You (dealer) |
Common MVT 15-1 mistakes that cause rejections
The rule says the MVT 15-1 must accompany the properly assigned certificate of title. It supports the title; it doesn't replace it.
An unrecorded lienholder titles the vehicle in its own name first, with the outstanding title, a copy of the security agreement, and the MVT 15-1.
When the first recorded lienholder repossesses, the rule says a subordinate lienholder's release isn't required.
The certification states the vehicle was sold or reassigned under the security agreement. Complete it when that's true.
Use the names exactly as they appear on the title, including the co-buyer.
Common questions
What is the Alabama affidavit of repossession?+
It's ALDOR Form MVT 15-1, the Repossessed Motor Vehicle Affidavit and Disposition of Vehicle Under Lien. The lienholder certifies it repossessed the vehicle for the former owner's failure to meet the lien obligation and that the vehicle was sold or reassigned under the security agreement. The current revision is 2/20.
Does the MVT 15-1 need to be notarized?+
The form has no notary block. The authorized representative signs, dates it, and prints their name.
What goes with the MVT 15-1?+
The properly assigned certificate of title, per ALDOR rule 810-5-75-.17. The form says it's submitted as a supporting document when applying for an Alabama Certificate of Title for a Repossessed Vehicle.
Do I have to title the car in my name before selling it?+
Only if your lien wasn't recorded on the title. The rule says an unrecorded lienholder titles the vehicle in its own name before transferring it, with the outstanding title or certificate of origin, a copy of the security agreement, and the MVT 15-1.
Do I need a lien release from a second lienholder?+
Not when you're the first lienholder recorded on the title. Rule 810-5-75-.17(3) says a release isn't required from a subordinate recorded lienholder when the first recorded lienholder repossesses.
What about a vehicle titled in another state?+
The rule says an equivalent out-of-state repossession affidavit goes with the properly assigned title for a vehicle outside Alabama.
Is there software that fills out the MVT 15-1 automatically?+
Yes. Dealer management software like DealerVLO fills the official Alabama MVT 15-1 from the deal you already entered: the VIN, year, make and model; your buyer and co-buyer as former owners with the buyer's address; and your dealership as lienholder with its address. It prints from the servicing section of a BHPH deal where your dealership carries the note, for when you've taken a car back, not on every deal. The date of repossession and the representative's printed name and date 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.
- Affidavit of repossession forms by state
- Vehicle lien release form by state
- How to fill out the Alabama MVT 5-1E
- Alabama used car dealer license
- Alabama dealer plates
- Alabama vehicle power of attorney (MVT 5-13)
- Title application forms in every state
- How much is a dealer's license? Cost in every state
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