How to Get a Motorcycle Title and Register Your Bike

How to get a motorcycle title after buying a bike

A motorcycle title works exactly like a car title: it's the state's record of who owns the bike, and the buyer needs it signed over to register. Here's how to get a title on a motorcycle you've just bought:

1. Check the title against the bike. The VIN on the title has to match the one stamped on the frame, usually on the steering head where the forks turn. Our VIN location guide shows where to look.
2. Have the seller sign it over. The seller signs in the owner's section, writes in your name, the date, the price and the mileage, and gets the signature notarized if their state requires it.
3. Get a bill of sale. It records the price for tax and the condition terms; some states require one when the price isn't on the title. Our motorcycle bill of sale includes the engine number.
4. Insure the bike before you ride it home.
5. Apply for the new title at your state's motor vehicle agency with the signed title, the bill of sale, your ID, proof of insurance and the fees. Most states issue the title and registration together.

That's how you get a new title for a motorcycle in nearly every state. The application form is usually the same one used for cars, such as Texas's Form 130-U, and the fees are often lower; Texas's base registration fee for motorcycles and mopeds is $30.

Buying from a dealer vs a private seller

If you buy a new or used motorcycle from a dealer, the dealer usually handles the title application for you. For a new bike, it sends the manufacturer's certificate of origin and the sale documents to the state, collects the tax and fees, and gives you a temporary tag. Your job is to check that the paperwork shows your name and address correctly and that the title arrives.

A private sale puts every step on you. That's where most problems start: a title still in a previous owner's name, a lien nobody released, or a VIN that doesn't match the frame. Spend five minutes on those three checks before money changes hands and the rest of the process is routine.

How to order a new motorcycle title

To obtain a title for a motorcycle in your name, you don't order it separately; it's issued when you apply to title and register the bike. Where you just need a fresh copy of your own title, because it's lost or damaged, you order a duplicate from the state that issued it, usually online, by mail or at an office, for a fee that ranges from a few dollars to about $70 depending on the state. Most states mail the new title within a few weeks, and the old one becomes void.

How to register a motorcycle

Registration is what makes the bike street-legal, and in most states it happens at the same visit as the title. To register a motorbike you'll usually need:

• the title in your name, or the signed title plus the title application;
• proof of insurance that meets your state's minimum;
• your driver's license or ID;
• any inspection your state requires for motorcycles;
• payment for registration, plates and tax.

Registering a motorcycle doesn't require a motorcycle license in most states; the registration is about the vehicle, the license about the rider. But you'll need the right endorsement before you ride it on the road, so check your state's licensing rules too. If you're asking how do you register a motorcycle you brought from another state, the out-of-state rules for cars apply, including VIN inspections; see our guide to buying a vehicle from out of state.

Do you need insurance to register a motorcycle?

In nearly every state, yes. A street motorcycle needs at least the state's minimum liability coverage, and the agency checks for it when you register and renew. Some riders assume a bike that's only used in summer can go uninsured part of the year; in most states, dropping coverage on a registered motorcycle can trigger a suspension or fine, so ask your insurer about seasonal or lay-up options instead of cancelling.

Motorcycle tags and number plates

Motorcycle tags are smaller than car plates, typically about 7 by 4 inches, and they carry fewer characters, so motorcycle number plate numbers are usually shorter than a car's. Most states issue only a rear plate for a motorcycle, mounted so it's visible and lit at night. Personalized motorcycle plates exist in many states, but the character limit is tighter, often five or six. If you're designing one, our plate designer shows how text fits.

In the UK and elsewhere, people say motorcycle number plate rather than tag; the rules there are separate, but the idea is the same: one plate, on the back, issued for that registration.

How to get a title for a motorcycle without a title

This is where motorcycles differ most from cars. Bikes change hands informally, and plenty are sold with a lost title or none at all. What you can do depends on why there's no title:

The title is lost and the seller still owns the bike

The seller applies for a duplicate from the state that issued the original, then signs it over. Every state offers one, and it's the cleanest route. Our guide to replacing a lost title lists the forms and fees by state; they're the same for motorcycles.

The bike was never titled

Some bikes were never titled: older motorcycles in states that once didn't title them, and off-road machines in states that don't title off-highway vehicles. In those cases the bill of sale and the old registration, if there is one, are the ownership evidence, often with a VIN inspection. Ask your state's agency what it accepts before you buy.

The seller has disappeared

Then you're into special processes such as a bonded title, backed by a surety bond, or a court order. They take weeks and cost money, which is why the price of a bike with no title is rarely the bargain it looks like. If you're wondering how to title a motorcycle without a title in that situation, start with your state's bonded title page and expect a VIN inspection.

Can you sell a motorcycle without a title?

Not in a way that lets the buyer register it, in most states. Replace the title first, then sell. If you must sell before it arrives, write the agreed price and date in a bill of sale and sign the title over as soon as it comes.

Dirt bikes and off-road motorcycles

Off-highway motorcycles are where state rules diverge. Texas requires off-highway motorcycles to be titled but doesn't register them for the road. California gives them an OHV identification instead of regular registration. In North Carolina, a moped is registered on form MVR-58, an affidavit of facts, rather than with a full title. If you plan to ride a dirt bike on public roads, it has to meet your state's equipment rules and be registered as a street motorcycle, which many off-road models can't do.

Motorcycle title rules in a few states

• Texas: motorcycles, autocycles and mopeds share the same title requirements; file Form 130-U with the county tax office.
• California: buyers have 10 days to transfer ownership and sellers 5 days to report the sale; the DMV's own bill of sale is REG 135.
• Colorado: a bill of sale is required when the price isn't on the title, and the state's DR 2173 asks for the engine ID.
• North Carolina: motorcycles are titled and registered much like cars, and the seller's signature on the title must be notarized.

DMV bike registration: bicycles and e-bikes

People sometimes search for DMV bike registration when they mean a bicycle or an e-bike. Most states don't register ordinary bicycles at the DMV, and many classify low-speed e-bikes separately from motorcycles and mopeds. If an e-bike is fast or powerful enough to count as a moped or motorcycle under your state's law, it may need a title, registration and plate like any other motor vehicle, so check the definitions before you ride it on the road.

Moving to a new state with your motorcycle

When you move, you title and register the motorcycle in your new state, usually within 30 to 60 days of becoming a resident. Bring the old title, or if a lender holds it, your current registration and the lender's details, and expect a VIN inspection in many states. Ride on your old registration until then, but don't let it lapse. Because a motorcycle's VIN is on the frame rather than the dashboard, an inspector will look at the steering head, so make sure it's clean and readable before the appointment.

A quick checklist before you ride away

• The VIN on the title matches the frame.
• The title is signed by every owner listed, with your name, the date, the price and the mileage.
• Any loan shown on the title has a signed release.
• You have a bill of sale with the engine number.
• The bike is insured from the moment it leaves.
• You know your state's deadline to title and register it.

Motorcycle title FAQ