Michigan Title Transfer

By Mohamed SkhiriUpdated November 8, 2026Checked against the Michigan Department of State

Michigan's Secretary of State handles titles and plates, and its rules for a private sale are short and strict: the buyer has 15 days, and the seller should keep proof of the sale. Since 2024, the department also offers an online title transfer for straightforward sales between two Michigan residents. The department's own advice is still that the seller go to the office with the buyer, which is the safest way to make sure the title is transferred properly.

Michigan car title transfer at a Secretary of State office

1. The seller signs the title over, filling in the buyer's name, the date, the price and the odometer reading where required.
2. The buyer completes the Michigan title application, the Application for Michigan Title & Registration (RD-108), which also records a plate transfer if you're moving a plate from another vehicle.
3. The buyer brings everything to an office within 15 days: the signed title, ID, proof of Michigan insurance and payment.
4. Pay the fees and tax. The title transfer fee is $15 ($16 if a lien is added), plus 6% sales tax on the full purchase price or the fair market value, whichever is greater, plus any plate or registration fees.

Miss the 15 days and a $15 late fee is added. If the buyer and seller go to the office together, the clerk can catch problems with the title while the seller is still there to fix them.

Can you transfer a title online in Michigan?

Yes, if your sale fits the rules. The Michigan Department of State's online title transfer works only when:

• Both the seller and the buyer have a Michigan driver's license or state ID and an online services account.
• It's a sale between one individual seller and one individual buyer.
• The vehicle is a car, minivan, SUV, motorcycle, pickup or van.
• The vehicle has a Michigan paper title, not an electronic one.
• The buyer isn't financing the purchase.

How the online route works, step by step:

1. The buyer requests a buyer code by entering the VIN. The code is valid for 48 hours.
2. The seller completes their part of the title transfer online.
3. The buyer finishes within 48 hours of the seller completing their portion, uploading photos of the front and back of the title, their license, and a lien release if the lienholder didn't sign the title.
4. The department reviews it within three business days. If it's denied, the vehicle stays in the seller's name and the buyer has to visit an office.

The 15-day deadline still applies to an online transfer.

Protecting yourself as a Michigan seller

Michigan puts real weight on the seller's paperwork. The Secretary of State advises sellers to keep a copy of the title and a record of the sale for at least 18 months, and says sellers with proof of sale aren't liable for damages or violations if the buyer fails to transfer the title. A signed bill of sale with the date and the buyer's details is that proof.

If you want to keep your plate for another vehicle, ask about a plate transfer; in Michigan it's recorded on the title application for the vehicle it moves to.

Out of state title transfer in Michigan

For a Michigan out of state title transfer, whether you've moved here or bought a car titled elsewhere, plan on a visit to a Secretary of State office: the online route only works with Michigan paper titles. Bring the out-of-state title (or ask the lender holding it to send it), your ID, proof of Michigan insurance and payment. The checklist above, with "moving to Michigan" selected, lists the rest.

Selling to a dealer or trading in

When a licensed dealer buys your car or takes it in trade, the dealer handles the paperwork for the next owner. You still sign the title over, so bring it with you along with any lien release, and keep a copy of the purchase or trade-in agreement for your records. If you still owe money on the car, the dealer usually pays off the loan as part of the deal; make sure the payoff amount is written into the agreement.

If the title is lost

A title can't be signed over if nobody has it. The owner shown on the record files a Michigan duplicate title application first, through the Secretary of State's title replacement service, and only then sells. Buyers shouldn't pay for a car on the promise that the title will follow.

Before you pay: a buyer's checks

Transferring a car's title in Michigan goes smoothly when the title itself is in order. Before money changes hands:

• Match the names. The seller should be the owner printed on the title, with ID to prove it.
• Match the VIN. Compare the title with the plate at the base of the windshield and the sticker on the driver's door.
• Look for a lien. If a lender is listed, you need its signature on the title or a separate lien release; the online route asks you to upload it.
• Watch for alterations. Erasures or crossed-out names can make a title unusable.
• Agree on the price in writing. Tax is based on the price or the fair market value, whichever is greater, so an artificially low number doesn't help.

Common Michigan mistakes

• Letting the 15 days slip. The late fee is small, but the car stays in the seller's name in the meantime.
• Starting an online transfer that doesn't qualify. Financed purchases, electronic titles and sales with more than one buyer or seller go to an office.
• Missing the 48-hour window. Online, the buyer code and the buyer's step each expire after 48 hours.
• Sellers throwing away their records. Keep the paperwork for at least 18 months.

What do I need to transfer a title in Michigan? A quick list

• The Michigan title, signed over by the seller
• An RD-108 Application for Michigan Title & Registration
• Your driver's license or state ID
• Proof of Michigan insurance
• A lien release, if a loan is shown
• Payment: $15 title fee, 6% tax and plate fees

For any other state, use the title transfer checklist.

Michigan car title replacement

The Secretary of State replaces a lost or damaged title for $15, mailed in about 14 days, or issues an instant title the same day for $20 in total. Which route you can use depends on your situation:

• Online: on the Online Services page, choose "Request a Duplicate Title" under Vehicle Transactions and sign in. It isn't available if you changed your address in the last 10 days, or if an appointment of agent or power of attorney is on file.
• Same day at a branch: the owner has to appear in person for an instant title, and can't send an agent. That's the only same-day title replacement Michigan offers; online orders are always mailed.
• Who can apply: only the owner listed on the title. If there's a lien, the replacement goes to the lienholder.

So for a lost vehicle title in Michigan, the online order is cheapest and easiest, and the branch visit is the fix when you need the replacement title in Michigan today.

Searching a Michigan title record

A title search on someone else's vehicle goes through the Department of State's record lookup request, form BDVR-154, at $15 per record ($16 certified), charged even if no record is found. Without a permissible use under the federal privacy law, the personal information is redacted. There's no free Michigan vehicle title search for another person's car; for your own, your registration and title already carry the details. Our Michigan license plate lookup page covers the same request in more depth.

Applying for a Michigan title after a purchase

The application for title in Michigan after a purchase is handled at a Secretary of State office with the signed title, as described above; the form many people call the Michigan title app is completed with the clerk.

Michigan title transfer FAQ