Title Transfers in Mississippi

How to Complete a DMV Title Transfer in Mississippi
  1. The seller must properly sign the title over to the buyer.
  2. Complete an Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 78-015).
  3. Buyer must pay the $9 title transfer fee plus registration fees and/or taxes.

Keep reading for more details about MS title transfers.

Buying or Selling a Vehicle

After purchasing or selling any type of motor vehicle vehicle in Mississippi, you'll be required to complete a DMV title transfer with the Mississippi Department of Revenue (DOR).

The DOR also requires titles for the following vehicles:

  • Manufactured homes.
  • Trailers weighing over 5,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight (GVW).

Titles for the following vehicles are optional:

  • Vehicles manufactured before 1969.
  • All terrain vehicles (ATVs).

For information about DMV title transfers for special vehicles—including manufactured homes, scooters, and boats—visit the MS DOR website.

Dealership Sales

When you purchase your vehicle from a car dealership, the dealer will submit the title application for you.

Afterwards, you'll need to take the yellow copy of the title application to your local MS tax collector's office when you register your vehicle.

Private Car Sales

Anytime you buy or sell a vehicle in a private-party sale, you'll need to work with the other party to handle the car title transfer.

Selling a Vehicle

If you are the seller, you'll need to provide the following to the buyer:

  • The completed title assigned to the buyer.
    • If you do not have the title, you'll need to order a duplicate before you can complete the transaction.
  • A bill of sale, if there is no space to record the sale price on the title.
  • An Affidavit of Relationship, if the buyer is a relative (available at all county tax collector locations in Mississippi).

Remove the plates from the vehicle once the auto title transfer is complete and you have delivered the vehicle (or trailer) to the buyer.

For specific questions, contact the MS DOR offices directly.

NOTE: You may want to make a copy of both the front and back of the title for your records, once the title has been assigned.

Buying a Vehicle

If you havebought a vehicle, you'll apply for a DMV title transfer by doing the following:

NOTE: If you did not receive or the seller cannot obtain a title, please contact the Title Bureau at (601) 923-7640.

Visit our Car Registration page to learn more about registration requirements.

Buying a Vehicle from Out of State

To complete an auto title transfer for a vehicle you purchased from out-of-state, you'll need:

  • The out-of-state vehicle title.
    • Or the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin, if the vehicle was not titled in the other state.
    • If you did not receive the title from the seller, contact the Title Bureau at (601) 923-7200.
  • The current valid registration receipt.
    • For more details, call the MS Highway Patrol at (601) 987-1212.
  • A completed Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 78-015).
  • Payment for any applicable title transfer fees, registration fees, and taxes.

Submit all of the above to your local Mississippi DOR office in person. You'll also register your vehicle at the DOR office.

The DOR will mail your title within 4 weeks of receiving your title application.

Don't Get Stuck With a Lemon

Order a Vehicle History Report to make sure you know what you're buying. You'll find out about any accidents the vehicle has been in, previous damage, and what repairs have been made.

New to Mississippi?

You must register and title your out-of-state vehicle within 30 days of becoming a resident of Mississippi.

NOTE: If your car has tinted windows, you'll need to have your vehicle inspected before you register it and complete the car title transfer. To find the inspection location nearest you, please contact the Mississippi Highway Patrol at (601) 987-1212.

Visit your county tax collector's office and:

  • Complete an Application for Mississippi Title and License (Form 78-002).
  • Submit the current vehicle title and valid out-of-state registration receipt.
    • In cases where your lienholder has the title, they will need to forward it to the MS DOR.
  • Provide proof of vehicle ownership (e.g., registration receipt or duplicate out-of-state title), if the vehicle is leased or a lienholder holds the vehicle title.
  • Pay any applicable title transfer fees, registration fees and/or taxes.

If your application is complete, the will be issued a license plate on the spot.

In cases where a lien is present, the Department of Revenue (DOR) will hang on to the title application until it receives the out-of-state title from the lienholder.

Inherited Vehicle Title Transfers

After inheriting a vehicle, you'll need to complete a DMV title transfer in person at your local MS county tax collector's office.

You'll need to provide:

  • The current vehicle title:
    • You will need the surviving spouse's signature, if the owners names are separated by “OR," “AND/OR," or “AND."
  • A completed Application for Mississippi Title and License (Form 78-002).
  • A court-endorsed copy of the decedent's will, if the title shows joint ownership with “AND" or “AND/OR."
  • A letter of administration or testamentary to name the new owner, if the will was not probated.
  • An Affidavit When Owner Dies Without a Will (Form 78-014), if the current owner did not have a will.
  • Payment for the title transfer fee, and any other appropriate fees or taxes.

Gifted and Donated Vehicles

NOTE: For information about donating vehicles to a charity, visit our Car Donation page.

To complete an auto title transfer after receiving a vehicle as a gift, you'll follow similar steps to the ones outlined above for a buyer and seller.

You will also need to complete and submit an Affidavit of Relationship (available from the MS DOR) if you are related to the person giving you the vehicle.

For more information, contact the Mississippi DOR.

Fees for MS Title Transfers

You'll pay the following fees when you apply for an original, duplicate, or replacement title in Mississippi:

  • New MS vehicle title: $9.
  • Manufactured home title: $9.
  • Duplicate title: $9.
  • Fast Track service: $30 (in addition to title fee).

Some locations may charge a $1 fee for services.

In addition to title transfer fees, you will also need to pay any required car registration fees.

Mississippi Fast Track Title

If you need your title in a hurry, you can utilize the Mississippi Fast Track program and have your car title transfer application processed within 72 hours.

In addition to your title transfer application documents (above) you'll need:

Mail everything to:

Mississippi Fast-Track Title Program
P.O. Box 22845
Jackson, MS 39225

You can also submit your application in person at:

Title Bureau
500 Clinton Center Drive
Clinton, MS 39056

Change Your MS Vehicle Title

Changing a Name

If you would like to change, add, or delete a name from a vehicle title in Mississippi, you'll need to update your title and registration records in person at your local county tax collector's office.

NOTE: You can add a name to your vehicle title only if the person is a family member (e.g., spouse, child, parent, grandparent, etc.). If adding a non-immediate family member, you must complete an auto title transfer.

You'll need to submit:

  • The current vehicle title.
    • Fill out the information on the back of the title.
    • Record all new owners' names in the "purchaser's name" field.
    • List the lienholder under "reassignments," if a lien is present.
  • An Application for Mississippi Title and License (Form 78-002).
  • A copy of your marriage license or court order, if you're changing your name.
  • Payment for the applicable title fees, taxes, and registration fees.

Correct an Error on a MS Title

If you find an error on your Mississippi vehicle title, you'll need to fix the error and obtain a replacement copy of the title.

To apply for a corrected title in Mississippi, you must:

Replace Your Mississippi Title

If you do not have the title of the vehicle you're selling, you must apply for a duplicate title to complete the DMV title transfer process.

For complete instructions, visit our Replacing a Lost MS Title page.

Forms

78-014
Affidavit When Owner Dies Without a Will
Submit this notarized form to the MS Department of Revenue to indicate who should become owner of a deceased person's vehicle when there is no will.
78-026
Fast Track Replacement Title Application
Request an expedited replacement Mississippi vehicle title from the Department of Revenue.
78-002
Application for Certificate of Title
78-015
Odometer Disclosure Statement
Use this form to state the mileage on a vehicle you're selling in Mississippi.
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