Selling or junking a car in Massachusetts

How do I sign over a car title in Massachusetts?

The seller fills in the Assignment of Title on the back of the Massachusetts certificate of title: the sale date, purchase price, odometer reading, and the buyer's and seller's names, addresses and signatures. Buyer and seller both sign, hand print their names and date the transfer. If the title has a space for the price, it must be filled in; if not, the buyer needs a bill of sale showing the price. Federal and Massachusetts law require the seller to state the mileage, and no seller may roll back an odometer. The RMV's transfer steps do not call for a notary. The RMV rejects ownership documents with erasures, white-out or alterations. The buyer must title the vehicle within 10 days of purchase.

Can I sell or junk a car without a title in Massachusetts?

Not for a titled vehicle. Every titled vehicle must have a certificate of title that is properly endorsed at the time of sale, so an owner who lost the title should get a replacement first. Passenger vehicles from model year 1980 or older that were bought before November 26, 1990 are exempt from titling. For those, the previous owner's registration plus a bill of sale takes the place of the title. Anyone who takes a vehicle to junk or scrap must surrender the title, salvage title, or (for title-exempt vehicles) the last registration to the RMV, so a junk buyer will need one of those documents.

How do I get a duplicate title in Massachusetts?

The replacement title fee is $25. Online: log in to a MyMassGov account, give the VIN or title number and your Massachusetts driver's license number, and pay. By mail: send a duplicate title application with a $25 check or money order payable to MassDOT to Registry of Motor Vehicles, Title Division, P.O. Box 55885, Boston, MA 02205-5885. If a paid-off loan is still on the title, include the original lien release letter from the lender on its letterhead; faxes and photocopies are not accepted. A mutilated title must be sent in with the application. The duplicate can take up to 10 business days to arrive.

Do I need to file a release of liability in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts has no separate notice-of-sale form. The seller cancels the registration instead. Cancel online for free through MyMassGov with the plate number, an email address, your license or ID number and the last 4 digits of your SSN. If the vehicle has 2 owners, use the paper Affidavit for Cancellation of Registration, signed by both. Keep the Registration Cancellation Receipt and give a copy to your insurer. A registration that is not cancelled keeps generating excise tax bills. Cancelling supports an excise tax abatement request but does not guarantee one.

What do I do with the plates after selling a car in Massachusetts?

The plates stay with the seller and do not go with the car. They do not have to be returned to the RMV. After cancelling the registration, recycle or destroy the plates, for example by cutting them in half.

What happens to the title when a car is junked or salvaged in Massachusetts?

Under M.G.L. c.90D §20E, whoever takes possession of a vehicle to junk or scrap it must surrender the Certificate of Title, Salvage Title, or other proof of ownership to the RMV within 10 days. For title-exempt vehicles, the last registration counts as proof of ownership. The RMV requires the Junking or Scrapping a Motor Vehicle form, mailed with the title to the RMV Title Division, P.O. Box 55885, Boston, MA 02205-5885. That form is signed under penalty of perjury. Instead of the form, a salvager can stamp 'JUNKED' on the title or registration, with the salvager's name, an agent's signature and the date. The RMV then marks the record 'JUNK', and the vehicle can never be titled or registered in Massachusetts again. The VIN must stay attached to the vehicle when it is destroyed. For a total loss, the owner or insurer must apply for a Salvage Title within 10 days of the settlement (or of the event, if uninsured). A 'parts only' salvage vehicle can never be retitled. A repairable salvage vehicle must pass a $50 State Police salvage inspection before it can be driven.

What can I do about an abandoned vehicle on my property in Massachusetts?

Under M.G.L. c.266 §120D, a vehicle may be towed from a private way or improved or enclosed property only if parking there was forbidden, directly or by posted signs, and the local police chief was notified, usually in writing, before removal. Towing without following these rules carries a fine of up to $100. The vehicle's registered owner pays the tow and storage charges, up to limits set in the law. When police have a vehicle towed from an accident scene to a garage (M.G.L. c.255 §39A), the garage notifies the owner by registered mail. After 60 days unclaimed, it can send a 21-day final notice, then sell the vehicle after advertising the sale for 3 weeks in a local newspaper and notifying police.

Official sources

1. Junk vehicles (mass.gov RMV)
2. Junking or Scrapping a Motor Vehicle form
3. M.G.L. c.90D §20E
4. Cancel your vehicle registration (license plates)
5. Affidavit for Cancellation of Registration
6. Replace your vehicle's certificate of title
7. Private Party Car Sales (Office of Consumer Affairs)
8. Vehicle Certificate of Title (title exemptions)
9. Apply for a registration and title for a vehicle purchased from an individual
10. Title types and definitions
11. Apply for a salvage title
12. Salvage inspections
13. M.G.L. c.266 §120D
14. M.G.L. c.255 §39A

This guide summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), a division of MassDOT before you sell.