Selling or junking a car in Michigan

How do I sign over a car title in Michigan?

The seller fills in the seller's part of the original title: an accurate odometer reading, the seller's name, address and signature, and the buyer's name and address. The buyer signs the purchaser section. If there is a lien, the seller also provides a lien termination statement or a title signed off by the lienholder. Odometer: under the federal Truth in Mileage Act, the seller certifies the actual mileage shown at the time of sale; estimates are not accepted, and the reading on the title must match the odometer. The SOS transfer steps do not include a notary. If possible, buyer and seller should go to an SOS office together; the seller can also start an online title transfer after filling out the paper title. The buyer must transfer the title within 15 days or pay a $15 late fee. The transfer fee is $15, plus 6% sales tax.

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

You need a title to sell. Replace a lost title with a duplicate before the sale. The SOS Dealer Manual (Ch. 5, rev. June 2026) says dealers must hold a properly assigned title or other accepted ownership document for every vehicle. The accepted documents are BDVR-141 (seizure/forfeiture), TR-42 (garage keeper's lien), TR-52L (abandoned vehicle bill of sale), TR-10 (repossession) and TR-208 (Certificate of Scrapping). A dealer that crushes vehicles and hauls them to a scrap processor must get ownership through an assigned title or one of these documents. Form TR-9 (Scrap Vehicle Inventory) does not transfer ownership.

How do I get a duplicate title in Michigan?

Apply online through your SOS online account ('Request a Duplicate Title'), or at an SOS office with ID and the VIN. The fee is $15, and the title arrives by mail in about 14 days. A same-day instant title costs $20 and is available only in person at an SOS office. The application form is TR-11L, and only one listed owner needs to sign. Michigan residents living out of state, including military, can apply by mail or fax with the Out of State Resident Duplicate Title Application. To remove a paid-off lien, include the lienholder's termination statement.

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

Michigan has no notice-of-sale or release-of-liability filing. The seller should keep a copy of the completed title and a record of the sale for at least 18 months. Under Michigan law, a seller with proof of sale is not liable for damages or violations if the buyer fails to transfer the title.

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

Plates stay with the seller, who must remove them before the buyer takes the vehicle. The exception is a sale to an immediate family member, where the plate may stay on. The seller may transfer the plate to another vehicle. A plate the seller won't reuse should be destroyed by cutting or bending it, or recycled. The buyer may drive the vehicle home without a plate for 3 days by the most direct route, carrying the assigned title and proof of insurance.

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

A salvage title is issued when damage is 75% to under 91% of the vehicle's pre-damage value. A scrap title is issued at 91% or more. A scrap-titled vehicle can never be retitled or driven again. Owners, insurers or dealers apply with the Michigan Salvage or Scrap Title Application (TR-12), with the title, an insurer's damage certification and a $15 fee. When selling an older vehicle for scrap, the owner can write 'scrap' or 'junk' on the title so it cannot be retitled. Dealers cancel the VIN by marking SCRAP or JUNK across the title, with their license number and initials, and mailing it to the SOS. Dealers record vehicles sent to a scrap metal processor on form TR-9. A dealer that acquires a late-model vehicle that meets the scrap definition but is not yet titled as scrap must apply for a scrap title within 5 days (MCL 257.217c(5)).

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

A property owner may not claim ownership of a vehicle abandoned on their property. It must be removed and processed under the state's abandoned vehicle law (MCL 257.252a), which covers a vehicle left on private property without the owner's consent. The SOS mails a Notice of Abandoned Vehicle (TR-52E) to the owner of record and any secured party. The owner has 20 days to redeem the vehicle by paying fees, or to contest in court (form DC90). If neither happens, the vehicle may be sold at public auction. The last titled owner is presumed responsible unless they have a record of sale. The civil fine is $50 plus costs.

Official sources

1. Michigan SOS - Buying, selling, or leasing
2. Michigan SOS - Titles (salvage, scrap, rebuilt)
3. Michigan SOS - Title replacement/duplicate
4. Michigan SOS - Titles FAQs
5. Michigan SOS - Abandoned vehicles FAQs
6. Michigan SOS Dealer Manual Chapter 5 - Distressed Vehicles (rev. June 2026)
7. Michigan SOS - Online Title Transfer: Seller Transfer (PDF)
8. MCL 257.217c
9. MCL 257.252a

This guide summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State, SOS) before you sell.