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Selling or junking a car in Montana

What Montana requires when you sell or junk a car: signing the title, selling without one, duplicate titles, release of liability and plates. Each answer links to the official source.

Checked against official sources in October 2026 · Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Titles and registration are processed at County Treasurer offices.

How do I sign over a car title in Montana?

Only the owner on the title, or a licensed dealer, may sell. Every owner listed on the title signs it over to the buyer in front of a notary public. Fill in all fields in blue or black ink; white-out or erasing or scratching out entries voids the title. The buyer's name and address must be written on the title, and the signed title goes to the buyer at delivery (MCA 61-3-220). Odometer: the seller records the reading on the title (MCA 61-3-206). Exempt: model year 2010 and older, 2011 and newer once 20 years old, and vehicles over 16,000 lbs. Release any lien first, or give the buyer a Release of Security Interest or Lien (MV37A). The buyer has 40 days to title the vehicle.

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

MVD tells an owner who lost the title to apply for a replacement (Form MV7) before selling. A buyer without an assigned title may apply for a title by sworn affidavit (MCA 61-3-208). For vehicles 30 or more years old or worth $1,000 or less, no bond is needed, only proof of value; otherwise a bond is required. Licensed wrecking facilities must keep, for each junk vehicle, the title or another ownership record such as a sheriff's certificate of sale or a notarized bill of sale from the seller (MCA 75-10-512). The MVD bill of sale is Form MV24.

How do I get a duplicate title in Montana?

Use Form MV7, Application for Replacement Certificate of Title. Only one owner needs to sign. Mail it with payment, payable to 'State of Montana', to MVD, P.O. Box 201431, Helena, MT 59620-1431. Since July 1, 2026 the replacement title fee is $5 (MCA 61-3-204), and MVD adds a 3% administration fee. MV7 forms dated 10/25 still show $10.30, the fee before that date.

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

MVD tells sellers to keep a written record of the sale with the buyer's contact information and the vehicle details. Its Seller's Checklist includes a Buyer's Acknowledgment of Delivery of Vehicle & Title for the buyer to sign; the Bill of Sale (MV24) is the more formal record. Removing your plates also protects you from tickets after the sale.

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

Plates belong to the seller, who must remove them as soon as ownership transfers (MCA 61-3-334). If the plates stay on, the seller may be liable for parking or traffic violations after the sale. The seller may move them to another vehicle they own (MCA 61-3-335). The buyer gets new plates at the county treasurer's office.

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

Wrecking facilities need an annual DEQ license ($100). Each quarter they send MVD a list of the junk vehicles they received, with any titles (MCA 61-3-225). An owner (not an insurer) who surrenders the title for a salvage vehicle gets a salvage certificate for a $5 fee (MCA 61-3-211). A salvage vehicle must pass a VIN inspection ($18.50) before it can be titled again (MCA 61-3-223). If a junk vehicle has little parts value, the county junk vehicle program will haul it away at no charge.

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

At the property owner's request, the sheriff, city police or tribal police may remove a vehicle left on private property for 5 or more days (MCA 61-12-401). Before a sale, the registered owner and any lienholder get a certified letter at least 30 days ahead (60 days in some cases); if they can't be identified, one newspaper notice is enough (MCA 61-12-402). DEQ tells property owners to contact local law enforcement about junk vehicles abandoned on their land.

Official sources

  1. MVD - Buying and Selling a Vehicle in Montana (quick reference guide)
  2. MVD - Selling Your Vehicle in Montana Checklist
  3. MT DOJ - Buying and Selling a Vehicle brochure (2014)
  4. MVD - Bill of Sale (MV24)
  5. MVD - Application for Replacement Certificate of Title (MV7)
  6. MCA 61-3-204
  7. MCA 61-3-206 Odometer disclosure
  8. MCA 61-3-208
  9. MCA 61-3-211
  10. MCA 61-3-220
  11. MCA 61-3-223
  12. MCA 61-3-225
  13. MCA 61-3-334
  14. MCA 61-3-335
  15. MCA 61-12-401
  16. MCA 61-12-402
  17. MCA 75-10-512
  18. Montana DEQ - Motor Vehicle Wrecking & Disposal

This guide summarizes public rules and is not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Titles and registration are processed at County Treasurer offices. before you sell.

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