Titling Vehicles in Idaho

PURPOSE:

This fact sheet provides basic information on how to title and register vehicles in Idaho through the mail. The primary focus of this publication is obtaining titles and registrations, recording liens, and obtaining duplicate titles.

CONDITIONS:

Only Idaho residents and businesses may title and register vehicles in Idaho. Idaho residents must title a vehicle within 30 days of acquisition in order to avoid a $20.00 late-filing penalty. An Idaho resident is anyone whose principal home has been in Idaho for 90 continuous days, although residency may be declared at any time earlier, and vehicles may be titled and registered at that time. Idaho residents who are temporarily in another state (i.e., students or military personnel) may request titles and registrations for their vehicle(s) through the mail. Likewise, lienholders located in other states who are financing vehicles for Idaho residents may request titles through the mail.

If there is a lien recorded, the title will be mailed to the lienholder. If there is no recorded lien, the title will be mailed to the registered owner. The registration and license plates will always be issued (and mailed if necessary) to the registered owner.

TITLING PROCEDURE:

Vehicle owners or their lienholders who are requesting titles and registrations for their vehicles should bring with them or send all required documents and fees to the assessor office in the county where the owner's home of record is located. (See County Assessor List for addresses and phone numbers.) Out-of-state dealers who have retailed vehicles to Idaho residents and leasing companies who are leasing to Idaho residents may also send the title documents to these county offices.

The following is a list of required documents and fees:

1. Title (for used vehicles) - must be properly released by the previous owner and lienholder (if any), or Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (for new vehicles) - must be properly released by the dealer and assigned to the owner

2. Bill of Sale - required unless sales price is entered in specified area of title. The Bill of Sale must include vehicle description, sales price, buyer's name, original signature of seller, and date.

3. Odometer Disclosure Statement - required for any transfer of a motor vehicle less than 10 years old and under 16,000 lbs. G.V.W. Disclosure must be entered on the title if there is space for it.

4. Vehicle Identification Number Inspection - completed by an officer of the law, county assessor, motor vehicle inspector, DMV employee, military police officer, or Idaho licensed vehicle dealer.

5. Power of Attorney - include if applying for title through the mail. A Power of Attorney must authorize the County Assessor or another party to sign the application for the owner, and must fully describe the vehicle and be signed by the owner/applicant.

6. Fees - A. Sales tax equal to 6% of the purchase price (minus trade-in if purchased from a licensed dealer), or documentation that at least 6% sales tax was paid to the state of purchase or that the vehicle was purchased by a new resident at least three months prior to moving to Idaho. (The latter exemption does not apply to businesses bringing vehicles to Idaho from a non-taxing state.) A title issued in the applicant's name is sufficient documentation that tax was paid at that state's tax rate.

B. Title fee - $8.00 ($14.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010)

C. Registration fee Since exact fees may vary, contact the county assessor in the county where the vehicle will be registered for this information.

7. Title Application (optional) - Out-of-state dealers, lienholders, and leasing companies may prepare

DUPLICATE TITLES AND CORRECTIONS:

Only the owner or lienholder of record, or their agent, may apply for a duplicate title in Idaho. To properly complete the Application for Duplicate Idaho Title for duplicate Idaho Title, the owner or lienholder of record needs to have both the vehicle identification number and the title number (these can be found on the vehicle's Idaho registration). If that information is not available, the owner of record must submit an Idaho Motor Vehicle Record Request form with a $4.00 ($7.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010) fee. A computer printout showing the requested information will be provided to the owner.

The duplicate application must be completed in full and the applicant's signature must be notarized. In the "current address" section, the address where the title is to be mailed must be listed if it is different from the address on the Idaho title record.

If a lienholder is shown on the title record, the duplicate title will be issued with the same lien, and will be mailed to the lienholder, unless a lien release was reported to the Idaho Transportation Department by the lienholder, or the application is accompanied by either an original satisfaction of lien statement or a copy verified to be a true copy of the original.

If the duplicate application is signed by power of attorney, either the original Power of Attorney must accompany the duplicate application or a copy verified to be a true copy of the original. The fee for a duplicate title is $8.00 ($14.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010). For expedited service, the applicant must pay an additional $15.00 ($26.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010) for a total of $23.00 ($40.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010).

If a title has been issued with an incorrect owner name, lienholder name or vehicle description, the owner or lienholder must resubmit the title. If the title is sent via the mail, the owner or lienholder must include a signed letter of explanation. If the error was caused by faulty information provided on the original application, an $8.00 ($14.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010) title correction fee is required.

RECORDING LIENS:

To record a lien on an existing Idaho title, the lienholder name and address must be printed in the new lienholder section of the title. The title and an $8.00 ($14.00 as of Jan. 1, 2010) fee should be submitted to the county assessor's motor vehicle office or mailed directly to the Idaho Transportation Department, Titles/Dealer Operations Section, at Post Office Box 34, Boise, Idaho 83731-0034.