Titling Vehicles in Idaho

PURPOSE:

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

CONDITIONS:

Generally, only Idaho residents and businesses may title and register vehicles in Idaho. 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. Out-of-state residents may title and register a vehicle in Idaho only when the vehicle will remain in Idaho throughout the entire year.

If there is a lien recorded, the title will be mailed or electronically transmitted 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:

If an Idaho resident purchases a vehicle from an Idaho dealer, that dealer will prepare an application for title for the owner and file it with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) or a county assessor motor vehicle office within 30 days of delivery. If the vehicle was purchased from an out-of-state dealer or from a private party, and a financial institution is recording a lien, they may file the application for title. Otherwise the buyer must file the following documents with a county assessor’s motor vehicle office within 30 days of transfer to avoid a $20.00 late-filing penalty:

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 - must include vehicle description, sales price, buyer’s full legal name, original signature of seller, and date. A bill of sale is not required if the seller has entered the sales price on the title in a space dedicated for this information.

3. Odometer Disclosure - 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.

4. Vehicle Identification Number Inspection - completed by an officer of the law, DMV employee, military police officer, or Idaho licensed vehicle dealer. (Out-of-state lienholders: If the vehicle and owner are in Idaho, the Vehicle Identification Number inspection can often be performed by the County Assessor’s office, Sheriff’s office, or City Police Department where the owner resides.)

5. 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 at least three months prior to the date the purchaser moved to Idaho. (The latter exemption does not apply to businesses bringing vehicles to Idaho from a non-taxing state.) In most cases, a taxing state’s title issued in the applicant’s name is sufficient documentation that tax was paid at that state’s tax rate.

B. Title fee - $14.00

C. Registration fee (see Registering Vehicles in Idaho Fact Sheet).

6. Power of Attorney - include if applying for a title with a county assessor’s motor vehicle office through the mail. This authorizes the County Assessor to sign the application for the owner. The Power of Attorney must fully describe the vehicle and be signed by the owner/applicant.

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

DUPLICATE TITLES

Only the owner or lienholder of record, or their agent or legal representative may apply for a duplicate title in Idaho. To properly complete the duplicate application, 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 $7.00 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 or witnessed by an ITD employee or agent.

If a lienholder is shown on the title record, the duplicate title will be issued with the same lien, and will be mailed or electronically transmitted to the lienholder, unless the application is accompanied by either an original satisfaction of lien statement or a copy verified to be a true copy of the original, the lienholder has released the lien on the duplicate Idaho title application, or the lienholder has recorded a lien release on the title record at ITD.

A duplicate title application may be submitted by the owner or lienholder of record, transferring ownership to another party, for certain types of vehicles. This transaction is restricted to vehicles for which federal odometer requirements do not apply. This includes:

• Vehicles 10 years old or older
• Vehicles over 16,000 pounds gross vehicle weight
• Trailers
• Off-highway vehicles (ATVs, motorbikes, UTVs, and snowmobiles that have no odometer device)
• Vessels

If the duplicate application is signed by power of attorney, the signature of the grantor on the power of attorney must be notarized. Either the original Power of Attorney must accompany the duplicate application or a copy verified to be a true and correct copy of the original.

CORRECTIONS

If a title has been issued with an incorrect owner name, lienholder name or vehicle description, the owner or lienholder must resubmit the title and include a signed letter of explanation. If the error was caused by faulty information provided on the original application, a $14.00 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 $14.00 fee may be mailed directly to the Idaho Transportation Department, Vehicle Services Section, at Post Office Box 34, Boise, Idaho 83731-0034, or submitted to your local county assessor’s motor vehicle office.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

You may obtain additional information regarding titles by contacting the county assessor in the county where the vehicle will be registered. You may also contact ITD between the hours of 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Mountain Time, at (208) 334-8663 (for registration information, see the Vehicle Registering Fact Sheet). Additional information and forms are also available on ITD’s web site at dmv.idaho.gov.