Maryland dealers will usually handle the titling and registration of your vehicle for you. The dealer will provide you with a bill of sale and temporary (cardboard) or permanent (metal) license plates before you drive the vehicle off the lot. The Maryland Certificate of Title will be printed and mailed to you later. If a lien is placed against your title, a Maryland Security Interest Filing (SIF) will be mailed to the lien holder at the same time.

If the dealer does not handle the titling and registration of your vehicle, perhaps because you purchased the vehicle from an out-of-state dealer, you will have to submit the application documents yourself. You can apply in person at any of the MVA’s full service branch offices. You also can mail the documents to the MVA’s Mail In Title Unit in the Glen Burnie office, or go to an MVA licensed tag and title service where they will assist you in applying.

Typically, the title application documents needed (along with payment for taxes and fees) include:

• Proof of ownership – This is the vehicle’s current title that has been properly assigned to you, the owner. Note that if the title was issued in Maryland, it can be used as your application form for titling and registering the vehicle.
• Application form – If the vehicle’s current title was issued in Maryland, use it as your application form by completing the section entitled Application for Title and Registration. If not, use the Application for Certificate of Title. Be sure to include your insurance information. Your policy must conform to Maryland’s minimum liability insurance requirements.
• Bill of sale
• Odometer disclosure statement
• Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate – This is a Maryland State Police form certifying that your vehicle meets Maryland safety standards. If the dealer performed the inspection, the certificate is valid for a period of 6 months from the inspection date, or when the odometer reading advances 1,000 miles from the reading at the time of the inspection, whichever comes first. If you had the inspection performed at another authorized inspection station, it is valid for only 90 days from the date issued.

Under certain circumstances, additional information and/or forms may be required:

• Lien information – If you borrowed money to buy the vehicle, you may need to record your lien information on the application. The MVA Security Interest Filing Form must be used if a second lien is placed against the title.
• Power of attorney – If someone other than you, the new owner, is signing the titling forms, this document is required.

Note that if you also intend to register the vehicle (most cases) additional forms are usually needed. Registration requirements vary greatly by the type and intended use of the vehicle. The requirements for most vehicles can be found in Registration – Common Vehicles. 

Your title will be mailed to you regardless of whether you apply through the dealer, or directly to the MVA. The dealer often will be able to provide your registration card, license plates and expiration date stickers when you purchase the vehicle.

• The fee for titling a vehicle typically includes a title fee, excise tax, and a security interest(lien) filing fee if required. 
• The fee for registration varies by the type of vehicle and/or its intended use. See Fees for Registration Plates for more information.

Mailing Address:

MVA Mail In Title Unit
6601 Ritchie Highway, NE
Glen Burnie, MD 21062

For telephone questions:

MVA Customer Service Center:	1-800-950-1MVA(1682)
TTY/Hearing Impaired:	1-800-492-4575
Out-of-State:	1-301-729-4550