Every car, SUV, motorcycle, RV, and other vehicle type has a title assigned to it. Whoever holds the certificate of title, in paper form or electronic, has ownership of the vehicle. When a vehicle is financed, meaning it still has a loan attached to it, the ownership of the car (and therefore title) goes to the financial institution that lent the funds in the first place. You could still drive the car, but you don’t technically own it until its paid off.
Use eTags© to Quickly Complete Your DMV Service. Renewals, Title Transfers and More, All Online!
Use eTags© to Quickly Complete Your DMV Service. Renewals, Title Transfers and More, All Online!
If you buy a set of wheels, the name on the title changes
When a vehicle is bought or sold, the name(s) on the title changes from one owner to the next one. So if a vehicle title is signed over to you, you (the buyer) must transfer the title into your name. If you have a Pennsylvania title, the seller must list your name (as the buyer) and your home address (when they sign it over to you). You, the buyer, must also sign and print your name on the PA title. Those signatures have to be notarized.
Pennsylvania issued front and back license plates for just a few years, between 1946 and 1952; today you only need one plate
You can transfer the certificate of title online or with PA DMV
Your Pennsylvania title transfer can be done online with eTags when you register your vehicle at the same time. Registration goes hand-in-hand with a tittle transfer since most people want to drive their car, not just own it. Your Pennsylvania registration is your license plate and card. You can also title and register your vehicle with PennDot, by walking into a Pennsylvania DMV.
SEE ALSO: HOW TO TITLE AND REGISTER A GIFTED VEHICLE IN PENNSYLVANIA
You can title and register your SUV, pickup truck, or car with eTags online, even if you’re purchasing the vehicle from a business account, meaning that you want the company to own the vehicle, not you individually. eTags has an easy-to-use portal where you just submit a few pieces of information like the vehicle’s VIN number, your contact info and shipping address where the paperwork can be sent.
Since December 31, 2016, Pennsylvania no longer issues car registration stickers for license plates
Don’t forget to insure your newly transferred vehicle
You can upload forms and identification documents on eTags.com like your Pennsylvania driver’s license online, and vehicle PA insurance, since you can’t get your license plate without it. A title transfer with a Pennsylvania certificate of title also requires an application form MV-4ST aka Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration.
Pennsylvania has a 6%-8% sales tax on your purchased car
When someone sells you their vehicle and signs over the certificate of title, you must pay PA state taxes on it (unless you’re exempt for a specific reason and have a “reason code” for it). The sales tax due on the car, SUV, or pickup truck, is 6%. For residents of Allegheny County, the sales tax is 7%, and for those in the City of Philadelphia, it’s 8%.
There are more than 12 million registered vehicles in Pennsylvania. As far as EVs go, there were 29,000 electric passenger vehicles registered in PA as of November 2020— more than double the number in December 2017
Hope this article helps you easily transfer a certificate of title and register your car, SUV, pickup truck or electric vehicle!
