Buying
or selling a vehicle and the process of transferring
the title can be complicated. There are many variables
associated with different types of transactions.
We have attempted to provide a fairly complete guide to the documentation you
will need to complete this process, depending on the nature of the purchase
or sale.
If the following links do not answer all your questions, please feel free to
call our office for additional help. Many of the necessary forms are available
for your convenience.
Never
buy a vehicle if the seller can't show you the title,
unless you can verify that the title is being held by
a lien holder (bank, credit union, etc.)
When buying a vehicle, make sure all previous liens have been properly released.
Various states have different requirements for releasing liens, so it is a
good idea to call our office to find out about the requirements of the state
from which the current title was issued.
You must be a Wyoming resident to obtain a Wyoming certificate of title, and
your physical residence address must be placed on your title. We can not use
a post office box.
On Wyoming titles, all sellers must sign in the presence of a notary. Even
in cases where there are two names joined by OR (example John or Jane Doe),
both parties must sign the seller's block on the reverse side of the title
and both signatures must be notarized.
If the title you receive is from any state other than Wyoming, you must have
the vehicle identification number (VIN) inspected by a law enforcement officer
(Cheyenne Police Department, Laramie County Sheriff's Department, Wyoming Highway
Patrol). Be prepared to provide proof of ownership (dealer's invoice or bill
of sale) and identification.
If the vehicle you purchase was manufactured within the past 10 years, you
must have a conforming odometer statement and
a damage disclosure statement signed by both
the seller and the buyer.
Licensed Wyoming dealers are authorized to issue a 45-day temporary permit for
the vehicles they sell. There is no extension beyond the 45 days.
When buying a vehicle from any licensed Wyoming auto dealer, you must be provided
with a Wyoming Sales/Use Tax form. This form pertains to the sales tax due
to the Treasurer's Office, and a copy must accompany your title work.
Wyoming law requires that when an out-of-state title carries
a brand it must be placed on the new Wyoming title. In
other words, if your out-of-state title has "salvage," "rebuilt," "flood," etc.
typed on it, your Wyoming title will also have any such
designation on it.
Always bring your identification with you when visiting the title office.
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Titling
New Vehicles from Manufacturer's Statement
of Origin |
In
most cases, the dealer from whom you purchase the new
vehicle will forward your paperwork to our office or
to your bank or credit union if the vehicle is financed.
When we receive the documentation, we will notify you by
mail to come to our office and sign a purchaser's application.
In some cases, the dealer or lender may have you sign the
application and you need only obtain a copy of the title
or title receipt from the lender or our office to use when
registering the vehicle with the Treasurer's Office and
obtaining or transferring license plates. If, however,
you are coming to our office to transfer the MSO into your
name, you will need the following:
- The
original Manufacturer's Statement of Origin properly
signed by the dealership
- The
Wyoming Sales/Use Tax form provided by the dealer
- A
Wyoming damage disclosure
statement
- An odometer
disclosure statement or
the odometer disclosure portion of the MSO
properly completed.
- An
Affidavit of Vehicle Valuation - this
document states the manufacturer's suggested
retail price of the vehicle, not necessarily
the price paid for the vehicle and is
the basis on which the Treasurer's Office will
compute the cost of license plates
- The
actual purchase invoice from the dealer and proof
of insurance are required by the Treasurer's Office
in order to transfer or issue license plates
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Titling
Previously-Owned Vehicles with a Wyoming Title |
To transfer
the title of a previously-owned vehicle which is currently
titled in the state of Wyoming, you will need the following:
- Original
Wyoming title signed by all parties whose names appear
on the title. All parties must
sign in front of a notary. Even if the names on the title appear as
John OR Jane Doe, both parties must sign as seller's on the title and
have their signatures notarized. Any liens which appear on the front
of the title must be properly released by a deputy county clerk OR
you must be provided with a lien release or termination statement from
the lien holder.
- The odometer
disclosure on
the title must be properly completed or a separate
odometer disclosure statement must be presented. Check the odometer
information on the title. It must conform to
federal standards by reading as follows: I hereby state
that the odometer now reads (no tenths) and to the best of
my knowledge reflects the actual mileage of the
vehicle . . . If the statement does not include the (no tenths),
a separate statement is required. This is not
necessary if the model year is more than 10 years old.
- A damage
disclosure statement which
informs the buyer whether or not the vehicle
has sustained damage in excess of $4000 in
any single occurrence due to collision, flood, weather,
fire, or vandalism. This is not necessary if
the model year is more than 10 years old.
- If
the vehicle is purchased from a dealer, you must
have a Wyoming Sales/Use tax form and present it
with the above documents. This is not required
if the vehicle was purchased from an individual. If
purchased from a dealer, you may also be provided
with a Dealer Reassignment Form which the dealer
may have you sign and have your signature notarized.
- If
purchased from a dealer, you will need the dealer's
purchase invoice and proof of insurance to obtain
or transfer license plates. If purchased from an
individual, you will need a bill of sale and, while
not required, it is a good idea to have the seller's
signature on the bill of sale notarized.
- If
purchased from an individual or not provided with a
Wyoming Dealer's Reassignment Form, at least one of
the buyer's must sign the purchaser's application and
have their signature notarized. This can be done in
our office and a deputy clerk will provide the notary
service, but you must present a driver's license or
other form of identification at that time.
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Titling
Previously-Owned Vehicles with an Out-of-State
Title |
Quite
often, the title you receive from the seller may be
one issued from a neighboring state such as Colorado
or Nebraska. Some states no longer require the seller's
signatures to be notarized on the title. A good rule of
thumb is if the title contains a place for a notary, have
the seller's signatures notarized. You will need the following:
- Original title properly signed by the seller(s) and
clear of all liens or a lien release/termination statement.
- The odometer disclosure on the title must be properly
completed or a separate odometer
disclosure statement must be presented. Check
the odometer information on the title. It must
conform to federal standards by reading as follows:
I hereby state that the odometer now reads (no
tenths) and to the best of my knowledge reflects
the actual mileage of the vehicle . . . If the
statement does not include the (no tenths), a separate
statement is required. This is not necessary if
the model year is more than 10 years old.
- A damage disclosure statement which
informs the buyer whether or not the vehicle
has sustained damage in excess of $4000 in any single
occurrence due to collision, flood, weather, fire,
or vandalism. (If the vehicle is purchased from an
out-of-state dealer, you may sign the buyer's waiver
portion of the statement). This is not necessary
if the model year is more than 10 years old.
- If the vehicle is purchased from a Wyoming dealer,
you must have a Wyoming Sales/Use tax form and present
it with the above documents. This is not required
if the vehicle was purchased from an individual or
from an out-of-state dealer. If purchased from a
dealer, you may also be provided with a Dealer Reassignment
Form which the dealer may have you sign and have
your signature notarized.
- If the vehicle is NOT purchased from a Wyoming dealer,
a vehicle identification number (VIN) inspection
completed by a law enforcement officer. This may
be done by the Cheyenne Police Department (2101 Capitol
Avenue), the Laramie County Sheriff's Department
(1900 Pioneer Avenue), or the Wyoming Highway Patrol
(5300 Bishop Boulevard). Be prepared to provide proof
of ownership (dealer's invoice or bill of sale) and
identification.
- If purchased from a dealer, you will need the dealer's
purchase invoice and proof of insurance to obtain
or transfer license plates. If purchased from an
individual, you will need a bill of sale and, while
not required, it is a good idea to have the seller's
signature on the bill of sale notarized.
- If
purchased from an individual or not provided with a
Wyoming Dealer's Reassignment Form, at least one of
the buyer's must sign the purchaser's application and
have their signature notarized. This can be done in
our office and a deputy clerk will provide the notary
service, but you must present a driver's license or
other form of identification at that time.
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Non-Negotiable
Title for Registration Purposes Only |
When moving
to the state of Wyoming, state law requires that you
register your vehicle and obtain Wyoming license plates
within 30 days. If your out-of-state title is held
by a bank, credit union, or other lien holder, you
may apply for a non-negotiable title for registration
purposes only. This title can not be used to sell or transfer
the vehicle to another party.
To apply for a non-negotiable title, you must present your
current out-of-state registration and identification at
our office. If your out-of-state registration has expired,
we will have to write to your lien holder. Be prepared
to give us the vehicle year, make, VIN, and the name, address,
and phone number of your lien holder.
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Obtaining
a Duplicate Wyoming Title |
Dplicate
titles can be issued only when the original title has
been lost, destroyed, or mutilated. ALL owners of the
vehicle must sign an application
for duplicate title and have their signatures notarized.
The title will be issued following an 11-day waiting period
required by law.
If there is an unsatisfied lien, a statement
of termination or the lien holder's permission to carry
the lien forward on the duplicate title must accompany
the application. Application can either be made by mail
or in person. If you wish to apply by mail, send the properly
completed, signed, and notarized application along with
a fee of $9.00 to the clerk's office.
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Obtaining
a Wyoming Title for a Vehicle Located Out-of-state |
When
a Laramie County resident purchases a vehicle out-of-state
while on an extended vacation and needs to obtain a
title and license plates for that vehicle, state law
now allows a means to do so.
In addition to a properly signed title or MSO, an odometer
disclosure statement , a damage disclosure statement ,
and a purchaser's application , an out-of-state
vehicle identification number inspection is required.
This VIN inspection can be done by any law enforcement officer or a commissioned
military officer. The signature of the person performing the inspection MUST
be notarized.
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Sales
tax on motor vehicles is due within 45 days of the
date of purchase or penalties and interest will be
assessed by the County Treasurer. If for some reason,
you are unable to obtain the title to your vehicle within
the 45 days, you can avoid penalties and interest by paying
the sales tax. To do so, you will need to provide the Treasurer's
Office with the dealer's purchase invoice or a notarized
bill of sale from an individual.
The County Clerk must have proof from the County Treasurer
that sales tax has been paid before the title can be released.
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| Auto
Title - Negotiable |
9.00 |
| Auto
Title - Duplicate |
9.00 |
| Auto
Title - Nonnegotiable |
9.00 |
| Copy
and Handling Fee |
1.00 |
| VIN
Inspection |
5.00 |
| Filing
New Lien |
10.00 |
| Filing
Amendment to Lien |
5.00 |
| Filing
Assignment of Lien |
5.00 |
| Filing
Continuation of Lien |
5.00 |
| Filing
Transfer of Equity |
5.00 |
(Releasing
a lien filed prior to July, 1993 requires
a $5.00 fee, all other releases are no charge.) |
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Auto Titles