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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