Pennsylvania is one of the states that still requires the seller's signature on a vehicle title to be notarized. The transfer itself is then processed through a PennDOT authorized agent (a tag service or dealer), so the usual rhythm is: notarize the title, then both parties go to the agent, or the buyer does.
Because PennDOT works from the physical title and an ink notarization, titles are mobile-only. I meet buyers and sellers at homes, workplaces and dealership lots across Philadelphia and the suburbs, usually the same day.
What it is
The certificate of title is PennDOT's ownership document for a car, truck, motorcycle, trailer or boat trailer. On the back is an assignment section where the seller signs the vehicle over to the buyer. Related documents: bills of sale, lost-title and lien-release affidavits, and odometer statements.
Who signs, and who has to be there
The seller (every owner printed on the front of the title) signs the assignment in my presence. If two names are joined by 'and,' both must sign. The buyer's information is completed at the same time, and the buyer usually signs the application at the agent. Both need photo ID; the seller's must be present for the notarization.
The notarial act
An acknowledgment of each seller's signature on the assignment, in ink, with my stamp in the space PennDOT provides. One owner, one act; two owners, two acts. I can't tell you whether this is the right document for your situation or what it does legally; that's for an attorney. I can tell you what the law requires for the notarization itself.
Online or in person?
No. PennDOT's title process is paper-based and the transfer is completed in person by an authorized agent, so the assignment must be notarized in ink on the original title. Book a mobile visit; it's $5 per signature plus travel, and the whole thing takes ten minutes.
Pennsylvania notes
- PennDOT requires the seller's signature on the title assignment to be notarized; the transfer and new title application are then processed by an authorized agent, not by a notary.
- Errors, erasures or alterations on a Pennsylvania title void the assignment; a duplicate title must be ordered before the sale can proceed.
- Gift transfers between family members use PennDOT's affidavit of gift, which is a sworn statement I can notarize as a jurat.
- A lost-title affidavit is a sworn statement; the seller signs it in my presence under oath.
Common mistakes
- Signing the title before the appointment. A pre-signed title is void in Pennsylvania and you'll need a duplicate.
- Corrections or white-out on the assignment, which voids it.
- Only one of two owners signing.
- Forgetting the lien release when the title shows a lender.
- Writing in the buyer section before confirming the buyer's legal name.
A notary public is not an attorney and cannot give legal advice, choose your certificate, or complete the document for you. This guide is preparation, not advice; your attorney or the recipient decides what the document must contain.