No alterations should be made on a Certificate of Title. If this is done, the
title becomes null and void and a replacement title will have to be obtained.
Do not fill in any part of the Assignment or Application (on the reverse
side of the title) unless it is done in the presence of a notary public or
another duly authorized officer with power to administer oaths. All
signatures must be notarized.
Your Certificate of Title must be
procured within 30 days after delivery of the motor vehicle or a $5.00 penalty
will be assessed.
If two names are to appear on the title, both
signatures are required for all transactions in the state of Ohio. A State I.D.
or Ohio License must be presented to the Title Department at time of transfer.
If the vehicle is purchased from a dealer, the dealer is required to
provide you with a title.
Always make a physical inspection of any motor
vehicle you buy, checking the serial number to see that it corresponds with the
serial number on the Certificate of Title.
Selling a Motor Vehicle
Do not
complete the assignment on the reverse side of the Certificate of Title until a
bona fide sale has been made. The buyer's full name (legal name, no
"nicknames"), address, purchase price and mileage (if applicable) must be
inserted before you sign and have it notarized.
Duplicate
Titles
If the original title is lost, stolen or destroyed, you may
obtain a Duplicate, Certificate of Title. You may apply for the Duplicate in any
title office in the state. If the original title is recovered after issuance of
the duplicate, it must be returned to the Auto Title office for cancellation.
Memorandum Certificate
You cannot
transfer ownership of a motor vehicle with a Memorandum Certificate of Title. It
is issued only for the purpose of obtaining license plates when the original
title is held by the lienholder.
Salvaged and Modified Vehicles
When
you dismantle, destroy or change a motor vehicle in such a manner that it is no
longer the motor vehicle described on the Certificate of Title, you must
surrender the Certificate of Title to the Clerk of Courts for cancellation.
When you sell a motor vehicle to a Salvage Dealer, you must surrender
the Certificate of Title to that dealer with the Assignment (on the back of the
title) completely executed.
Trailers
A Certificate of Title is
not required on a Utility Trailer weighing 4,000 pounds, or less, or a boat
trailer. To obtain license plates you must get a weight card from a license
bureau and have the trailer weighed.
Commercial Trailers or
Semi-Trailers weighing in excess of 4,000 pounds, all travel trailers, slide in
truck campers and fold campers must have a Certificate of Title. To sell,
transfer or mortgage such trailers the Certificate of Title must be presented.
Manufactured Homes
The owner of a
manufactured home is required to obtain a Certificate of Title. All Manufactured
Home Titles must have a Tax Approval Stamp from the County Treasurer's Office
where the Manufactured Home is located and the Auditor’s conveyance fee stamp.
Recreational Vehicles
Recreational
vehicles are defined by law as vehicular portable structures designed and
constructed to be used as temporary dwellings for travel, recreational and
vacation use. Recreational vehicles are titled as travel trailers, motor homes,
or truck campers, depending upon whether they are self-propelled, not
self-propelled, or designed to be attached to a motor vehicle.
Death of Vehicle Owner
The
surviving spouse can take title to two vehicles, passenger or pickup truck (the
combined value not exceed $40,000.00) if it is not disposed of by a will. One
boat and one motor may also be titled by the surviving spouse. This can be done
by Surviving Spouse Affidavit, Death Certificate and the application portion of
the Certificate of Title, properly completed. Other transfers must be
accompanied by the proper entry from probate court.
A vehicle can be
titled to two owners as joint tenants with rights of survivorship. While both
parties are living, both signatures are required for all transactions. When one
of the party passes away, the survivor may bring the title and a copy of the
Death Certificate to transfer the Title to the survivor.
You may also complete an affidavit for
designation of beneficiary if you are the sole owner of a motor vehicle or
watercraft. This will allow the
beneficiary or beneficiaries to bring in a certified copy of the death
certificate and the title and apply for title in their names or names. Any liens that may exist on the owner’s title
will move to the new beneficiary’s title.
Mortgages on a Motor Vehicle
If you
use your motor vehicle as collateral for a loan, always insist upon getting a
memorandum Certificate of Title with which you can obtain license plates.
Upon satisfaction of the mortgage, you will receive the original
Certificate of Title from the lending institution properly discharged with the
lien canceled by the Clerk of Courts.
Power of Attorney
No Person can
sign for you without a notarized Power of Attorney. This form is available at
all Auto Title offices or from our web page, under “Forms”.
Buying a Motor Vehicle in Ohio that Carries an
Out-Of-State Registration
If a car is purchased in Ohio from someone
holding a title from another state, it is not necessary for the seller to obtain
an Ohio Certificate of Title prior to transfer. Notarization may be made by an
Ohio Notary Public in good standing on the Certificate of Title from another
state, provided the seller has a valid Certificate of Title and makes the proper
assignment to you. Some states do not
require the assignment to be notarized. This transaction can also be handled at
the Clerk of Courts Auto Title office.
Buying a Motor Vehicle Out-Of-State that
Carries an Out-Of-State Registration
If a motor vehicle is purchased
in another state from a private party, it is necessary for the seller to
assign the title to you and have it notarized. The notarization may be made
by a Notary Public of that state or by an Ohio Notary Public. Be sure the Notary
Public's Seal is affixed. Notarization is not required on the assignment of
titles in some states. In those instances, the Title office will accept those
titles without notarization. If the vehicle is registered in a non-title state,
the seller's Certificate of Registration along with a notarized Bill of Sale is
required.
Out-Of-State Vehicle Inspection
Any
vehicle transferring from an out-of-state title to an Ohio Title must be
physically inspected. This may be done at a Deputy Registrar’s or New Car
Dealer’s place of business.
Locations of inspection stations in Fairfield
County may be obtained by calling the Clerk of Courts Auto Title Department.
Sales and Use Tax
According to Ohio
Sales Tax Law, the Clerk of Courts is required to collect tax for the State of
Ohio, based on the purchase price of the vehicle. The tax rate in Fairfield
County is 6.75% except those residents in the COTA area. Those are the portions of the cities of
Columbus and Reynoldsburg, located in Fairfield County. That tax rate is 7%. Tax
is also collected on the purchase of a vehicle for use or storage in Ohio.
Titling Boats and Outboard Motors
A
Certificate of Title is required on all boats 14 feet long or greater and all
outboard motors 10 HP or greater. Canoes and kayaks are not
titled.
Watercraft titles will be issued by the Clerk of Courts in the
County of your residence regardless of the location of the
boat.
Effective January 1, 2000, watercraft less than 14 feet in length
with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion of 10 HP or more will
be required to be titled. This includes wave runners, jet skis and jet
boats.
If the watercraft was owned prior to January 1, 2000, no title is
required until sold, mortgaged or otherwise disposed of (ORC 1548.21).
If
a title has not been previously issued in Ohio, the owner may present a
manufactures statement of origin, a sworn statement (if owned prior to January
1, 2000), bill of sale or Certificate of Title.
For Out-of-State
watercraft, the owner must present evidence of ownership required by law of the
state from which the watercraft is coming into Ohio.
Hull Identification Number
All
boats manufactured on or after November 1,1972 are required to have a Hull
Identification Number of no less then 12 characters. Call the boat manufacturer to obtain a
12-digit HIN if your boat doesn’t have one..
If the boat manufacturer is out of business, contact the Division of
Watercraft to schedule a HIN inspection.
If your boat was manufactured before November1, 1972,you must have a
12-digit HIN in order to title or transfer ownership of your boat. If your boat does not have a 12-digit HIN
contact the Division of Watercraft to schedule a HIN inspection. The phone number for the Division of
Watercraft is 1-877-4BOATER
Payment of Ohio Sales and Use
Tax
Fees for titles/title related and taxes may be paid by cash,
money order, check, Visa or MasterCard.
Fees for Title Service
Ohio Revised Code directs the Clerk of
Courts to collect the following fees for titling services. (The fees are the
same for both motor vehicle and watercraft.)
|
Certificate of
Title |
$5.00 |
|
Duplicate Title |
$5.00 |
|
Memorandum Title |
$5.00 |
|
Salvage Title |
$4.00 |
|
Duplicate
Memorandum |
$5.00 |
|
Notation of Lien |
$5.00 |
|
Cancellation of
Lien |
N.C. |
|
Out-of-State
Inspection (Clerk's fee only) |
$1.50 |
|
Late Fee |
$5.00 |
|
Archive Fee (Mobile
Homes) |
$5.00 |
|
Notary Fee |
$1.00 |
|
Certified Copies |
$2.00 |
|
