No, if the current title is an Alabama ELT there is no cost to print a physical title.

However, once an ELT is printed on physical title paper it can not be printed again. A replacement title application must be applied for if a replacement is needed.

Yes, Alabama does issue ELTs. If a designated agent (non-licensing official) is set-up for ELT, then any titles issued recording their lien will be issued as an ELT.

ALDOR’s titling system, ALVIN, features a VIN decoder that populates this information.

However, there will be occasion where it will not be pre-populated. Sometimes it will populate the information after a vehicle trim is selected.

It is recommended to look up the vehicle year, make, model, and specifications in a Google-type search to see if you are able to find the unladen weight or GVWR.

Another alternative is the NHTSA VIN decoder (https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/decoder/). It will sometimes provide this information for vehicles.

If all else fails and you still can’t determine the unladen weight, then you can enter the same amount as was entered or pre-populated for the GVWR.

To obtain records, please visit the department’s Records Request Portal to electronically submit requests for certified copies of title and/or registration records.

The person or entity in possession of an “unclaimed” or “abandoned” motor vehicle must report the vehicle to the department before a motor vehicle can be sold as an “abandoned” vehicle. To report a vehicle as abandoned or unclaimed, please visit the department’s Unclaimed/Abandoned Vehicle Portal. The reporter is required to follow the instructions that are provided in the Help Section of the Unclaimed/Abandoned Portal.

Unclaimed Motor Vehicles include the following:

• A motor vehicle left unattended on a public road or highway for more than 48 hours.
• A motor vehicle not left on private property for repairs that has remained on private or other public property for a period of more than 48 hours without the consent of the owner or lessee of the property.
• A motor vehicle, left on private property for repairs, that has not been reclaimed within 48 hours from the latter of either the date the repairs were completed or the agreed upon redemption date.
• A motor vehicle left unattended on a public street, road, or highway or other property for a period of at least 48 hours.
• A motor vehicle left unattended because the driver has been arrested or is impaired by an accident or for any other reason which causes the need for the vehicle to be immediately removed as determined necessary by law enforcement.

A list of all unclaimed/abandoned motor vehicles is available to the public through the department’s Unclaimed/Abandoned Vehicle Portal, by selecting the View Reported Unclaimed/Abandoned Vehicles button.

No, the lienholder information is not required in the assignment of the MSO or title, but if it is provided it must agree with the title application.

The odometer reading is not required to be recorded in the assignment of an MSO. However, if the odometer reading is provided in the assignment of the MSO the odometer reading on the title application must be equal to or progressive with the odometer reading in the assignment, unless the vehicle is exempt from mileage. The odometer disclosure section of an MSO or out of state title is not required, by the state of Alabama, to be completed. The odometer reading on all other transfers with a certificate of title require the mileage to be certified, therefore, the mileage on the application must agree exactly with the mileage listed in the title assignment on all other transfers.

Yes, the owner(s) and/or an authorized representative of the firm must sign and date his/her legal signature on the title application.

Yes. The owner name(s) on the title application must be identical to the owner name(s) in the assignment of the MSO, title or any other supporting document. This includes suffixes (Jr., III, etc.). If there is a variance in the owner’s name between the application and the assignment an affidavit attesting to the variance in the name may be provided.

If there is joint-ownership and the names are joined by “or,” only one owner is required to sign the title application.

If there is joint-ownership and the names are joined by “and,” then both owners are required to sign the title application.

No, a bill of sale is not required to be provided for a leased vehicle.

Yes, a physical address located in Alabama must be provided for the owner on the application. A P.O. Box address may be provided for the special mailing address if there is no lienholder listed on the title application.

No, the state of Alabama does not require the assignment of an MSO or title to be notarized.

Yes, the lienholder’s name on the title application must agree exactly with the lienholder’s name provided on the back of the MSO or title.

A manufactured home is a structure defined by and constructed in accordance with the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 and as amended by the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, Title VI 42 U.S. Code, Section 603(6). Manufactured home means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width and 40 body feet or more in length, or, when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling, with or without a permanent foundation, when connected to the required utilities, including the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems. It may be used as a place of residence, business, profession, trade, or for any other purpose, by the owner, lessee, or assigns and may consist of one or more units that can be attached or joined together. A manufactured home bears a HUD Seal affixed to the rear of the home. (Section 32-20-2) For more details please visit the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission website.

The name of the owner(s) to be shown on the application for certificate of title must be the current legal name of the owner(s) of the motor vehicle, manufactured home, or vessel for which a certificate of title is requested. Owner name(s) on the title application must agree with the name on supporting documents. The seller information listed on the title application must agree with supporting documents.

In lieu of handprinted names and signatures, an electronic signature is acceptable when authorized by the department.

See Administrative Rule: 810-5-75-.40 Requirements for Names and Signatures on Title Applications, Title Assignments, and Motor Vehicle Registrations, for more details.

If the Department is not satisfied as to the ownership of the vehicle or that there are no undisclosed security interests in it, the Department may, as a condition of issuing a certificate of title, require the applicant to file with the Department a cash or surety bond.

An applicant for Alabama certificate of title must surrender the following documents to the designated agent in order to complete an application for Alabama certificate of title:

• the outstanding manufacturer's certificate of origin or certificate of title that is either in the applicant's name or assigned to the applicant and any documents which support the transfer of the vehicle to the applicant;
• if the vehicle is currently registered in a jurisdiction which does not title such vehicles, the applicant must surrender the outstanding registration documents which substantiate ownership of the vehicle.

Additional documentation may be required if it cannot be determined whether the vehicle meets federal and state safety, emissions and anti-theft standards.

Complete an electronic request for an Application for Title Surety Bond (form MVT 10-1A) in ALDOR’s Surety Bond Portal.

Upon approval of the request for a surety bond, you will be provided a Certificate of Title Surety Bond for a motor vehicle, manufactured home, or vessel (form MVT 10-1), to be completed by you and the insurance company issuing the surety bond.

Upon completion of the form MVT 10-1, apply for certificate of title through a designated agent within 90 days from the date the surety bond was executed.

The title application fee is $15 for each application for Alabama certificate of title for a motor vehicle.

The title application fee is $20 for each application for Alabama certificate of title for a manufactured home.

Designated agents shall add the sum of $1.50 as the commission for each application processed.

License Plate Issuing Officials may also collect an additional $1.50 commission for each application processed to defray the cost of processing and mailing title applications. Certain counties may also have local fees which are due when an application for title is processed by that License Plate Issuing Official. Please contact the County License Plate Issuing Official to determine if any local fees apply.

The titled owner(s) or recorded lienholder can apply for a replacement title online by using the Public Title Portal. Once the title application is complete, it can be electronically uploaded and submitted for payment. The application fee is $15 and is non-refundable. The electronic application must be submitted to ALDOR for processing and review.

In addition, an application for replacement title can be processed by any designated agent.

Applications for Alabama certificate of title must be made through a Designated Agent of the Department. Designated Agents include: County License Plate Issuing Officials, licensed Alabama motor vehicle dealers, and financial institutions located in Alabama such as banks and credit unions.

If transfer involves a deceased owner and owner’s estate has been or will be probated, then the individual signing on behalf of deceased owner’s estate must provide copy of letters testamentary or letters of administration issued by the probate court.

If transfer involves a deceased owner and owner’s estate has not and will not be probated, then the individual signing on behalf of deceased owner’s estate must provide a Next of Kin Affidavit (MVT 5-6) and a copy of the deceased owner’s death certificate.

See Administrative Rule: 810-5-75-.09 Transfer of Title For A Vehicle From A Deceased Owner, for more details.

To correct an error on the face of an Alabama title, the owner or lienholder of record, must make application for a new certificate of title through a designated agent. Designated agents must submit the Application for Corrected title, the current certificate of title, and a statement on letterhead that supports the corrections requested on the title application to the department for processing. An MVT 5-7, Affidavit to Correct an Assignment on a Certificate of Title, cannot be used to correct information recorded on the face of the AL title.

To correct an error in a title assignment, the MVT 5-7 Affidavit to Correct an Assignment on a Certificate of Title must be completed and submitted with the title application.

See Administrative Rule: 810-5-75-.39 Corrections to Title Documents, for more details.