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Notary services are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Call 610-650-0316 before you come to confirm availability and any requirements for your documents. Both the seller and the buyer should be there if the paperwork needs both signatures.

For a private sale, yes in practice. PennDOT requires the seller’s signature on a Pennsylvania title to be notarized or verified. PennDOT recommends that buyer and seller meet at a notary, tag service or dealer so the application is completed correctly.

Every person who signs must appear in front of the notary in person. Video calls and phone calls do not count as personal appearance under Pennsylvania law, apart from notaries the Department of State has specifically authorized for remote or electronic work.

If the seller and buyer can’t come together, each can sign separately in front of a notary. Call us first so we know what the paperwork needs.

A current government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, for every person signing. A Pennsylvania notary must know you personally or have satisfactory evidence of your identity, and the notary decides whether the ID you show is acceptable.

For the title application, PennDOT asks the buyer for a Pennsylvania driver’s license or photo ID.

No. Sign only in front of the notary. A title that is signed incorrectly or without the notary present can be rejected, and you may need to apply for a duplicate title before the vehicle can be sold. Don’t cross out or write over entries to fix a mistake.

The lienholder’s release must appear on the title or come as a separate lien release letter before the title can transfer. If the title is still held by the lender, contact them first. Many out-of-state lienholders won’t release a title until the loan is paid off.

Some out-of-state titles require the seller’s signature to be notarized, and some don’t. Check the back of the title for the seller’s signature and odometer area, and call us with the state name. PennDOT also requires VIN verification for out-of-state vehicles during the Pennsylvania title application.

Notarization is the signature step. The buyer’s title application (Form MV-4ST for a Pennsylvania title, Form MV-1 for out-of-state or new vehicles) is completed through a PennDOT authorized agent, and PennDOT’s forms are only available from authorized agents. Call us to confirm what we can help with before you plan your visit.

The buyer applies through an authorized agent within 20 days of the sale. Bring the notarized title, Form MV-4ST (completed with the agent), photo ID, and a current insurance card if you want registration issued. Sales tax and fees are collected at the agent.

If sales tax exemption for a gift is claimed, PennDOT requires Form MV-13ST, Affidavit of Gift, completed by everyone transferring and receiving the vehicle and attached to the title application.

If a vehicle is sold for far less than its market value, the Department of Revenue can review the sale, because sales tax is based on fair market value. Ask your PennDOT agent which form applies to you.

After the title transfers, the seller removes the plate from the vehicle. You can move it to another vehicle you own, or return it to PennDOT’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles Return Tag Unit.

The person signing must be an authorized individual of the business or bring proof of authorization. PennDOT publishes a fact sheet on identification requirements for business organizations and non-profit corporations. Bring that proof along with the signer’s photo ID.

The Pennsylvania Department of State sets the maximum fee a notary can charge per notarial act. Fees must be itemized on your receipt, and any clerical or administrative charge has to be disclosed before the notarization. Call 610-650-0316 for current details.

Not always. We can’t notarize if a signer isn’t present, can’t be identified, or the document isn’t one we can take. We can’t advise which document you need or what it means legally. Call ahead with a description of your document and we’ll tell you.

Don’t alter the title. Contact a PennDOT authorized agent. A corrected certificate generally requires a PennDOT correction application, and a title that can’t be fixed may need a duplicate.