Wisconsin title answers · Forms and paperwork
What is Wisconsin form MV1?
Short answer
Form MV1 is WisDOT's Title and License Plate Application. You use it to title a vehicle in your name for the first time or after buying it, and usually to get plates at the same time. It covers owner details, the vehicle, any loan, the fees and your signature. It is not used for a replacement title, which is form MV2119.
When you need an MV1
Any time ownership changes or a vehicle is titled in Wisconsin for the first time, WisDOT expects an MV1. That includes buying from a private seller, a vehicle coming in from another state, a family transfer, and the bonded title process, where the MV1 rides along with form MV2082.
The current version on WisDOT's site is dated 10/2026. Many buyers can do the same thing online through WisDOT's eMV Public service, which fills in the application for you, but the paper MV1 is the form for anything mailed.
What each section asks
The form runs two pages. Use blue or black ink.
- Section A, owner information: legal names exactly as they should appear on the new title, plus a Social Security or Wisconsin driver license number for each individual. With two owners you choose 'and' (both must sign to sell later) or 'or' (either may sign).
- Section B, vehicle information: 17-character VIN, year, make, type, color, the plate you are transferring or a temporary plate number, and the county and municipality where the vehicle is kept.
- Section C, non-operation: dates the vehicle was not driven on public roads, if any.
- Section D, loan information: lender name and address if you borrowed money. Titles with a lien go to the lender.
- Section E, fees: title fee ($214.50), purchase price, trade-in, state and local sales tax, loan fee, plate fee and miscellaneous fees, with exemption codes for sales tax.
- Section F, plate type: needed only for plates other than regular car or light truck plates.
- Section G, electronic renewal notices (mailed applications only).
- Section H, consent to purchase: only if an owner is under 18. This is the one part of the MV1 with a notary block.
- Owner certification: every owner in Section A signs and dates.
What to send with it
For a used vehicle, the MV1 says to include the original certificate of title, not a copy, signed over to you. A new vehicle needs the manufacturer's certificate of origin. If the title shows a paid-off loan, add the lien release.
For a normal transfer, mail the title, the MV1 and a check payable to Registration Fee Trust to WI Dept. of Transportation, P.O. Box 7949, Madison WI 53707-7949. A bonded title application is different: the MV1 goes with the MV2082 and your evidence to the Vehicle Research Unit, P.O. Box 8070, Madison WI 53708-8070.
Small mistakes worth avoiding
Check the easy things before you mail it: a VIN that does not match the title, a missing co-owner signature, a fee total that leaves out the local sales tax, or a check made out to anyone other than Registration Fee Trust. Read the VIN off the vehicle and compare it character by character with the title before you sign.
Two boxes cause more trouble than their size suggests. Title Only, checked by habit, means no plates, no plate transfer and no temporary plate, so you cannot legally drive the car. And the county and municipality in Section B are where the vehicle is kept, not where you work, which is what sets any local wheel tax and sales tax on the form.
If WisDOT asks for a bonded title, our flat $299 service prepares the MV1 and MV2082 together at your direction, and you sign and mail them.
Common questions
Is there a fee for the MV1 form itself?
No. The form is a free download from wisconsindot.gov. The fees are what you pay WisDOT for the title, tax and plates listed in Section E.
Can I get just a title without plates on the MV1?
Yes, there is a Title Only box. The MV1 warns that a title alone does not let you legally drive the vehicle on Wisconsin roads.
Do I need my Social Security number on the MV1?
Individuals must provide it under Wis. Stat. 342.06(1)(eg), but the form lets you give a Wisconsin driver license number instead. Businesses give a federal employer identification number.
Does the MV1 need to be notarized?
Not for an adult owner. The only notary section is the consent block for an owner under 18.
Want us to do the paperwork?
You tell us your situation. We fill out the WisDOT forms for it and give you a checklist of what to include. You review, sign and mail the package yourself.
If the state asks for a bond, you buy it from a licensed surety of your choosing. We take no commission.
- ✓ $299, one flat fee, bonded titles included
- ✓ Track your case online
- ✓ The application is in your name from the start
State fees are paid to WisDOT. Any bond premium is paid to the surety you choose.
Prefer to fill out the forms yourself? The $97 do-it-yourself kit walks you through every form field, the real costs, and the 12 reasons packets get rejected.
Related answers
Where do you mail a Wisconsin title application?
Most Wisconsin title applications go to WisDOT, P.O. Box 7949, Madison WI 53707-7949. Bonded and online applications use different boxes. The full list.
Read this guide →Can you apply for a Wisconsin title online?
Yes, through eMV Public, if a seller signed a title over to you. Most finish in 3 days, but you still mail the original title. No-title cases are paper.
Read this guide →How much does it cost to transfer a title in Wisconsin?
The Wisconsin title transfer fee is $214.50. Add 5% state sales tax, any county or city tax, and $85 for car plates. How to total it up.
Read this guide →What is Wisconsin form MV2119?
MV2119 is WisDOT's Replacement Title Application for a lost, stolen or damaged title. $20, signed by the owner of record, or the lender if one holds it.
Read this guide →Form MV2082, explained
What WisDOT's bonded title application asks for.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: MV1 Title/License Plate Application · WisDOT: MV2082 Application for Bonded Certificate of Title · WisDOT: Title and register with eMV Public. Rules can change; confirm with WisDOT before you file.
TitleSolved is a document-preparation and title-recovery assistance service operated by Nuvent66 LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any DMV or government agency, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). We do not guarantee that any agency will approve or issue a title. Information on this page is provided for general reference, was verified against official WisDOT sources on the date shown, and is not legal advice.