Tips for Transferring and Registering a Vehicle in Pennsylvania

Sometimes transferring a vehicle in Pennsylvania can be difficult. However, there are some basic tips that can help you and make the task much easier and hassle free. The tips below will help you know what you need to bring with you to the notary or things you need to do before you get there.

The State of Pennsylvania requires that the seller and buyer must both sign the title in front of a notary. This protects the buyer from someone taking the title and forging his or her signature on it. So what this mean is that you cannot by a car from Joe and have him just sign the title.

The seller if the vehicle must have photo identification to be able to prove he is whom he says he is. If there are two people listed as owners on the title both must be present at the notary with photo ID.

The buyer must have a valid Pennsylvania photo identification with the correct address. If you are just transferring a vehicle, just a PA photo ID will be fine. If you are registering the vehicle, you must have a valid Pennsylvania driver's license with the correct address or an update card. The vehicle will be registered at this address.

If you are transferring a truck or trailer, you must provide proof of the unladen weight. This proof can be a weight slip from a scale or can be on the existing title. It is sometimes listed on the tag on the driver's side door and can be traced and verified by a certified inspection mechanic.

The registration fees for a truck or trailer are set prices by the gross vehicle weight (GVW). It is possible to have the GVW lowered a reasonable amount for a lower registration fee but it can never be lowered to less than the unladen weight. For example, most small trucks have a GVW of less than 5000 pounds. The registration fees are $58.50 right now for a class 1, which is a truck that weighs 5000 pounds and under. However, a 3/4-ton truck such as your Chevy Silverado 2500 HD has a GVW of about 9200 pounds. This would fall into a class 4A and registration fees would be $198. This can be easily lowered to a class 3 and registration would be $153.00. If you are not planning to haul much than this may be a good idea. However, if you will be using the vehicle for hauling that little bit of savings is not going to compare to the fines you get if you are caught being overweight.