Do ATVs Have Titles in Michigan? Paperwork, Fees, and Filing

Yes, ATVs have titles in Michigan. Since April 1, 1991, state law has required anyone who buys or otherwise acquires an off-road vehicle to apply for a certificate of title through the Secretary of State. The title fee is $11, plus 6% use tax on the purchase price, and the application must be filed within 15 days of the sale.¹

Which Machines the Rule Covers

Michigan’s definition of an ORV is wide. It covers any motor-driven off-road recreation vehicle capable of cross-country travel without a road or trail, over land, snow, ice, marsh, or swampland. Four-wheel ATVs, side-by-sides, off-road motorcycles, and amphibious machines all fall inside it. Registered snowmobiles, farm vehicles used for farming, emergency and law enforcement vehicles, utility vehicles on their own easements, construction and logging equipment, and registered aircraft are excluded.²

One exception matters for older machines. If your ATV was built before 1991 and was never titled, you don’t need to go through the standard title process. Ownership can transfer using a bill of sale listing the year, make, VIN, and the names and addresses of both buyer and seller.³ Owners of qualifying machines that were never titled can still apply and receive a title if they choose.¹

Paperwork You Need

What you bring depends on whether the ATV is new or used.

For a new machine that has never been titled, you need the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO) from the dealer.⁴ For a used ATV, you need the existing certificate of title, properly signed over by the previous owner. Either way, bring a valid Michigan driver’s license or state ID.

A bill of sale is strongly recommended and often required in practice. It should show the purchase price, date of sale, and identifying details for buyer and seller. The purchase price drives the 6% use tax the Secretary of State collects before processing the title.⁵

All of this goes onto the Application for Michigan Vehicle Title, Form TR-11L, available on the Secretary of State’s website.⁶ The form asks for the VIN, year, make, and model. Fill it in before your appointment.

Fees

The title itself costs $11.⁷ On top of that, 6% use tax is due on the purchase price at the counter.⁵

Where and When to File

You have 15 days from the date of purchase or acquisition to file. If you bought from a licensed dealer, the dealer is responsible for submitting the application within 15 days of delivery, but you still sign the paperwork.⁴ For a private sale, you handle it yourself at a Secretary of State branch office. Booking an appointment through the online portal saves significant wait time.

At the branch, a clerk reviews your documents, verifies the VIN, and takes the title fee and use tax. You leave with a receipt showing the application is being processed. The permanent certificate of title is printed in Lansing and mailed to your address, and the Secretary of State’s stated timeline for similar title documents runs roughly 14 days.⁸

What If the Seller Never Gave You a Title

This is where many buyers get stuck. You picked up an ATV at a yard sale or from an online listing, took a handshake and maybe a bill of sale, and the machine has no title in hand. Michigan has a path forward, but it isn’t cheap or fast.

To title an ORV without a properly assigned ownership document, you apply for a Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond using Form TR-121. The bond amount must equal twice the vehicle’s value, and you pay a bonding company a premium based on that figure. You also complete a TR-205 Self-Certification of Vehicle Ownership. If the Secretary of State has no existing Michigan record for the vehicle, a TR-54 VIN inspection by a Michigan law enforcement agency is required as well.⁹

The surety bond stays active for three years. During that window, a legitimate ownership claim from a third party is covered by the bond. Use tax of 6% is still due, calculated on the vehicle’s value (half the bond amount) or the purchase price, whichever is higher. The bonding company must be licensed by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.⁹

The practical lesson: get the title signed over at the time of purchase. The bonded route works, but the cost and paperwork are real.

A Title Is Not a License and Not Road Registration

Two boundaries worth knowing, because they trip people up.

A title proves you own the ATV. It does not give you the right to ride on public land. That requires a separate $26.25 ORV license, plus a $10 trail permit if you plan to use state-designated ORV trails and scramble areas. Both run from April 1 through March 31. Neither is needed if you ride only on land you own or on private land as an invited guest.¹⁰

A titled ATV also cannot be driven on Michigan roads simply because it has a title. On-road use requires converting the machine and titling it as an assembled vehicle, obtaining standard vehicle registration, and carrying a Michigan No-Fault insurance policy. Without that conversion, the ATV is limited to off-road use, designated ORV routes, and the specific road crossings state law allows.³

If You Skip the Title

Selling or transferring an ATV without a properly assigned title is a misdemeanor, and so is buying one without titling it in your own name. Misdemeanor ORV offenses can carry fines between $250 and $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and serious violations can lead to seizure of the machine.¹⁰

1
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 324.81103
2
Consumer Product Safety Commission. Michigan Code 324.81101 – Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act
3
Michigan Department of State. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft
4
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 324.81109
5
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 205.93
6
Michigan Secretary of State. Application for Michigan Vehicle Title
7
Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 324.81110
8
Michigan Department of State. Title Replacement/Duplicate
9
Michigan Department of State. Vehicle Uniform Surety Bond TR-121
10
Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Purchase Permit, Learn Requirements