To get a title for a side-by-side, gather your proof of ownership, complete your state’s title application, and submit it with the required fees and sales tax to your state’s motor vehicle agency within its deadline, usually 15 to 30 days from the purchase date. What counts as proof of ownership depends on whether the UTV is new or used, and a few states don’t title off-road-only machines at all. The rest is paperwork, timing, and knowing which documents your state expects to see.
Check Whether Your State Titles UTVs
Before collecting anything, confirm your state actually issues titles for side-by-sides. States fall into three groups. Some title all motor vehicles, UTVs included, whether or not they ever leave private property. Some title UTVs only if you plan to operate on public roads. Others issue a title as an ownership record but don’t register the vehicle for road use. Your state’s DMV or equivalent agency will tell you which category applies.
Even where a title isn’t required, voluntary titling is worth considering. It makes the vehicle easier to sell, gives you a record if it’s stolen, and settles ownership disputes. Separate off-road registrations or trail permits are a different matter and typically run $15 to $75 per year regardless of titling.
Titling a New Side-by-Side
When you buy new from a dealer, the single most important document is the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO), sometimes called a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin. It proves the vehicle has never been titled and transfers ownership from the manufacturer through the dealer to you.1American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin Don’t leave the dealership without it. If the MCO is lost before you apply, you’ll have to request a duplicate from the manufacturer, and that can take weeks.
Along with the MCO, expect to bring:
- A bill of sale showing the purchase price, date, buyer and seller names, and the VIN. Dealers usually provide this.
- Government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or state ID. Some states also want proof of residency, like a utility bill.
- The state’s title application form, available at DMV offices or online. You’ll enter the VIN, vehicle description, purchase price, and your personal details.
- Proof of insurance, if your state requires it before issuing a title.
The VIN on a side-by-side is usually stamped on the frame, often near the front left side or under the hood. Copy it onto the application exactly. A single transposed digit will hold up your title.
Titling a Used Side-by-Side
For a used purchase, the key document is the previous owner’s title, properly signed over to you. The seller has to complete the transfer section on the back, including the sale price, date, and both signatures. If the seller can’t produce a clean title, work through the options in the missing-title section below before paying.
Get a bill of sale even if your state doesn’t strictly require one. Include full names and addresses of both parties, the VIN, a vehicle description, the price, and the date. It protects you if the transfer hits a problem or the seller later disputes the sale.
VIN Inspection
Many states require a VIN inspection when titling a used side-by-side, particularly one bought out of state. The inspection confirms the VIN stamped on the frame matches the paperwork. Depending on the state, an authorized mechanic, a law enforcement officer, or a DMV employee performs it. This isn’t a mechanical safety check, only VIN verification. Your state motor vehicle agency can point you to where inspections are done and whether there’s a fee.
Odometer Disclosure
Federal law requires sellers to disclose the odometer reading when transferring a motor vehicle, either on the title itself or on a separate disclosure form.2eCFR. 49 CFR 580.5 – Disclosure of Odometer Information Many UTVs don’t have traditional odometers, and some only have hour meters. Older vehicles are exempt: 2010-or-earlier models once they’re at least 10 years old, and 2011-or-newer models after 20 years.3eCFR. 49 CFR 580.17 – Exemptions If there’s no odometer at all, note that on the form rather than leaving it blank.
Check for Theft and Salvage History
Before buying, run the VIN through the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s free VINCheck tool, which searches insurance theft claims and salvage records from participating insurers.4National Insurance Crime Bureau. VINCheck Lookup A clean result isn’t a guarantee, since the tool only covers participating insurance companies and not law enforcement databases, but a hit is reason to walk away. You get up to five free searches per day.
Fees, Sales Tax, and the Deadline
You’ll pay two main costs when you apply: the title fee and sales tax on the purchase price. Title fees generally fall between $10 and $50 depending on the state. Sales tax is the bigger line item, typically 4% to about 11% depending on state and local rates, and in most states you owe it even on a private-party sale. The motor vehicle agency collects the tax at the time you apply for the title, not the seller.
Most states give you a limited window to apply after buying, commonly 15 to 30 days from the purchase date. Miss it and late fees start, sometimes at $25 and climbing to $200 or more the longer you wait. If you need a VIN inspection before applying, book it early so an appointment backlog doesn’t push you past the deadline.
Getting a Title Without Proper Documentation
Side-by-sides are often sold informally at farm auctions, between neighbors, or through online classifieds, and titles go missing along the way. If you already own a UTV with no title, you have options, but none of them are quick.
Contact the Previous Owner
The easiest fix is to track down whoever last held the title and ask them to request a duplicate from their state’s DMV. Most states issue duplicates for a small fee. Try this before anything else.
Bonded Title
When the previous owner can’t be found or the ownership chain is unclear, many states offer a bonded title. You buy a surety bond, typically set at 1.5 times the vehicle’s assessed value, that protects anyone with a legitimate prior claim. The bond stays in force for a set period, often three to five years depending on the state, after which the title converts to a standard clean title. The bond itself usually costs a small percentage of the bond amount, sometimes as low as $100 for lower-value vehicles. States may also require a VIN inspection and a sworn statement describing how you acquired the vehicle.
Affidavit of Ownership
For older side-by-sides that may never have been titled, some states accept a sworn affidavit of ownership. You’ll provide detailed information about how you got the vehicle, its history, and why no title exists. This route is more common for vintage or antique off-highway vehicles and isn’t available everywhere.
Salvage and Rebuilt Titles
If a UTV was declared a total loss and then rebuilt, it carries a salvage brand. Getting a rebuilt title requires passing a state inspection that verifies safe reconstruction, along with documentation of the parts used. The rebuilt or salvage designation stays on the title permanently and affects resale value, but it does establish legal ownership.
Financed Side-by-Sides and Lienholders
When you finance a side-by-side through a bank, credit union, or dealer, the lender goes on the title as a lienholder. In most states, the physical or electronic title is held by the lender until the loan is paid off, so you won’t have the paper title during the financing period. Many states now use Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) systems, where the title exists only as a digital record shared between the state and the lender. No paper title is printed unless the loan is paid off or the lender specifically requests one.
Once you satisfy the loan, the lender files a lien release with the state. Depending on the state, you’ll either get a clean paper title in the mail automatically or need to request one from the DMV. If you’re buying a used UTV from someone who still owes on it, insist the seller pay off the loan and get a lien release before you hand over any money. A title with an unsatisfied lien can’t be cleanly transferred, and the lender could repossess the vehicle even after you’ve paid the seller.
A Title Is Not Street-Legal Permission
A title establishes ownership. It does not, on its own, let you drive a side-by-side on public roads. Making a UTV street legal means meeting your state’s equipment and registration requirements, which typically cover headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, mirrors, a horn, a compliant windshield, and seat belts, and often restrict use to roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Some states issue a special off-highway vehicle plate for limited road use; others require full motor vehicle registration; a few don’t permit side-by-sides on public roads at all. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards define low-speed vehicles as four-wheeled machines with a top speed between 20 and 25 mph and a gross vehicle weight under 3,000 pounds, and most side-by-sides exceed 25 mph, so they fall outside that federal category and under state off-highway vehicle law instead.5eCFR. 49 CFR 571.500 – Low-Speed Vehicles That’s the reason the rules vary so widely by state, and it’s why your DMV or department of natural resources is the definitive source for what’s allowed where you live.