Motorcycles
Getting a title for a motorcycle with no title
Most states have a route, and which one depends on the state and on the bike’s age. Older bikes add a problem of their own: frame numbers the standard checks can’t read.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24
Most states will title a motorcycle that has no title, but the route depends on where you live and how old the bike is. Texas uses a bonded title, the same as it does for cars. Florida titles a bike 30 or more years old on a bill of sale plus the seller’s affidavit. California uses a statement of facts and, for a bike with no DMV record, an inspection by the Highway Patrol. Pennsylvania needs a court order.
If your state’s route doesn’t fit, Montana titles motorcycles 30 years and older without a surety bond (MV10). We handle that filing for street motorcycles 30 years and older and dirt bikes 10 years and older.
Find the number first
Every route starts with the bike’s identification number, and on an older motorcycle that takes some care.
- Where to look. Start at the steering head, where the forks meet the frame. Federal rules put the label that carries the VIN there (49 CFR 567.4), and Texas stamps any number it assigns on the steering-head neck (TxDMV title manual).
- Before 1981, the number is short. The standard 17-character VIN became mandatory with the 1981 model year, motorcycles included (NHTSA). An earlier bike carries a shorter frame number. NHTSA’s VIN decoder rejects a pre-1981 year outright (vPIC), and Texas says the motor number or the frame number may appear on a 1970 or older bike’s title (TxDMV title manual).
- Record the engine number too. California’s inspection form for a motorcycle must show both the engine and frame numbers (California DMV), and a Florida antique’s bill of sale must list the VIN or the engine number (Florida statute 319.23).
Write both numbers down exactly as stamped and photograph them. A single wrong character on a title application means starting again.
State by state
| State | Street bike with no title | Dirt bike | Who checks the VIN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | A bonded title for residents and military stationed in Texas (1.5 times the value, for 3 years), or a hearing before the county tax assessor-collector | Titled since September 1, 1975 | Law enforcement, on form VTR-68-A |
| Florida | 30+ years: a bill of sale plus the seller’s hold-harmless affidavit or registration. 1997 to 2010 models with a Florida title record: a bonded title. Anything else: alternate proof or a court order | Titled if bought after July 1, 2002. No bonded title | A Florida notary, a Florida dealer, or police from any state |
| California | A statement of facts. A bond only if the bike is worth $5,000 or more. A Highway Patrol inspection if DMV has no record of it | Titled, with a green or red sticker. Bikes built in 1942 or earlier are exempt | The Highway Patrol when DMV has no record |
| Pennsylvania | A court order, after certified-mail notice to the owner and any lienholder | Pennsylvania’s conservation department titles ATVs but not dirt bikes. We couldn’t confirm how PennDOT treats an off-road-only bike | Police or a dealer’s mechanic, on form MV-41 |
Sources: Texas title manual and VTR-130-SOF; Florida TL-72, TL-70 and TL-44; California DMV handbook 7.085, 23.020 and Vehicle Code 38070; Pennsylvania PennDOT and 75 Pa.C.S. 7702.
California’s trap for old bikes. Licensed VIN verifiers can’t inspect a motorcycle whose California record is no longer on file, meaning it was last registered in California but the record has since dropped off DMV’s database (DMV handbook 1.165). They also can’t take a bike with a changed engine or a missing federal safety label (REG 31). Those go to the Highway Patrol, which checks the frame and engine numbers itself.
Dirt bikes
Whether a dirt bike has a title at all depends on the state. Texas has titled off-highway motorcycles since 1975, and a bike owned before then can transfer on a bill of sale dated before September 1, 1975 (TxDMV title manual). Florida titles one bought after July 1, 2002, and a bill of sale only works for ownership from before that date (TL-44). Wisconsin’s DNR registers off-highway motorcycles without titling them (Wisconsin DNR).
A new off-road machine comes with a manufacturer’s certificate of origin, and Texas requires it to say the vehicle is for off-highway use only (TxDMV title manual). If you’re buying a used dirt bike, ask for that certificate or the last title, whichever the seller has.
When your state’s route doesn’t fit
The usual reasons: the bike is too old for the bond, you’re not a resident of the state that offers one, the seller is long gone, or a court case would cost more than the bike. Montana titles a motorcycle 30 years or older without a surety bond, whatever its condition (MV10).
We handle that filing for street motorcycles 30 years and older, and for dirt bikes, ATVs and side-by-sides 10 years and older, all at the same $299. You give us the bike’s details, have the VIN inspected where the bike sits, and mail two forms back. The title typically arrives 5 to 7 weeks later, and you register the bike in your own state.
For cars and trucks, see getting a title for an old car with no title. Check who can inspect your VIN where you live.
The Montana route
$20 to open your case, $279 once your title has been issued and is in our hands. $299 in total, with every Montana fee included and no surety bond for vehicles 30 years and older. The VIN inspection is arranged near you and paid separately.
You’ll pay the $20 securely on Stripe, then tell us about the vehicle. The $279 is only charged once there is a title to mail to you.
Before you buy a bike with no title
- A theft check needs a 17-digit VIN. NICB’s free VINCheck only searches full modern VINs, so it can’t check a pre-1981 frame number (NICB).
- History reports have little on old bikes. NMVTIS includes motorcycles, but its insurer and junkyard reporting covers four-wheeled vehicles and only goes back to 2009 (NMVTIS). For a vintage bike, the state’s own title record is the history. Ask the last state that titled it.
- Budget at full value. No guide publishes a discount for a missing title, and states set bonds and taxes on the ordinary guide value.
Common questions
Questions we get asked
Can I get a title for a motorcycle without a title?
In most states, yes. Texas offers a bonded title to residents. Florida titles a bike 30 or more years old on a bill of sale plus the seller’s affidavit or registration. California uses a statement of facts and a Highway Patrol inspection. Pennsylvania needs a court order.
How do I get a title for a motorcycle without a title in Pennsylvania?
Through a court order. You send certified-mail notice to the owner of record and any lienholder, advertise once a week for three weeks if the notice comes back unclaimed, then file the order with PennDOT on form MV-1. PennDOT doesn’t publish a bonded-title route.
How much is a motorcycle worth without a title?
No valuation guide publishes a figure for it. States price bonds and taxes on the ordinary guide value, so the missing title costs you in paperwork and time rather than in any official discount.
How do I get a motorcycle title with a bill of sale?
Only some states accept one. Florida does for a bike 30 or more years old, with the seller’s hold-harmless affidavit or registration, and the bill of sale must be notarized or include a perjury statement. Texas accepts a bill of sale only in listed cases, and California uses a statement of facts instead.
Do I need a title for a dirt bike?
It depends on the state. Texas titles off-highway motorcycles and has since 1975. Florida titles one bought after July 1, 2002. California titles them with a green or red sticker. Wisconsin’s DNR registers them without a title.
How do I get a title for a dirt bike in Florida?
Apply on form HSMV 82040 with the manufacturer’s certificate of origin or the previous title. A bill of sale is enough only if the bike was owned before July 1, 2002. Florida’s bonded title doesn’t cover off-highway vehicles.
Do dirt bikes have titles in Texas?
Yes. Texas has required titles for off-highway motorcycles since September 1, 1975. They’re titled but not registered for the road.
Do dirt bikes have titles in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania’s conservation department titles ATVs with three or more wheels, and its definition leaves trail bikes out. We couldn’t confirm how PennDOT treats an off-road-only dirt bike, so ask PennDOT before you buy or sell one.
Sources
- NHTSA, 73 FR 23367 (2008), the 17-character VIN from 1981, checked 2026-09-24.
- 49 CFR 567.4, certification label location, checked 2026-09-24.
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder, checked 2026-09-24.
- Texas DMV Motor Vehicle Title Manual (August 2026), checked 2026-09-24.
- Texas VTR-130-SOF, bonded title, checked 2026-09-24.
- Florida TL-72, antique vehicles, checked 2026-09-24.
- Florida TL-70, bonded titles (rev. 09/26), checked 2026-09-24.
- Florida TL-44, off-highway vehicles, checked 2026-09-24.
- California DMV handbook: vehicles with unavailable records, checked 2026-09-24.
- California DMV handbook: vehicle verifications, checked 2026-09-24.
- California DMV handbook: ownership surety bond, checked 2026-09-24.
- California Vehicle Code 38070, checked 2026-09-24.
- PennDOT fact sheet on titling, checked 2026-09-24.
- 75 Pa.C.S. 7702, ATV definition, checked 2026-09-24.
- Wisconsin DNR, off-highway motorcycles, checked 2026-09-24.
- NMVTIS frequently asked questions, checked 2026-09-24.
- Montana MV10 Break/Bond Title Application (7/26), checked 2026-09-24.