PA Dealer Reference
Electronic Lien & Title (ELT) Guide
What Is ELT?
Pennsylvania's Electronic Lien and Title program replaces paper title storage with electronic records held by PennDOT. Participating lienholders no longer receive or store physical certificates of title. PennDOT maintains the title record and lien notation in its system.
ELT is now mandatory for participating lienholders. A lienholder applies to participate by submitting Form MV-37 to PennDOT's Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
PennDOT Reference: PUB 758 (Lienholder's Guide to the Certificate of Title Act) contains the full ELT program rules. The most recent version was updated December 2024.
How ELT Affects Dealer Workflow
Recording a Lien
Title 75, Section 1132.1
- 1. Submit a completed application with the lienholder's name and address, the required fee, and either the MCO or the existing certificate of title.
- 2. PennDOT assigns a work identification number. The first two digits represent the year. The next three digits represent the day of the year. This number serves as conclusive evidence of the perfection date.
- 3. The new certificate of title lists the first two lienholders. PennDOT mails it to the first lienholder.
Satisfying a Lien
Title 75, Section 1135
- • No subsequent liens: The lienholder mails the title to the owner with proof of satisfaction.
- • Subsequent liens exist: The lienholder sends the title and release documents to PennDOT. A new certificate is issued to the next lienholder in sequence.
5-day safe harbor: No violation occurs if the certificate of title reaches PennDOT within 5 days of satisfaction.
Penalties for late satisfaction: $50 for the first offense, $100 for each subsequent offense.
Assigning Security Interest
Title 75, Section 1134
- • A lienholder can assign its security interest to another party without affecting the interest's validity.
- • The assignee must deliver the certificate of title, the assignment form, and the fee to PennDOT.
- • Failure to deliver does not invalidate the security interest.
FIN Numbers
FIN stands for Financial Institution Number. PennDOT assigns a FIN to each participating lienholder. This number is required on all lien-related title applications.
Dealers need the correct FIN when adding a lender as lienholder on a title application. Using the wrong FIN causes PennDOT to reject the transaction.
Look Up a FIN
Search participating institutions and their FIN numbers on PennDOT's ELT portal.
dot3e.penndot.gov/elt/ →Lien Fee Schedule
PennDOT fees for lien-related title transactions, effective July 2025. These are state fees paid to PennDOT, separate from any messenger service fee.
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Record lien (title to be issued) | $108 |
| Record/change security interest | $23 |
| Renew lien (title not issued) | $36 |
| Renew lien (title issued) | $108 |
| Satisfy lien (title issued) | $72 |
| Lienholder name change/correction | $72 |
| Lienholder address change (title issued) | $72 |
| Lienholder address change (title not issued) | No fee |
OLRP Integrators
PennDOT approves three integrators for the Online Lien Registration Program (OLRP). These companies provide electronic access to PennDOT's title and lien systems.
CVR
Computerized Vehicle Registration
Solera Titling
Title and registration processing
Vitu
Registration and Titling Solutions
OLRP services include: title and registration processing, reconstructed titles, dealer returns, owner/lessee modifications, lienholder maintenance, registration transfers, and e-in-transit tag tracking.
Floor Plan Lending Exception
The security interest requirements in Subchapter B of Chapter 11 do not apply to security interests in inventory held for sale by dealers. Floor plan lending operates under separate rules from consumer vehicle liens.
Dealers with floor plan financing do not record individual liens on each vehicle in their sales inventory through the standard ELT process. The floor plan lender's interest is governed by UCC Article 9 rather than Title 75.
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