Michigan Form TR-11L — Application for Vehicle Title

About TR-11L

Official name: Michigan Form TR-11L — Application for Vehicle Title

Issued by: Michigan Department of State — Motor Vehicle Division

Purpose: A bill of sale is a recommended record of the private sale and price (the 6% tax is due on the price or fair market value, whichever is greater); the buyer files TR-11L with the assigned title at a Secretary of State branch (or completes the transfer online) to get the new title.

When required: The buyer must transfer the title within 15 days of purchase or a $15 late fee applies (plus the $15 title fee and 6% use tax). A $20 instant title is available in person.

What TR-11L is

TR-11L is the Michigan Department of State's Application for Michigan Vehicle Title. It is also a use tax return: the tax on the sale is worked out on the same page. The buyer completes and signs it.

You need this form, or your title, to buy or transfer license plates. The current edition is Rev. 5/26; the field details below come from the 03/21 edition.

What it asks for

• The vehicle: year, make, model, VIN, body style, base MSRP, empty weight, the odometer reading, and any odometer or title brand.
• The owners: the names exactly as they should appear on the title and registration, driver license numbers (or FEIN), address and mailing address, and whether joint owners want full rights to the survivor.
• Any loan: the first and second secured parties.
• The sale: the purchase date and the seller's name.
• Your certification that you own the vehicle and the information is correct.

The use tax section

The Michigan Department of Treasury makes the final decision on the tax owed and may ask you to support your return or your exemption. The form warns that an unsupported claim can bring penalties up to 175% of the tax due, or criminal prosecution.

1. Line 1: the purchase price or the retail value, whichever is greater.
2. Line 2: 6% of that amount.
3. Line 3: credit for tax paid to a reciprocal state, with proof attached.
4. Line 4: the tax you are paying.

Transfers between relatives

The form allows a use tax exemption when the new owner is the previous owner's spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, child, stepparent, stepchild, stepbrother, stepsister, half-brother, half-sister, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law, sibling-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, grandparent-in-law, legal ward or legally appointed guardian. Treasury may ask for documents that prove the relationship.

After you file

• Transfer the title within 15 days of the purchase to avoid the $15 late fee. The title fee itself is $15, and a $20 instant title is available in person.
• Michigan uses an electronic lien and title system: if the vehicle has a loan, no paper title is mailed while the lien is on it.
• If your new title has not arrived within 60 days, the form says to call the Department of State Information Center at 888-767-6424.

What to Include in a Michigan Bill of Sale

A complete bill of sale usually includes:

• Seller name, address
• Buyer name, address
• Year, make, model
• VIN
• Odometer
• Sale price
• Date of sale
• Both signatures