NewStateDrive
Official Wisconsin title and plate form

Wisconsin MV1 for title and license plates after moving

MV1 is Wisconsin's paper title and license plate application. New residents can use it by mail or bring it in person. Eligible applicants with the physical out-of-state title may start online, but they still mail the required receipt and original documents.

Open the official Wisconsin MV1 PDFOpen the complete Wisconsin path
Current form revision 10/2025Choose the path based on who has the title

Use the online path only when you meet its requirements and have the physical title. Use MV1 by mail or in person when the title is unavailable.

What MV1 does

It applies for a Wisconsin title, plates, or both

The same form covers owner, vehicle, loan, fee, plate, and signature information. The documents you submit determine whether Wisconsin can finish the title now.

Original title available
Choose the eligible online path or complete MV1. For a used vehicle, the paper form calls for the original certificate of title, not a copy. Add an original lien release only when a listed lien has been paid.
Lender has the title
Use the mail or in-person route with the accepted out-of-state registration or other government ownership document. Wisconsin can issue registration and plates first, then finish the title after the original arrives.
Online application
eMV Public produces an eApplication or receipt and may produce a temporary plate. The transaction is not complete until the required receipt and original documents are mailed to the eMV Public address.
Paper MV1
Complete Sections A through F as they apply, sign the owner or lessee certification, make a copy for your records, and use the submission address printed on the current instructions.
Use it in this order

Pick one application path before preparing the packet

The online receipt and paper MV1 use different submission instructions. Follow the path you actually started.

  1. 01Confirm where the original title is

    Identify whether you have the physical out-of-state title, a lender holds it, or it is otherwise unavailable. Do this before choosing online, mail, or in-person service.

  2. 02Choose eMV Public or MV1

    Use eMV Public only if the official eligibility rules fit. Otherwise pre-fill or print the current MV1 for mail or in-person service.

  3. 03Complete the applicable sections

    Enter owner, vehicle, loan, fee, plate, and signature information as the form requires. Keep Social Security, driver license, title, and vehicle details inside WisDOT's official channels.

  4. 04Send the documents for that path

    Mail the online receipt and listed originals to the eMV Public address, or send the paper MV1 packet to the address on the current form. Do not mix the two recipient instructions.

  5. 05Track plates and title separately

    Registration or plate issuance does not prove the Wisconsin title is complete. If a lender has the original title, keep that handoff open until WisDOT records it.

Keep the title handoff separate

MV1 does not make a lender release the title

The form can support registration and plates while the original title is unavailable, but it is not a lender title request or lien release. Wisconsin may finish the title only after the required ownership document reaches WisDOT.

Open the complete Wisconsin path

Wisconsin MV1 questions

Is Wisconsin MV1 the same form as MV-1L?
No. Wisconsin's current title and license plate application is MV1. MV-1L is a Pennsylvania form for lessee information, so it should not be added to a Wisconsin packet.
Can a new Wisconsin resident use MV1 without the original title?
WisDOT says a new resident may submit an out-of-state registration or another government-issued ownership document when the title is unavailable. Wisconsin issues registration and plates only at that stage. The title fee is still due, and Wisconsin can issue the title after the out-of-state title arrives.
Can I complete the Wisconsin title and plate application online?
Eligible new residents with a Wisconsin driver license or ID and the physical out-of-state title can start through eMV Public. The online transaction is not fully paperless. WisDOT requires the eApplication or receipt and the listed original documents to be mailed afterward.
What if a lender holds my out-of-state title?
Use the mail or in-person path WisDOT lists for an unavailable title. Submit the current out-of-state registration or other accepted ownership proof for registration and plates, then track the lender-held title as a separate handoff. Wisconsin says it will issue the title after that document arrives.
Official sources

Use the current MV1 and new-resident instructions

The form revision, fees, service availability, and mailing instructions can change. Open WisDOT's current materials before submitting personal or vehicle information.

Continue the handoff

Connect MV1 to the rest of the Wisconsin move

Open the Wisconsin new-resident checklistOpen the Wisconsin lender-held-title pathTrace a Wisconsin registration turn-away