Brian Jones
Car Titles, Street Legality, Import and Export
Brian Jones
Car Titles, Street Legality, Import and Export
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the terms MSO and MCO related to new vehicles, but there is no need to wonder any longer about these vague abbreviations. These terms simply refer to the vehicle’s Certificate of Origin and aren’t that complicated once you understand what they do.
MSO stands for the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin. MCO is the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin. Both phrases refer to the same document, one which carries information about the automobile’s production like its country of origin. An MSO/MCO is usually similar in appearance to a Certificate of Title and includes the manufacturer, vehicle identification number and the year of manufacture. You will find an MSO is included with many things, not just vehicles. For example, aircraft, motorboats and trailers come with them as well.
As an everyday car buyer, you most likely will not encounter this document – the dealership will take care of it for you. On the dealer’s end the MSO is needed to certify things like extended warranties and protection packages through the finance office and to obtain the car’s first title and registration from the DMV.
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You will need to personally obtain an MSO in situations like the following:
Your state requires it when you register a new car for the first time
You import a car that has never been registered in the United States
You register a car for the first time
You build a new vehicle and need to get its first registration
If you’re working with a dealership in any of those situations they will usually handle the MSO for you, but if you’ve made it this far in this article chances are you’re doing things a little differently.
An MSO is issued when a new vehicle is purchased. It is used to register the vehicle for the first time and to obtain the vehicle’s first title from the DMV. Because federal law doesn’t require MSOs, the rules and styles are different for each state – some states require MSOs while others do not. You can contact the DMV in your state to see if it’s necessary to have an MSO to obtain a vehicle’s first title and registration
If you didn’t get the MSO from the dealer or you lost it, then you will need to get a duplicate of it in order to proceed with the registration. The Department of Revenue or Department of Motor Vehicles might not issue the title without it.
Your state might allow or even require dealerships to handle the MSO on your behalf, so if you never encountered an MSO while buying and registering your new vehicle, not to worry.
When you purchase a new car, ask the dealership for the Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin before you leave. They should have it on hand and it shouldn’t be an issue to give you a copy. If you purchase the vehicle out of state, this might require a little extra work – they will usually have to send the MSO to you through mail or fax instead.
If you plan to import a new vehicle or construct a motor vehicle on your own, you must also have an MSO. To do this, you’ll want to consult the resources of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, otherwise known as AAMVA. It is against the law to create an MSO certificate yourself, even for a car you built, so make sure you reach out to the AAMVA for help in this process.
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Hopefully, by now you understand more about what an MSO is and why it is essential. Even with this knowledge, you might be slightly confused about the differences between a title, registration, and MSO. Let’s see if we can clear that up a little.
TitleThe title certificate proves you are the owner of your car, truck, RV, motorcycle, etc. When you sell your property to another person, you transfer that title into their name thereby giving them ownership of the item.
RegistrationThe registration allows you to operate a vehicle on public roads. It’s possible to title a vehicle without having it registered, but you won’t legally be allowed to drive anywhere off your own property.
Other vehicles are registered as well. For example, you need to register a motorboat if you wish to operate it on a public waterway. The different types of registration for each vehicle vary. In addition, most states require you to have a minimum level of active insurance to receive a valid registration.
In California, registration is done slightly different than the other states. In fact, if you purchase a new or used car at a dealership, it is their requirement to register it for you. On the other hand, all third-party sales require you to go to the DMV like most other states.
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MSO/MCOThe only person that will likely get their hands on the MSO of a car, other than the dealer, is the first person who purchases it. From there, it’s used to get the car titled and never seen again.
Many DMVs keep a copy of the MSO or MCO on file with the title, but this isn’t true of all of them. In fact, it’s been reported that once the title is issued, many dealers have no use for it anymore and simply destroy it. Some states don’t even require an MSO to issue a registration.
Sometimes. It often doesn’t make sense to pay the fees to title and register a vehicle before exporting it. Thankfully, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has a plan in place to alleviate this. If you intend on exporting a car that doesn’t have a title, you can use your MSO to prove ownership instead. Just make sure you fill out all the paperwork and have everything ready to lessen your inspection time.
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If you find yourself needing an MSO, beware that people do have trouble getting their MSO from the dealership at times. While it’s not common, it is something to be aware of. The majority of new car sales and titling go off without a hitch, so it’s not something you should always be worried about, but knowledge is power.
With that said, there are times when getting the MSO has been an issue. Just read this forum post from a guy who bought a Tesla and never received his MCO from the automaker. Here’s another one on Reddit from a guy who bought a new Mazda6. So, you see this is a problem people face, even though it’s rare. If you find yourself needing an MSO and you can’t get one, you just have to be persistent. There is no other place to get that document and forging one is illegal.
If you didn’t get the MSO from the dealer or you lost it, then you will need to get a duplicate of it in order to proceed with the registration. The Department of Revenue or Department of Motor Vehicles might not issue the title without it.
Bottom line – you need to know what to expect when walking into a dealership. Ask upfront about the documentation on the car and make sure you leave there with everything you need. Otherwise, you might end up with a headache in the end.
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For the majority of car owners, the MSO or MCO is never an issue you need to think about. When you purchase a used vehicle, that document is long gone at whatever DMV the car was first registered through. The only time you might ever see the MSO yourself is when you buy a new car and need to obtain its very first title by yourself.
With what you’ve learned through this article, you should have no trouble navigating the course ahead. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns about an MSO or whether you need one in your situation.
If you happen to be importing a vehicle, Dirt Legal provides titles, license plates, and registrations for legally imported vehicles through our Imported Vehicle Titling Service as well as domestic vehicles and just about anything else with wheels. Pair with our LLC Formation Service for a tax-free experience and add our Automatic Registration Renewal to keep things hassle-free and eliminate the DMV altogether.
Dirt Legal offers VIN Checks, Vehicle Accident Reports, and title replacement for cars, motorcycles, and almost anything with wheels. Click the links to learn more about our services.
We are not attorneys. This article is not legal advice. Cover image source
Tagged: What Is a Car’s MSO or MCO? When Do You Need One?
Senate Bill 13-280 Titling Off Highway Vehicles, effective July 1, 2014 creates the ability for Off Highway Vehicles and Snowmobiles to be titled.
Senate Bill 13-280 applies only to titling of OHV. Registration of OHV is still completed through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. For more information regarding OHV registration, please visit http://cpw.state.co.us/buyapply/Pages/RegistrationsOHV.aspx
An Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV), C.R.S. 42-6-102 (11.5), is defined as:
A self-propelled vehicle that is:
A Snowmobile, C. R.S. 42-6-102 (18.5), is defined as:
All current titling laws, processes, and procedures apply.
Dealer purchases/trades from an individual on or after July 1, 2014:
Liens may be filed on off-highway vehicles in the same manner as motor vehicles.
Please contact the Title and Registration Sections with any questions at (303) 205-5608.
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A certificate confirming the country of origin of goods is required, as a rule, by the customs authorities of the importing country in order to implement tariff and non-tariff measures to regulate the import of goods into the customs territory of the corresponding country and the export of goods from this territory (for example, to calculate the appropriate rate of import duty, including preferential in case of granting preferential treatment to goods).
Certificates of origin of goods of the ST-1 form are issued for Russian goods exported from the Russian Federation to the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS countries), such as: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Georgia.
From January 2, 2016, certificates of a general form are issued for goods exported to Ukraine.
The period of application of the certificate of form "ST-1" in order to provide a free trade regime is limited to 12 months from the date of its issue.
From September 1, 2014, goods exported to the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia are issued with ST-1 form certificates in accordance with the Rules for determining the country of origin of goods dated November 20, 2009.
Certificates of origin of goods of the ST-1 form are issued in Russian.
In case of loss or damage of the ST-1 form certificate, its duplicate is issued. The duplicate certificate comes into force from the date of issue of the original. The period of application of a duplicate certificate in order to provide a free trade regime may not exceed 12 months from the date of issue of the original certificate.
Form CT-1 certificate can be issued after the export of goods on the basis of a written request from the applicant (declarant). At the same time, the applicant (declarant) additionally submits to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry a customs declaration with a corresponding note from the customs authority confirming the actual export of the goods.
For goods, the free trade regime can be applied (restored) in the customs territories of the member states of the Agreement until the expiration of 12 months from the date of registration of the customs declaration in the country of import (except in cases of falsification of the ST-1 form certificate).
Cost and payment procedure
• The cost of the service is determined in accordance with the current tariffs
• Payment in the form of cash and non-cash payments
Procedure
1. Consideration of the full set of documents required for the issuance of a certificate of origin of goods form ST-1
2. Payment for the service of issuing a certificate of origin of goods form ST-1
3. Issuance of a certificate of origin of goods form ST-1
Registration of an electronic application for a certificate of the country of origin of goods (AIS "Expertise and Certification") is available in your account on the website of the RF CCI https://lk.tpprf.ru/docflow/
Grounds for refusal
of the presented set of documents to the requirements of the Regulations on the procedure for registration, certification and issuance of certificates of origin of goods, as well as other documents related to the implementation of foreign economic activity0003
• Payment for the service of certifying the certificate of origin of goods form ST-1
Application for a certificate
CERTIFICATE TEMPLATE FORM "ST-1"
List of authorized to certify certificates TPP origin of goods
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A certificate confirming the country of origin of goods is required, as a rule, by the customs authorities of the importing country in order to implement tariff and non-tariff measures to regulate the import of goods into the customs territory of the corresponding country and the export of goods from this territory (for example, to calculate the appropriate rate of import duty, including and preferential in the case of granting preferences to goods).
Certificates of origin of goods of a general form are issued for Russian goods exported to all countries except for the CIS countries, if it is not required to issue certificates of origin of forms "ST-1", "ST-2", "A" or other types of certificates.
From January 2, 2016, certificates of a general form are issued for goods exported to Ukraine.
The certificate must be completed in the same language as the form is printed in (in English or Russian, respectively).
In case of loss of the original Certificate, at the written request of the Declarant, a duplicate may be issued.
Cost and payment procedure
• The cost of the service is determined in accordance with the current tariffs
• Payment in the form of cash and non-cash payments
Procedure
1. Application is sent
2. After preliminary agreement, a contract is drawn up, which specifies the procedure and conditions of work, the terms of the order, payment and a report on the work performed
3. Payment for the service of issuing a certificate of origin of goods of a general form
4. Consideration of the submitted set of documents required for the issuance of a certificate of origin of goods of a general form
5. Signing an act on the provision of a service and issuing a certificate of origin of goods of a general form
Registration of an electronic application for a certificate of the country of origin of goods (AIS "Expertise and Certification") is available in your personal account on the website of the RF CCI https://lk.tpprf.ru/docflow/
Grounds for refusal
• Non-compliance of the presented set of documents with the requirements of the Regulations on the procedure for registration, certification and issuance of certificates of origin of goods, as well as other documents related to the implementation of foreign economic activity December 21, 2011)
• No advance payment
Application
CERTIFICATE TEMPLATE OF GENERAL FORM
List of CCIs authorized to certify certificates of origin
Need to choose an artist This performer does not work through electronic forms, contact the performer yourself by calling
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Your name
Your phone number
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By clicking the "Submit" button, I give my consent to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Russian Federation for the processing of my personal data, in accordance with the Federal Law of July 27, 2006 No. 152-FZ "On Personal Data", on the terms and for the purposes specified in the Privacy Policy.
Privacy policy
Registration:
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Legal entity
Your request has been sent, thank you for contacting us.
Your name
Your phone
Comment
By clicking the "Submit" button, I give my consent to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Russian Federation for the processing of my personal data, in accordance with the Federal Law of July 27, 2006 No. 152-FZ "On Personal Data", on the terms and for the purposes specified in the Privacy Policy.
Privacy policy
Your question has been sent, thank you for contacting us.
Submit another question.
Question text
By clicking the "Submit" button, I give my consent to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Russian Federation for the processing of my personal data, in accordance with the Federal Law of July 27, 2006 No.