It's the Law—Iowa's Off-Road Vehicle Laws
Certificates of Title for ATVs

The owner of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) acquired on or after January 1, 2000, other than an ATV used exclusively as a farm implement, shall apply to the county recorder of the county in which the owner resides for a certificate of title for the ATV.

A certificate of title shall contain the information and shall be issued on a form the Department prescribes.

An owner of an ATV shall apply to the county recorder for issuance of a certificate of title within thirty days after acquisition. The application shall be on forms the Department prescribes and accompanied by the required fee. The application shall be signed and sworn to before a notary public or other person who administers oaths, or shall include a certification signed in writing containing knowledge, information, and belief, under penalty of perjury. The application shall contain the date of sale and gross price of the ATV or the fair market value if no sale immediately preceded the transfer and any additional information the Department requires. If the application is made for an ATV previously registered or titled in another state or foreign country, the application shall contain this information and any other the Department requires.

A manufacturer or dealer shall not transfer ownership of a new ATV without supplying the transferee with the manufacturer’s or importer’s certificate of origin signed by the manufacturer’s or importer’s authorized agent. The certificate shall contain information the Department requires. The Department may adopt rules providing for the issuance of a certificate of origin for an ATV by the Department upon good cause shown by the owner. The dealer shall submit all paperwork to the county recorder, not the customer.

A dealer transferring ownership of an ATV under this chapter shall assign the title to the new owner, or in the case of a new ATV, assign the certificate of origin. Within 30 days the dealer shall forward all moneys and applications to the county recorder.

The county recorder shall maintain a record of any certificate of title which the county recorder issues and shall keep each certificate of title on record until the certificate of title has been inactive for five years. When issuing a title for a new ATV, the county recorder shall obtain and keep on file a copy of the certificate of origin.

Once titled, a person shall not sell or transfer ownership of an ATV without delivering to the purchaser or transferee a certificate of title with an assignment on it showing the title in the purchaser or transferee. A person shall not purchase or otherwise acquire an ATV without obtaining a certificate of title for it in that person’s name.

All questions concerning bonding issues with machines with VIN numbers contact your local county recorder. Machines without VIN numbers contact your local conservation officer for questions concerning bonding.

Title Fees, Surcharges, and Duplicates

The county recorder shall charge a ten dollar fee to issue a certificate of title, a transfer of title, a duplicate, or a corrected certificate of title.

If a certificate of title is lost, stolen, mutilated, destroyed, or becomes illegible, the first lienholder or if there is none, the owner named in the certificate, as shown by the county recorder’s records, shall within 30 days obtain a duplicate by applying to the county recorder. The applicant shall furnish information the Department requires concerning the original certificate and the circumstances of its loss, mutilation, or destruction. Mutilated or illegible certificates shall be returned to the Department with the application for a duplicate.

The duplicate certificate of title shall be marked plainly “duplicate” across its face and mailed or delivered to the applicant.

Transfer or Repossession

If ownership of an ATV is transferred by operation of law, such as by inheritance, order in bankruptcy, insolvency, replevin, or execution sale, the transferee, within 30 days after acquiring the right to possession of the ATV, shall mail or deliver to the county recorder satisfactory proof of ownership as the county recorder requires, together with an application for a new registration, title, and the required fees.

If a lienholder repossesses an ATV by operation of law and holds it for resale, the lienholder shall secure a new registration and certificate of title, and shall pay the required fees.

Security Interest

A security interest created in Iowa in an ATV is not perfected until the security interest is noted on the certificate of title. To perfect the security interest, an application for security interest must be presented along with the original title. The county recorder shall note the security interest on the face of the title and on the copy in the recorder’s office.

The certificate of title shall be presented to the county recorder when the application for security interest or for assignment of the security interest is presented and a new or endorsed certificate of title shall be issued to the secured party with the name and address of the secured party on it.

The secured party shall present the certificate of title to the county recorder when a release statement is filed and a new or endorsed certificate shall be issued to the owner. If the secured party loses the title, they may discharge the security interest by signing a notarized statement and sending it to the county recorder.