Massachusetts Car Title Search — What the RMV Shows, and What It Doesn't.
Massachusetts gives you two title tools. The RMV's title status check is free and online: it shows when the title was issued, who it was mailed to and any lienholder. The history search, for past owners and title paperwork, is by mail and costs $5 to $10 a copy. Here is how each works, and what a buyer still needs to check by VIN.
Buying a Massachusetts Car?
Check every state's title records for the VIN, not just the current Massachusetts title. Start with a free preview.
Free preview · No sign-up · No owner or personal data
Quick Answer
- How do I check title status in Massachusetts?
- Use the RMV's online title status check. It asks for the last 8 characters of the VIN and the title number, or the full VIN if you don't have the title number. There is no fee. It shows the date the title was issued, who it was (or will be) mailed to, the lienholder if any, and whether it is an electronic title.
- Can I get a car's title history from the Massachusetts RMV?
- Yes, by mail. The RMV's history search returns its computer record of previous owners or photocopies of the title application. You send a request form, a copy of your ID and the fee: $5 per record copy or $10 per title-application copy. The RMV mails the documents within 7–10 business days.
- What should a buyer check before buying a Massachusetts car?
- The RMV status check confirms the current Massachusetts title and any lienholder. It does not list brands or odometer readings from other states. The RMV's own advice is to "Check NMVTIS Before You Buy!" — the federal title system state agencies use.
Four checks on a Massachusetts title before you buy
Two are free with the RMV, one takes the seller's paperwork, and one covers every other state the car has been titled in.
- 1Get the VIN and title numberBoth are on the seller's title and registration. The RMV check needs them.
- 2Run the RMV status checkFree. Confirm the title exists, when it was issued and whether a lienholder is listed.
- 3Match the namesThe title should be in the seller's name. If a lender is listed, the lien must be released at sale.
- 4Check the VIN in every stateA federal NMVTIS-based report shows brands and odometer readings from other states' titles.
What the RMV Title Status Check Shows
The Registry of Motor Vehicles runs a free status check for Massachusetts titles. It exists for owners and lenders who want to know where a title is: whether it has been issued, where it was sent, and whether the lienholder on file is right.
For a buyer, that is useful in a narrow way. It confirms that a Massachusetts title exists for the VIN and shows whether a lender is still listed. It does not show the car's full history, brands from other states or past odometer readings.
What the check returns
- Issue date: when the certificate of title was issued.
- Mailed to: to whom the title was, or will be, mailed.
- Lienholder: the name of the lienholder, if there is one.
- Electronic title: whether the title is electronic.
How to Check a Massachusetts Title Status Online
The check runs through myRMV, the RMV's online services portal. Enter the last 8 characters of the VIN together with the title number, or, if you don't have the title number, the full 17-character VIN. The RMV says the title number is on the vehicle registration. There is no fee.
If you are buying from a private seller, ask for the title number along with the VIN and run the check before you meet. A seller who cannot give you a title number, or whose title shows a lender they have not mentioned, has something to explain.
Title Status, History Search or a VIN Report?
The three answer different questions. The status check answers "does a Massachusetts title exist, and who holds a lien?" instantly and free. The RMV history search answers "who owned this car in Massachusetts, and what was filed?" by mail, at $5 to $10 a copy, in 7–10 business days.
A VIN report answers "what happened to this car in every state?" It reads NMVTIS, the federal title database state agencies report into, and needs only the VIN. Our full report is $14.99 and lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
Ordering a Massachusetts Title History by Mail
The RMV history search returns either its computer record of the vehicle's previous owners or photocopies of the actual title application and supporting documents. License or ID holders and vehicle owners send a completed History Search Request or Photocopy form with a copy of their license or state ID. Others permitted under the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act use a Request for Personal Information application.
The fees are $10 for each copy of a title application (RMV-1 and other documents) and $5 for each RMV record request, paid by check or money order to MassDOT. Mail everything to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Attention: Mail Listings, PO Box 55885, Boston, MA 02205-5885, and allow 7–10 business days.
Check a Massachusetts Car's VIN in Every State
The RMV check covers the Massachusetts title. Enter the VIN for a free preview of title records from every state.
What the RMV Check Leaves Out for a Buyer
A car titled in Massachusetts today may have been titled somewhere else first. A salvage or flood brand from another state, an odometer reading recorded at an earlier sale, or an insurance total loss will not appear on the Massachusetts status check.
The RMV itself points buyers to the federal system. Its NMVTIS page says buying an NMVTIS vehicle history report may protect consumers from vehicle fraud and unsafe vehicles, and asks: "why not check the same system state agencies use?"
RMV Title Status vs a VIN History Report
Use the free RMV check for the Massachusetts title and lien; use the VIN report for everything before it.
RMV title status check
- Free; needs the last 8 of the VIN and the title number, or the full VIN
- Issue date, mailing recipient and lienholder
- Whether the title is electronic
- Massachusetts title only
VIN history report
- Needs only the VIN
- Title records from every reporting state
- Brands, odometer readings and insurance total losses
- $14.99 for the full report, free preview first
Related Checks and Guides
Other Massachusetts checks, and title searches in other states.
Where These Facts Come From
Every Massachusetts fee and procedure on this page comes from the RMV's pages on mass.gov, read on 29 September 2026.
RMV fees and procedures can change. Confirm on mass.gov before you mail a request.
Always check the VIN before you buy
The free preview shows title brands, theft status and open recalls in seconds, and flags whether accident and odometer records exist. The full history is $14.99 — one-time, no subscription.
Massachusetts Car Title Search — Frequently Asked Questions
Status checks, history requests and what a buyer needs.
Is the Massachusetts title status check free?+
Yes. The RMV says there is no fee to check the status of a vehicle's certificate of title.
What do I need to check a title's status in Massachusetts?+
Online, the last 8 characters of the VIN and the title number, or the full VIN if you don't have the title number. The title number is on the vehicle registration.
Does the RMV status check show liens?+
It shows the name of the lienholder, if there is one, along with the title's issue date, where it was mailed and whether it is electronic.
How long does an RMV history search take?+
The RMV mails the documents within 7–10 business days after it receives the request, form, ID copy and fee.
How much does a Massachusetts title history cost?+
$5 for each RMV record request and $10 for each copy of a title application, paid by check or money order to MassDOT.
Will the RMV check show a salvage brand from another state?+
No. It covers the Massachusetts title. A VIN report based on NMVTIS shows brands, odometer readings and total losses reported in other states; ours is $14.99 after a free preview.
Check the Whole History, Not Just the Massachusetts Title
Enter the VIN for a free preview of title records from every state, then open the full report if the car is worth it.
This page is general information about Massachusetts RMV services and is not affiliated with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles or MassDOT. Fees and procedures are quoted from mass.gov as of 29 September 2026. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
Related VIN Checks
More tools to verify any vehicle's history