# Montana HB 165: Notaries not required for vehicle title transfer

Montana HB 165, Notaries not required for vehicle title transfer, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) House bill sponsored by Ken Walsh (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-04-07 (Chapter Number Assigned); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB165-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana HB 165
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Notaries not required for vehicle title transfer
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-01-10
- Last action: 2025-04-07, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Ken Walsh (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Motor Vehicles, Rule Making
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 4 (259 yes, 41 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Affidavits replace notarized title papers: benefit, low. If you cannot get the prior assigned title, you can file a sworn affidavit with your title application. The Motor Vehicle Division cannot require that affidavit to be notarized. For campers, motorboats, personal watercraft, sailboats 12 feet or longer, and snowmobiles, you may use a sworn affidavit…
- No notary for private title transfers: benefit, low. When one person sells or gives a vehicle to another person, the seller’s signature no longer needs notarization on the title or electronic form. The buyer must still apply for title and register within 40 days. If the buyer is late, a $10 penalty applies before registration.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ken Walsh (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Gregg Hunter (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-03-26 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 37 | 13 |   |
| 2025-03-25 | Senate | Do Concur | pass | 39 | 11 |   |
| 2025-01-29 | House | Do Pass | pass | 91 | 9 |   |
| 2025-01-28 | House | Do Pass | pass | 92 | 8 |   |

## Actions (25)

- 2025-04-07: Chapter Number Assigned (House)
- 2025-04-07: Signed by Governor (House)
- 2025-03-31: Transmitted to Governor (House)
- 2025-03-31: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-03-28: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-03-28: Returned from Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-26: Sent to Enrolling (House)
- 2025-03-26: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-25: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-03-24: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (Senate)
- 2025-03-20: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-03-19: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-20: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-01-30: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-01-29: Transmitted to Senate (House)
- 2025-01-29: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-28: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-01-27: 2nd Reading Pass Consideration (House)
- 2025-01-23: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-01-22: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-01-10: Hearing (House)
- 2025-01-10: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-01-10: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-01-10: Introduced (House)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9830e3a5-89c8-48b2-ac61-f7e739003c08)
- Introduced, 2025-01-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f35e08c7-ff73-4a86-b0f1-0bd845338702)

## Related bills

- SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed)
- HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed)
- HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed)
- SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed)
- SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed)
- SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=9830e3a5-89c8-48b2-ac61-f7e739003c08)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=f35e08c7-ff73-4a86-b0f1-0bd845338702)

## Related
- [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025)
- [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025)
- [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025)
- [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025)
- [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025)
- [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025)
- [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills)
- [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB165-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).