How to Transfer a Mobile Home Title in Arizona

In Arizona, transferring the title to a mobile or manufactured home happens through the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), not a title and escrow company. The seller signs the certificate of title over to the buyer, the buyer applies for a new title with the state, any loans or liens are paid off, and the transfer fee is paid to the clerk.

Note: this only applies if the mobile home is still considered personal property. If the home has already been permanently affixed to land you own, you're not transferring a title through the MVD — you're transferring title to the real estate through a licensed title and escrow company.

When does a mobile home have a title to transfer?

Not every Arizona mobile home has a live title:

• Unaffixed homes — typically mobile homes in a park or community where monthly lot rent is paid. These are personal property with an MVD certificate of title, and this is the home you transfer through the MVD.
• Affixed homes — typically land-owned homes outside a community. An engineer straps the home down to the land, an engineering report is provided, and an affidavit of affixture is filed and recorded with the county. At that point the home becomes real property and its MVD title is surrendered — so you transfer it with the land through a title and escrow company using a warranty deed.

Step one is knowing the status of your home (personal property vs. real property). If the county assessor lists a separate mobile home account, you almost certainly have an MVD title to transfer. If the home shows up as real property on the land parcel, it's affixed.

What you need to transfer a mobile home title in Arizona

Before you go to the MVD, gather:

• The original certificate of title, signed over by the seller (both titles for a double-wide).
• A bill of sale showing the price, date, and both parties.
• A lien release or payoff letter, if there's a loan recorded against the home.
• Proof that personal-property taxes are current — the county may require this, and you'll need a tax clearance if you're also moving the home.
• Photo ID for the parties, and the home's details (VIN/serial, HUD label numbers, year, make, size).

How to transfer a mobile home title in Arizona, step by step

1. Locate the title(s). Find the actual certificate of title. A double-wide or triple-wide has one title per section, and you need all of them. Missing it? See the section below.
2. The seller signs it over. The seller completes the assignment/transfer section on the back of the title, releasing ownership to the buyer.
3. Pay off or clear any liens. If a lender is listed, get a signed lien release or payoff before the title can transfer. This is the most common thing that stalls a deal, so start those conversations right away.
4. Bring taxes current. Make sure the home's personal-property taxes are paid — delinquent taxes get posted to the title and can block the transfer. If you also plan to move the home, you'll need a tax clearance first; in Maricopa County that's the Assessor's 504 Property Tax Clearance (other counties run their own version), required by A.R.S. § 28-1104 before a move.
5. Complete the Title and Registration Application. The buyer fills out the MVD's Title and Registration Application (Form 96-0236, PDF) along with the signed title and bill of sale.
6. Submit it in person. Take everything to an MVD office or Authorized Third Party provider. Mobile home title work generally can't be finished fully online.
7. Pay the fee and get the new title. The MVD issues a new certificate of title in the buyer's name. Arizona statute (A.R.S. § 28-2063) governs how these titles are issued — including the rule that each section of a multi-section home gets its own title.

With a clean title, no lien, and taxes current, you can often transfer the same day.

Double-wides have two titles

Sellers often miss this important detail: a multi-section home has a separate title for each section. A double-wide has two; a triple-wide has three. To transfer ownership you need all of them, signed over. If one section's title is missing, you'll have to replace it before the sale can close — so check that you have all of them early.

What if you don't have the title?

Missing titles are one of the most common problems we see — but they're fixable:

• Lost or never received — you can apply for a duplicate title or, when there's no clean paper trail, a bonded title using the MVD's Bonded Title Application for a Mobile Home (Form 40-1003, PDF). Our guide on a lost, duplicate, or bonded title walks through it.
• Bought the home but the seller never signed it over — this needs a bonded title or other MVD remedy before you can transfer clean.
• The owner passed away — you'll follow the after-death transfer path (probate, a small-estate affidavit, or a beneficiary designation), not a normal transfer process.

We often buy mobile homes from heirs after a loved one passes away, and in about 25% of those cases the title is lost or can't be found. It's something we handle every day — we help the family obtain a new title through the MVD so the property can be sold.

How title transfer works when you sell to us

When you sell a land-owned home to us, you don't have to run the MVD yourself. We confirm what paperwork exists, order duplicate or bonded titles if needed, clear liens and taxes at closing, and complete the transfer through a licensed Arizona title company — for homes of any age or condition, including pre-1976.

What to do next

Not sure whether your home has a title or has been affixed? Send us the address and we'll check the county records.

• See what we buy, including homes with title problems.
• Ready for a number? Get your free cash offer or call (480) 303-7100.

We buy land-owned mobile homes in Phoenix, Mesa, Casa Grande, and across Arizona — even when the paperwork is a mess.