6.005 Manufacturer’s Certificate/Statement of Origin

The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin/Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MCO/MSO) may be prepared at a factory, assembly plant, or business authorized by the manufacturer. All MCO/MSO forms, except those for off-road equipment, should be produced in an identical format and must include:

• The manufacturer’s name and address.
• The make, identification number, year model, and vehicle series or model name.
• The date, to whom the manufacturer transferred ownership, and the signature of the manufacturer’s agent (a signature stamp is acceptable).

Reassignments made in the space provided on the MCO/MSO do not need to be notarized, even if a notarization space is provided.

Although variations exist, an MCO/MSO should be: 7” x 11” in size, on 60-pound paper stock or equivalent durability, and printed with security features that include:

• Sensitized-security paper without added optical brighteners that will not fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
• Engraved border and prismatic-rainbow printing with a copy void pantograph (the word “void” appears when the document is copied).
• Two complex colors (colors developed by using a mixture of two or more primary colors and black) and two security threads, with or without a watermark, and/or intaglio print, with or without a latent image, and/or security laminate.

Duplicate MCO/MSO—A duplicate copy of an MCO/MSO issued by the manufacturer is acceptable as proof of ownership. It must clearly state “Duplicate” on the face of the document, contain the same security features as the original, and contain the identical descriptive information, except for the issue date, as the original MCO/MSO. Any discrepancy invalidates the duplicate.

MSO Continuations—Any continuation to an MCO/MSO must clearly state “Continuation” on the face of the document and contain the same security features as the original. A “continuation” MCO/MSO must be used in conjunction with the original certificate.