The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO), also called a Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO), can be obtained from the original seller for all new unregistered vehicles by purchasing the vehicle without financing (i.e. paid in full). Manufactured vehicles are not automatically registered with any state or nation. So, there is no title or registration when they are first sold. The “pink slip” MCO can, and should, be requested immediately after signing the paperwork - do not leave the dealership without it in hand. Without this document, the legal title to the vehicle is actually owned by the State where the vehicle was first registered. It is due to this that we will need to obtain the MCO and reclaim legal title alongside our equitable title, allowing the vehicle to be placed inside the private realm.
When financing is acquired, then the dealer will turn in the MCO at the DMV for state title and registration certificates. The lender financing the purchase will keep these until the loan is paid off. Once the Certificate of Title is back in hand, the MCO can be requested from the DMV. Remember, a Certificate of Title acts like a “license” to use an asset, it is not title in fee simple giving both legal and equitable title to the vehicle - that’s what the MCO shows.
NOTE: If the vehicle has been retitled in a new state upon moving, the original state still has the MCO. Find the State that holds the current title to the vehicle and get that State’s DMV’s DRIVER / INDIVUAL RECORDS REQUEST Form for the Vehicle’s Title History / Record. This may also be done online, given the state’s availability for such services.