Title & Paperwork
How Mobile Home Title Transfer Works in Virginia
In Virginia a manufactured home that has not been converted to real property is titled through the DMV, much like a vehicle. Transferring it means signing over a certificate of title, not recording a deed.
The certificate of title is the ownership document
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles issues certificates of title for manufactured homes and mobile homes that remain personal property. The person named on that certificate is the owner, and a sale transfers ownership by assignment of the title followed by the buyer applying for a new one.
This is why 'I have the keys and I've paid the taxes for years' is not the same as owning the home. Possession is not title.
Liens have to be released
If a lender financed the home, its lien is recorded on the title. A clean transfer requires the lienholder to release it, which normally happens when the loan is paid off at closing.
If the loan was paid off years ago but the lien was never released, expect that to take some time to unwind, since the lender may no longer exist under the same name.
Lost titles
Missing titles are extremely common on older Virginia homes. DMV has a replacement title process, and the owner of record is the one who has to request it.
That last point matters in estates: if the owner of record has died, someone with legal authority for the estate generally has to act.
When there is no title to transfer
If the home was converted to real property under Va. Code § 46.2-653.1, the title was surrendered on purpose and the home now transfers with the land by deed recorded at the circuit court clerk's office.
Finding no title is therefore not automatically bad news. It may mean the conversion was done correctly.
Common questions
- Do I need a bill of sale as well as the title?
- A bill of sale is good practice and documents the terms, but the certificate of title is the instrument that transfers ownership of a titled home in Virginia.
- Can I transfer a title if the owner has died?
- Not directly. Someone with authority over the estate generally has to be in place first.
Where this comes from
- Virginia DMV: Certificates of title for manufactured homes and replacement title procedures.
- Va. Code § 46.2-653.1: Surrender of title and conversion of a manufactured home to real property.
This is general information about Virginia law and process, not legal advice. Confirm details for your own situation with the DMV, your local circuit court clerk, or a Virginia attorney.