Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Program Lienholder’s Guide - PUB 758 - Responsibilities and Processes

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Logic

The Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Program Lienholder’s Guide (PUB 758) outlines lienholder responsibilities and the end-to-end processes for maintaining an electronic vehicle title in Pennsylvania. It covers enrollment steps through Form MV-37 and a PennDOT-approved ELT service provider, how lienholders become active, and how FIN is provided for recording ELT liens. It also explains receiving ELT notifications, verifying or rejecting them, and performing key maintenance transactions, including releasing liens and converting ELT to paper title.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Enrolling in the ELT Program

Application and service provider implementation

Participating in the ELT Program

FIN requirements

Receiving Electronic Titles

Daily notifications and responses

Maintaining Electronic Titles

Release lien

Convert ELT to paper title

Release lien to an approved third party

Update lienholder address

Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Program Lienholder’s Guide PUB 758 (12-24) The purpose of this document is to explain lienholder responsibilities and the various processes related to maintaining an electronic vehicle title, from the initial issuance until a lien is released or assigned. This information is intended to assist lienholders in understanding the processes and act as a guide to perform the transactions associated with an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) . Enrolling in the ELT Program All lienholders are required to enroll in Pennsylvania’s ELT Program. The enrollment process begins with the lienholder completing Form MV-37 (Application for Enrollment/Change in ELT System) and submitting the form to a PennDOT approved ELT service provider. Lienholders enter into an agreement with their ELT service provider. There is no contract between the lienholder and PennDOT. After providing software and training to the lienholder, the service provider submits Form MV-37 to PennDOT, requesting an implementation date for the lienholder. Participating in the ELT Program When the lienholder’s approved implementation date arrives, the lienholder is active in the ELT Program, and capable of both receiving ELT data and processing lien maintenance transactions. The lienholder must begin providing its Financial Institution Number (FIN) to all customers who receive financing for a vehicle. The lienholder or the customer must provide the FIN to the dealer or title agent to record the lien as ELT. The ELT service provider is contractually required to provide help desk service to lienholdersand assist them with all ELT related questions and discrepancies. Lienholders do not have a direct line to PennDOT for resolution of ELT related discrepancies. PennDOT systematically responds to the service providers regarding discrepancies. Receiving Electronic Titles When a vehicle is financed and a lien is to be recorded, the dealer or title agent enters the lienholder’s FIN on the title application. When the application information is entered into PennDOT’s vehicle record system using the FIN, the lienholder receives an electronic message for each ELT through a daily web-based file transfer. Lienholders may electronically respond to each ELT notification by verifying if it is correct, or rejecting if it is not. Rejections will be researched by PennDOT and corrected, if necessary. Maintaining Electronic Titles Using the software provided by the ELT service provider, each lienholder maintains electronic files of all title records with its lien perfected. Computer filing of perfected liens allows each lienholder to customize how their vehicle loan data is maintained. While recorded as lienholder on an ELT, the lienholder can maintain lien and vehicle owner information with improved efficiency. The following transactions are available to each lienholder through the service provider: Release Lien—This transaction allows the lienholder to release its electronic lien, resulting in an unencumbered paper title issued to the vehicle owner. • Immediately upon satisfaction of encumbrance, the lienholder is required to release its lien. • A paper title is automatically mailed to the owner at the address on the vehicle record the following business day. • The paper title must be mailed to the vehicle owner on PennDOT records at the vehicle owner’s actual, bona fide address. Convert ELT to Paper Title—This transaction allows the lienholder to convert an electronic title to a paper title with the lien information intact, resulting in a paper title issued to the lienholder. • The paper title is mailed to the lienholder at the lienholder’s address (based on information on file with PennDOT, associated with the lienholder’s FIN) the following business day. The lienholder cannot change its name or address when doing this transaction. • Once received, the lienholder must maintain the paper titles in a secure location. • Paper title

FAQs

How do lienholders enroll in Pennsylvania’s ELT Program?

Lienholders must complete Form MV-37 and submit it to a PennDOT-approved ELT service provider. After entering an agreement with the provider, the provider submits MV-37 to PennDOT to request an implementation date.

What must a lienholder do when the approved implementation date arrives?

The lienholder becomes active in the ELT Program and can receive ELT data and process lien maintenance transactions. The lienholder can then provide its FIN to customers who receive vehicle financing.

What transactions can lienholders perform to maintain electronic titles?

Lienholders, through the ELT service provider, can release an electronic lien, convert an ELT to a paper title, release a lien to an approved third party, and update lienholder addresses on prior ELTs (with MV-37 required before the change).

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Logic