Declassifying the World of Agents
The word agent often conjures up visions of trench coat-wearing men and women skilled in the art of espionage and involved in international intrigue. In Pennsylvania, an agent more often refers to a notary who may work in specialized fields such as real estate or motor vehicles.
Agents in real estate
A signing agent is a commissioned notary who specializes in notarizing signatures on real estate documents (mortgage and refinance closings and reverse mortgages). Signing agents can also handle regular notary work, such as affidavits, verifications, acknowledgments, etc., but their work as signing agents requires special knowledge of mortgage documents. No governmental body authorizes signing agents, per se, but as commissioned notaries, they must follow Pennsylvania Notary Public Law.
Differences between motor vehicle issuing agents
Notaries involved in motor vehicle transactions are often known as full agents or card agents. Notaries may also be messengers and dealers who work under contract with PennDOT to provide motor vehicle transactions for the general public. PennDOT considers all of these types of agents issuing agents, but each of them provides different services.
A card agent has been granted authorization from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transfer titles and issue temporary registration transfer cards. They can only transfer registration plates that have already been issued. They cannot issue new titles and plates. The advantage of being a card agent is freedom to travel to a customer’s home or office to complete the title and registration work. All other agents have to work from a set office location.
Full agents can issue temporary registration cards with a plate transfer, issue temporary registration cards when issuing temporary (T) plates and issue 90-day in-transit plates when an individual first purchases a vehicle. However, full agents cannot issue a T-plate or temporary registration card to a vehicle that is already titled in Pennsylvania in the current owner’s name. It is also important to know that only full agents can issue new plates to customers. Although full agents do not have to be commissioned notaries, there must be a notary present during all hours of operation.
Messengers get the job done quickly Messengers are authorized to submit motor vehicle work directly to Penn-DOT from the public. They travel to PennDOT headquarters in Harrisburg at least every 48 hours to get customers’ paperwork processed and then bring the completed paperwork back to the customers. Messengers do not have to be full agents or notaries, but many messengers choose to be full agents, which allow them to issue temporary registration plates and cards to their customers.
Making a deal
Dealers are authorized to conduct the buying, selling and trading of vehicles. They can transfer titles to buyers but if they want to issue T-plates to customers, dealers must also be full agents. Notaries who are not authorized agents cannot submit paperwork to PennDOT. Notaries who are considering becoming PennDOT agents should take into consideration:
Agents in real estate
A signing agent is a commissioned notary who specializes in notarizing signatures on real estate documents (mortgage and refinance closings and reverse mortgages). Signing agents can also handle regular notary work, such as affidavits, verifications, acknowledgments, etc., but their work as signing agents requires special knowledge of mortgage documents. No governmental body authorizes signing agents, per se, but as commissioned notaries, they must follow Pennsylvania Notary Public Law.
Differences between motor vehicle issuing agents
Notaries involved in motor vehicle transactions are often known as full agents or card agents. Notaries may also be messengers and dealers who work under contract with PennDOT to provide motor vehicle transactions for the general public. PennDOT considers all of these types of agents issuing agents, but each of them provides different services.
A card agent has been granted authorization from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to transfer titles and issue temporary registration transfer cards. They can only transfer registration plates that have already been issued. They cannot issue new titles and plates. The advantage of being a card agent is freedom to travel to a customer’s home or office to complete the title and registration work. All other agents have to work from a set office location.
Full agents can issue temporary registration cards with a plate transfer, issue temporary registration cards when issuing temporary (T) plates and issue 90-day in-transit plates when an individual first purchases a vehicle. However, full agents cannot issue a T-plate or temporary registration card to a vehicle that is already titled in Pennsylvania in the current owner’s name. It is also important to know that only full agents can issue new plates to customers. Although full agents do not have to be commissioned notaries, there must be a notary present during all hours of operation.
Messengers get the job done quickly Messengers are authorized to submit motor vehicle work directly to Penn-DOT from the public. They travel to PennDOT headquarters in Harrisburg at least every 48 hours to get customers’ paperwork processed and then bring the completed paperwork back to the customers. Messengers do not have to be full agents or notaries, but many messengers choose to be full agents, which allow them to issue temporary registration plates and cards to their customers.
Making a deal
Dealers are authorized to conduct the buying, selling and trading of vehicles. They can transfer titles to buyers but if they want to issue T-plates to customers, dealers must also be full agents. Notaries who are not authorized agents cannot submit paperwork to PennDOT. Notaries who are considering becoming PennDOT agents should take into consideration:
- A full agent must have an established office location that is handicapped accessible, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Regular business hours and fees must be posted; and a lockable storage area for records, T-plates, and temporary registration cards must be available.
- Obtaining an agent contract with PennDOT may take up to three months to complete.
- Although PennDOT does not charge upfront fees, it does require all issuing agents to obtain a bond to protect the state from financial loss.
