Odometer disclosure: which cars are exempt, model year by year

At a glance

How the exemption dates work

Two paragraphs of 49 CFR 580.17 set the dates. A car of model year 2010 or earlier is exempt once it is transferred at least 10 years after Jan. 1 of its model year. A car of model year 2011 or later is exempt only at 20 years.

Applied to 2026, that leaves 17 model years in the At a glance table above, 2011 through 2027, needing a disclosure, while 2006 through 2010 are exempt.

The 20-year rule matters most for 2011 through 2016. Under the 10-year rule that applied before 2021, each of those six model years would have dropped out by Jan. 1, 2026; under the current rule, none does before 2031.

For a car that is old enough to be exempt, NHTSA says the seller may simply write the word "exempt" where the mileage would go. The buyer and seller then do not need to fill in the rest of the disclosure or sign it.

Every federal exemption, quoted

These are the vehicles 49 CFR 580.17 says a seller or lessee need not disclose the mileage for, in the regulation's words:

• "A vehicle having a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ... of more than 16,000 pounds." GVWR is the loaded weight the manufacturer specifies for a single vehicle.
• "A vehicle that is not self-propelled."
• "A vehicle manufactured in or before the 2010 model year that is transferred at least 10 years after January 1 of the calendar year corresponding to its designated model year."
• "A vehicle manufactured in or after the 2011 model year that is transferred at least 20 years after January 1 of the calendar year corresponding to its designated model year."
• "A vehicle sold directly by the manufacturer to any agency of the United States in conformity with contractual specifications."
• And for new vehicles: "A transferor of a new vehicle prior to its first transfer for purposes other than resale need not disclose the vehicle's odometer mileage."

Gifts, co-owners and state rules

The federal rule defines a transferor as anyone who transfers ownership by sale, gift or any other means except creating a security interest, so a gifted car needs a disclosure unless one of the exemptions above applies.

When two or more people are selling the car together, only one of them needs to sign the disclosure.

The federal disclosure rules apply in a state unless it has alternate requirements approved by the Secretary of Transportation; a state asks for that approval by petitioning NHTSA. This guide covers the federal rule, so check your state motor vehicle agency's title instructions as well.

What the odometer disclosure statement must say

If the car is titled in the seller's name, the mileage goes on the title itself, paper or electronic, not on a separate reassignment document. The seller signs it and prints their name, and the statement must show:

• The odometer reading at the time of transfer, in whole miles (no tenths).
• The date of transfer.
• The seller's printed name and current address.
• The buyer's printed name and current address.
• The car's make, model, year, body type and vehicle identification number (VIN).
• One of three statements about the reading: it reflects the actual mileage to the best of the seller's knowledge; it reflects mileage beyond the odometer's designed mechanical limit; or it is not the actual mileage and should not be relied upon, with a warning to the buyer that a discrepancy exists.
• On a paper form, a statement citing federal law that failing to complete the disclosure or giving false information may result in fines and/or imprisonment (it may also refer to state law); in an electronic transaction, this warning is shown before anyone signs.

Who signs, and when a power of attorney is allowed

Once the seller has signed, the buyer signs the statement, adds a printed name and makes a copy available to the seller.

No one may sign an odometer disclosure as both seller and buyer in the same transaction, unless sections 580.13 or 580.14 permit it. Those are the two power-of-attorney procedures.

For a buyer, the point is this: a mileage power of attorney counts only on the power-of-attorney form issued by the state where the transfer happens, signed by the seller, and only where state law allows it. Under 580.13 the four allowed cases are:

• The paper title is held by a lienholder.
• The paper title is lost.
• The electronic title is held or controlled by a lienholder.
• The electronic title cannot be accessed.

How a power-of-attorney disclosure works

The form carries the same details as a title disclosure, and the buyer signs it too. When the title arrives, the buyer fills in the mileage on it exactly as the seller disclosed it on the power of attorney.

If the power-of-attorney mileage is lower than the mileage already on the title, the power of attorney is void, unless the seller marked the reading as exceeding mechanical limits or not the actual mileage.

Section 580.14 runs the other way. Part A of the state power-of-attorney form is the part that holds the seller's mileage disclosure. Where part A of a physical 580.13 form was used and state law allows it, the buyer may give the seller power of attorney to review the title for mileage discrepancies and, if none are found, acknowledge the disclosure on the title.

Steps

1. Find the car's model year in the At a glance table above. In 2026, every model year from 2011 to 2027 needs a federal odometer disclosure unless another exemption applies.
2. If the seller of a 2011 or newer car writes "exempt" where the mileage goes, ask for the reading and a signed statement: no model year from 2011 on is old enough for the age exemption in 2026.
3. Read the odometer yourself, check that the title shows the same number in whole miles, and look over the mileage box on a paper title for signs of changes. Do not sign or pay until the numbers match or the seller has marked the reading as not the actual mileage.
4. Before you buy, get a National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) report, which shows the most recent odometer reading reported for the car. The Justice Department's NMVTIS consumer page at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov links to where to buy one. If the NMVTIS reading is higher than the reading on the title, do not buy unless the seller can document the error or marks the reading as not the actual mileage; otherwise walk away.
5. Check which mileage statement the seller made. "Exceeds mechanical limits" or "not the actual mileage" means the reading is not the distance the car has traveled: price the car on that basis, or walk away.
6. Refuse a title on which one person has signed as both seller and buyer unless it was done through a state power-of-attorney form.
7. Make sure the seller signs and prints their name, you sign and print yours, and you get a copy. Keep your copy of the signed statement, the title and your NMVTIS report: they show what you were told and what the records say. For the rest of a private sale, see our guide to buying from a private seller.

The 20-year odometer rule: why 2011 is the cutoff

NHTSA raised the age exemption from 10 years to 20 in a final rule published Oct. 2, 2019. After petitions from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and Delaware's transportation department for a one-year delay, the 20-year exemption took effect on Jan. 1, 2021, for model year 2011 and newer; model year 2010 cars became exempt on Jan. 1, 2020, as before.

NHTSA pointed to the rising average age of the fleet. When the 10-year exemption was adopted in 1988, the average car in use was 7.6 years old; by 2017 the average light vehicle in use was 11.7 years old.

NHTSA estimated that 10.4 million vehicles sold each year were between 10 and 19 years old. When the change is fully phased in, cars 10 to 19 years old need a disclosure again.

Electronic titles and disclosure

If you buy a car with an electronic title, ask the state for a copy of the completed statement: for a disclosure on an electronic title, the state must give the buyer and seller a way to get one.

NHTSA's 2019 rule lets states adopt electronic odometer disclosure without prior approval from NHTSA. That part took effect on Dec. 31, 2019.

An electronic signature on a disclosure must identify an individual, not only the organization the person works for, through a secure identity check or by signing in person before a state employee or a bonded agent.

A state with electronic titles may issue a paper record of ownership showing the odometer information, but only if it clearly says it is not an official title and cannot be used to transfer ownership.

Dealers and distributors keep a copy of each paper odometer statement they issue and receive for five years. A disclosure on an electronic title is kept by the state for at least five years, and dealers may keep a copy but are not required to.