Mobile home titles in Indiana

Indiana titles a mobile or manufactured home through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and taxes it as annually assessed personal property until it is affixed to owned land and converted to real property. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone with a specific title or tax question should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Indiana.

What the statute says

A mobile or manufactured home is titled by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles under the state's certificate-of-title law (Ind. Code title 9, article 17), and ownership transfers through the certificate of title. For taxation, Ind. Code 6-1.1-7 provides that a mobile home not assessed as real property is assessed annually as personal property, and a permit is generally required to move or transfer the home, with outstanding property tax cleared first. When a home is permanently affixed to land the owner owns, the certificate of title can be retired so the home is assessed and conveyed as part of the real property.

How it works in general

An Indiana mobile home starts as titled personal property: the owner holds a BMV certificate of title, and a sale transfers that title. While the home sits on a rented lot it is assessed annually as personal property and taxed by the county, and the owner generally needs a permit — and must clear any back taxes — to move or transfer it. When the owner permanently affixes the home to land they own, the title can be retired so the home becomes part of the real estate, conveyed with the land. The certificate of title, the annual assessment, and any moving/transfer permit are the key records.

Common scenarios

General examples Indiana residents commonly encounter:

• A home sits on a rented lot. It is titled personal property and assessed annually for property tax (Ind. Code 6-1.1-7).
• A home is moved or sold. A permit is generally required, with taxes cleared first (Ind. Code 6-1.1-7).
• An owner affixes the home to land they own. The BMV title can be retired so the home is treated as real property (Ind. Code title 9, art. 17).

Other authorities that may apply

The certificate-of-title law (Ind. Code title 9, article 17) governs titling through the BMV; the assessment and permit framework (Ind. Code 6-1.1-7) is administered by the Department of Local Government Finance and the county assessor and treasurer. The home is built to the federal HUD code, and the certificate of title, the assessment records, and any financing documents also control.