Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90D § 21
A security interest in a vehicle for which a certificate of title is issued under this chapter is perfected by the delivery to the registrar of the existing certificate of title, if any, an application for a certificate of title containing the name and address of the lienholder and the date of his security agreement and the required fee. The security interest is perfected as of the later of the time of the delivery and the time of attachment of the security interest.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90D, § 21
Acts 2001, c. 26, § 53 provides: "This act shall take effect on July 1, 2001, and applies to any transaction or lien as provided in the transition provisions of Part 7 of section 39 of this act. A lien, other than a security interest, that is perfected on June 30, 2001, by compliance with a law of the commonwealth that referred to the provisions of former Article 9 for the perfection of the lien shall, on and after July 1, 2001, continue to be perfected and to be entitled to priority upon the same terms as those set forth in the transition provisions of Part 7 of section 39, as if the lien were a security interest. In this section "former Article 9" means Article 9 of chapter 106 of the General Laws as in effect on June 30, 2001."