50-State Surveys › Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements by State
Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements by State
What paperwork and signatures do a private seller and buyer need to transfer title to an ordinary used passenger vehicle, and what filing deadlines, seller notices, taxes, inspections, and late-transfer consequences apply?
51 of 51 jurisdictions verified
every entry statute-checked, oldest 2026-07-23
What this survey covers
This survey follows an ordinary same-state private sale from the signed title through the seller's notice and the buyer's title application. It covers a currently titled used passenger vehicle. Dealer sales, gifts, estates, salvage or rebuilt vehicles, lost or bonded titles, out-of-state titles, and special vehicle classes use different procedures.
The legal handoff is rarely one document. California, for example, says title does not pass until the seller properly endorses and delivers the certificate and the buyer submits it with the required fee and tax, or the seller submits the transfer documents through the statutory alternative. Cal. Veh. Code § 5600.
Authentication varies by document
Pennsylvania requires the title assignment to be sworn or verified before a notary, authorized issuing agent, or another listed verifier. Washington instead requires the buyer's Vehicle Title Application—not the title release itself—to be signed before a licensing agent or notary. California's ordinary title-transfer checklist requires buyer and seller or lienholder signatures but does not list notarization for the ordinary current-title transfer. 75 Pa.C.S. § 1111; Washington DOL private-purchase instructions; California DMV title-transfer checklist.
Seller notice is separate from buyer filing
California gives the seller five calendar days to notify DMV. Washington uses five business days for the report of sale and gives the buyer 15 days to apply for a new title. Texas tells private-sale buyers to title within 30 days and offers the seller separate liability protection for a Vehicle Transfer Notification filed within 30 days. None of those seller notices substitutes for the buyer's title application. Cal. Veh. Code § 5900; RCW 46.12.650; Texas DMV buying and selling instructions.
Patterns across the states
Across all 51 jurisdictions, a few majority rules emerge. Most states do not notarize the ordinary current-title assignment; the notable exception is Wyoming, which requires the seller's assignment to be notarized, while Louisiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Oklahoma notarize title or transfer documents and a handful of states substitute an agency or licensing-agent verification. License plates usually stay with the owner — the seller removes them and the buyer registers in the buyer's own name — with Minnesota the main outlier that keeps the plate and registration with the vehicle. A bill of sale is most often supplemental, but several states make it part of the required filing (for example, the District of Columbia, Vermont's VT-005, and Arkansas's priced invoice), and Oregon lets a bill of sale serve as the seller's release itself. Buyer filing deadlines cluster around 30 days, with shorter windows in a few states and longer ones such as Arkansas's 60 days. Sales tax is the widest axis: Montana, New Hampshire, Alaska, and Oregon impose no general sales tax, several states use a separate excise or use tax, and others apply the ordinary rate — sometimes on a graduated scale like Arkansas's.
How to use the table
Start with the title assignment and owner or lienholder signatures. Then check whether the title, application, or another document needs notarization or agent verification. Treat the bill of sale, odometer statement, seller notice, and buyer application as separate items.
Finish with the buyer's deadline, tax and fee documents, inspection or insurance proof, plate and operating rules, and late consequences. A signed title can still be rejected for a missing release, disclosure, form, tax, or authentication, and the seller can remain exposed if the buyer never completes the filing.
Get this answered for your state
This survey compares every state side by side. Ezel applies your state's law to your specific situation and answers with citations to the statutes.
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| State | Governing law, agency, and scope | Title assignment, owner signatures, and lien release | Notarization, witness, or agent verification | Bill of sale requirement and contents | Odometer, damage, and title-brand disclosures | Seller notice, plate handling, and liability | Buyer deadline, forms, tax, and fees | Inspection, emissions, insurance, and operation | Penalties, rejection, and failed transfer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama verified 2026-07-23 | Ala. Code Title 32, Ch. 8 (Uniform Certificate of Title and Antitheft Act), esp. §§ 32-8-30, 32-8-44, 32-8-64; administered by ALDOR's Motor Vehicle Division through designated agents (county license-plate issuing officials, licensed Alabama dealers, and Alabama financial institutions). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Alabama-titled used passenger vehicle. |
At delivery the seller executes the assignment and warranty of title in the space on the certificate and delivers the certificate to the buyer or to ALDOR (§ 32-8-44(a)); the buyer then executes the new-title application and delivers the certificate to a designated agent (§ 32-8-44(b)). Co-owners joined by 'and' must all sign; joined by 'or,' one may sign (ALDOR). A lienholder in possession delivers the title to the buyer on request (§ 32-8-44(c)), and on payoff must execute a release on the certificate within 10 days after demand (§ 32-8-64(a)). Between the parties, the transfer is not effective until § 32-8-44 is met (§ 32-8-44(e)). |
No notary or witness for the ordinary title assignment — ALDOR states Alabama does not require the assignment of a title (or manufacturer's certificate of origin) to be notarized. There is no separate oath or witness on the assignment; the buyer's title application is processed by an ALDOR designated agent rather than sworn before a notary. |
Not separately required for an ordinary titled transfer — the assigned certificate of title is the transfer document (§ 32-8-44(a)). ALDOR treats a bill of sale as one of the 'documents which support the transfer' a designated agent may require, and it establishes ownership when a vehicle is registered without a title having been issued. A bill of sale supplements, and does not replace, the endorsed title and the designated-agent filing. |
Odometer disclosure follows the federal rule: the seller and buyer complete the disclosure in the secure space on the ALDOR-issued title for a vehicle under 20 model years old, under the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay. No separate Alabama damage-disclosure form applies to an ordinary current-title transfer; salvage, flood, and rebuilt or otherwise branded-title procedures are outside this ordinary answer. |
Alabama's certificate-of-title scheme centers on the seller's assignment and delivery of the title (§ 32-8-44); it does not impose a separate seller report-of-sale or release-of-liability filing like some states. The seller limits exposure by properly executing, dating, and delivering the assignment. Alabama issues plates to the owner, so the plate stays with the seller and may be transferred to the seller's replacement vehicle; the buyer registers in the buyer's own name and may transfer a plate from the buyer's previous vehicle (ALDOR). |
The buyer promptly applies for a new certificate of title through an ALDOR designated agent (§ 32-8-44(b)) and must register the vehicle within 20 calendar days of purchase or acquisition (ALDOR). The applicant surrenders the assigned title and any supporting documents; the title application fee is $15 (designated agents add a small commission). Registration collects license fees and ad valorem (property) taxes, and Alabama collects sales/use tax on the sale separately. Current Alabama liability insurance is required before a plate is issued. |
Alabama has no statewide periodic safety-inspection or vehicle-emissions-testing program in an ordinary private transfer. A VIN and ownership-documentation inspection is required when only a registration is issued (no title) and each time ownership changes for such a vehicle, and additional documentation can be required to confirm federal and state safety, emissions, and anti-theft standards. Mandatory Alabama liability insurance must cover the vehicle before registration, verified through the state's online insurance system; a signed title does not authorize driving an unregistered or uninsured vehicle. |
The buyer has 20 calendar days from purchase to register without penalty or interest; after that, penalty and interest apply (ALDOR), and if the 20th day falls on a Sunday, legal holiday, or day the office is closed, the next working day is the deadline. An incomplete assignment, missing lienholder release, missing owner signature, or missing supporting document can stop title issuance, and between the parties the transfer is not effective until § 32-8-44 is satisfied (§ 32-8-44(e)). A dealer who transfers a titled vehicle without complying with the chapter commits a Class A misdemeanor (§ 32-8-30(c)). |
| Alaska verified 2026-07-23 | Alaska Statutes Title 28, ch. 28.10 (Certificates of Title and Registration), esp. §§ 28.10.231 and 28.10.271, with registration fees in § 28.10.421 and mandatory insurance in ch. 28.22 (§ 28.22.101); the Department of Administration Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) titles and registers vehicles statewide. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Alaska-titled used passenger vehicle. A resident must apply for an Alaska title within 30 days of purchase (DMV). |
The owner 'shall, at the time of delivery of the vehicle, endorse an assignment and warranty of title to the transferee in the space provided on the certificate of title' and 'deliver the certificates of title and registration to the transferee at the time of delivery' (§ 28.10.271(b)). The title carries 'a space for the assignment and warranty of title by the owner ... and a space for the assignment or release of the security interest of a lienholder' (§ 28.10.231(b)). Where owners are joined by 'AND' (or names with no conjunction), all must sign to release the title; joined by 'OR,' only one need sign (DMV). Any lien on the title must be released by the lienholder. Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the endorsed title and the buyer's application. |
None for an ordinary transfer. Section 28.10.271 requires only that the owner endorse the assignment 'in the space provided on the certificate of title,' and the DMV titling process takes only signatures — no notary or witness for the title assignment or the Vehicle Transaction Application (Form V1). Notarization appears only on a Limited Vehicle Power of Attorney (Form 847), which must be notarized and is required when someone signs on behalf of the owner — not part of an ordinary owner-signed sale. |
Not required and not sufficient by itself: the DMV states plainly that 'a Bill of Sale is not valid for ownership transfer,' though it is 'a good idea' to have the buyer sign one stating they purchased the vehicle on a specific date, including the serial number and description of the vehicle, the buyer's and seller's printed names, the date of sale, and both signatures. It is protective evidence (for example, if the buyer receives tickets after the sale), not the ownership instrument — the endorsed title is. |
The seller completes the odometer disclosure on the title for a vehicle under 12,000 pounds and less than 20 years old; if the parties have not attested to the reading on the title, a separate Odometer Disclosure (Form V6) may be required or the odometer records as UNKNOWN (DMV), tracking the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay. The DMV cautions that 'federal law prohibits' transferring the title if the assignment, including the odometer statement, is incomplete. There is no separate ordinary damage or title-brand form; salvage and reconstructed vehicles use the salvage-title and Form 811 inspection process outside this ordinary answer. |
The owner 'shall notify the department of the transfer or assignment of the owner's title or interest in the vehicle within 10 days following transfer or assignment' (§ 28.10.271(c)), giving the owner's and transferee's names and addresses, the date, and the vehicle description and license number; the DMV provides a Notice of Vehicle Sale for Transfer (attached to the bottom of the title) or an online report, and filing it protects the seller 'from further liability.' Personalized or specialty plates stay with the seller — remove them on sale; the buyer is issued a new set at no additional charge (DMV). The transferor may instead surrender the plates and all evidence of registration to the department (§ 28.10.271(d)(2)(A)). |
The buyer must apply for an Alaska title 'within 30 days of purchasing a vehicle' (DMV) at a DMV office or by mail to the Anchorage headquarters, using the Vehicle Transaction Application (Form V1) completed and signed in ink, with the properly assigned title and any lien release. Alaska imposes no statewide sales or use tax and no state motor-vehicle excise tax; the buyer pays only the $15 title fee (DMV), the biennial registration fee — $100 for an ordinary passenger vehicle (§ 28.10.421(b)(1)(A)) — and a $15 lien-recording fee if applicable, plus a $10 surcharge for a walk-in (non-mail/online) registration (§ 28.10.421(a)(2)). A few municipalities levy a local sales tax on the purchase. |
Alaska has no statewide periodic safety inspection and no statewide emissions test for an ordinary passenger vehicle; titling and registration turn on the endorsed title, the application, and the fees, not an inspection. An emissions inspection and maintenance certificate is required on a transfer only if the buyer 'resides in an area designated by the Department of Environmental Conservation as an emissions inspection and maintenance area' and the vehicle is subject to and out of compliance with such a program (§ 28.10.271(d)). Liability insurance is mandatory to drive — at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury or death and $25,000 for property damage (§ 28.22.101; DMV), with certain rural areas exempt from registration and insurance. |
The DMV will not renew the seller's registration once a sale (title transfer) is reported as pending, and it will not process a transfer if the title assignment or odometer statement is incomplete or blank — federal and state law bar transferring on an incomplete assignment (DMV). A false statement on a title application is a crime carrying up to a $10,000 fine or one year in jail (AS 11.56.210; AS 28.35.135). A buyer who never applies drives an untitled, unregistered vehicle; a driver without required insurance faces license suspension and, for failing to show proof, a mandatory $500 fine (§ 28.22.019). The seller's 10-day notice limits later liability but does not itself complete the buyer's title transfer (§ 28.10.271(b)-(c)). |
| Arizona verified 2026-07-23 | A.R.S. §§ 28-2003, 28-2051, 28-2058, 28-2153, 28-2162, 42-5151, and 42-5155; Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Arizona-titled used passenger vehicle. |
Seller endorses the title assignment with warranty of title and delivers the title with the vehicle, or uses official Form 38-1306 (§ 28-2058; MVD). For seller signatures: OR = either owner; AND or AND/OR = both. All transferees sign Form 96-0236 (§ 28-2051). Resolve recorded liens and obtain the applicable release before transfer; liened vehicles cannot use eTitle Transfer. |
No separate notary, witness, or MVD-agent step appears for the ordinary signed paper-title assignment in § 28-2058 or MVD's current checklist. If the parties use official Title Transfer Bill of Sale Form 38-1306 instead, the seller's signature is acknowledged before a notary or MVD agent. |
A generic bill of sale is not the ordinary substitute. MVD accepts either the signed current title OR Arizona-only Title Transfer Bill of Sale Form 38-1306. That official form records VIN, year/make/model, owners/legal status, brands/liens, sale date and amount, buyer details, mileage, signatures, and acknowledgment; sequential bills of sale are not accepted. |
Seller delivers MVD's odometer disclosure (§ 28-2058); exemptions include model year 2010 or older at 10 model years, model year 2011 or newer at 20 model years, 16,000+ GVWR, and non-self-propelled vehicles. Form 38-1306 requires the Arizona brand and current liens. No separate ordinary damage form appears; salvage/restored-salvage procedure is outside scope. |
Seller submits the free Sold Notice online or by Form 46-8502 within 10 days; it helps protect against later tickets, accidents, and abandonment charges but does not transfer ownership. Remove the plate before delivery. Within 30 days, transfer it, surrender it to MVD/authorized third party, or submit an affidavit of destruction (§ 28-2058). |
Within 15 days buyer files at MVD/authorized third party (or eligible eTitle Transfer) with signed Form 96-0236, signed title OR official Form 38-1306, lien release if applicable, fees, and emissions compliance if required (§§ 28-2051, 28-2058). Base fees: $4 title and $8 passenger registration, plus vehicle license tax and other applicable charges (§§ 28-2003, 28-5801). Casual private-party sales are not subject to Arizona use tax; retain purchase documentation. |
No general safety inspection is listed for an ordinary transfer; VIN inspection applies only in specified unusual cases. Emissions testing applies in Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, including commuters, subject to vehicle exemptions. A vehicle on Arizona roads needs Arizona liability insurance; minimum policy limits are 25/50/15 (§ 28-4009). Until MVD records the transfer, display a temporary plate, permit, or valid plate; do not operate an unregistered vehicle (§§ 28-2058, 28-2153). |
Form 38-1306 warns that filing after 15 days can trigger penalty charges whether or not the vehicle is used. If a vehicle is highway-operated without payment of the registration/title-transfer fee, the statutory penalty is $8 for the first month plus $4 per additional month, capped at $100 (§ 28-2162). Missing signatures, acknowledgment on Form 38-1306, lien release, mileage, emissions, fees, or registration can stop transfer or lawful operation; a Sold Notice does not cure buyer nonfiling. |
| Arkansas verified 2026-07-23 | Ark. Code Title 27, Ch. 14 (Motor Vehicles — registration and licensing), esp. §§ 27-14-901, 27-14-902, 27-14-903, 27-14-909, 27-14-911; administered by the DFA Office of Motor Vehicle through state revenue offices (Arkansas has no standalone DMV). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Arkansas-titled used passenger vehicle. |
The owner 'shall endorse an assignment and warranty of title upon the certificate of title' and deliver the title to the buyer at the time of delivery (§ 27-14-902(a), except as provided in §§ 27-14-906 and 27-14-909); the buyer then presents the endorsed title and applies for a new certificate (§ 27-14-903(b)). All owners must sign the title application when names are joined by 'and' (DFA). A lienholder releases the lien in the form the office prescribes and delivers the release to the owner (§ 27-14-909). |
No notarization, witness, or agent verification for an ordinary Arkansas private sale. Sections 27-14-902 and 27-14-903 require the owner's endorsement and the buyer's application but no notarized assignment; the DFA process instead requires the signatures of all owners on the title application, and rejects an application missing any required signature. |
Required, not just supplemental — the DFA document list includes 'an invoice or bill of sale reflecting the full purchased price of the vehicle' (needed to set the graduated sales tax). If the Arkansas title's control number is 3003001 or greater, the bill of sale and odometer statement on the back of the title suffice; for an older control number or an out-of-state title, a separate bill of sale and odometer statement must accompany the title. Arkansas' official combined form is Form 10-313 (Vehicle Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure Statement). |
Under federal guidelines, a vehicle less than 20 years old must carry a fully completed odometer disclosure statement signed by both buyer and seller (DFA; federal 49 CFR 580 overlay) — on the back of a newer Arkansas title or on a separate conforming statement for an older title. No separate ordinary damage-disclosure form applies; salvage or branded titles trigger a law-enforcement VIN verification and the separate salvage process, outside this ordinary answer. |
On transfer the registration expires and the owner removes the license plate(s), which stay with the owner and may be assigned to another vehicle (§ 27-14-902(a)). The seller is 'not... liable for any damages thereafter resulting from negligent operation' after a bona fide sale and delivery of possession if the seller delivered the endorsed and dated title, or filed the § 27-14-916 notice of sale/transfer, or delivered the registration documents and fees (§ 27-14-911). The DFA Notice of Transfer of Ownership is the § 27-14-916 filing. |
The transferee must apply for registration and title within 60 calendar days of the transfer (or of a prior lien's release) — § 27-14-903(a) as amended by Act 41 of 2023 (eff. 8/1/2023); DFA. Filing at a revenue office requires the assigned title, bill of sale, odometer statement, lien contract if financed, proof of county assessment, proof that personal property taxes are paid, and proof of insurance. State sales tax is 6.5% at $10,000+, 3.5% for a used vehicle from $4,000 to $9,999, and none under $4,000; the title fee is $10 plus a weight-based registration fee. |
Arkansas has no periodic safety-inspection or emissions-testing program; the only inspection is a VIN verification required for an out-of-state or branded (salvage) title, done by a certified law-enforcement officer or the Arkansas State Police (DFA). Proof of Arkansas liability insurance is required to title and register. A vehicle may not be operated on a public street or highway for more than 60 days after the transfer (or prior-lien release) unless a valid registration plate is attached (§ 27-14-903(a)). |
It is a Class C misdemeanor to fail to endorse and deliver a certificate of title, or to fail to enter the transferee's name on a properly endorsed title (§ 27-14-901). Registering after the 60-day window adds a 10% penalty on the sales tax due plus $3 for each 10 days late (DFA). An application missing any required owner signature is rejected (DFA). A late buyer filing is separate from the seller's § 27-14-911 protection, which the seller earns by delivering the endorsed title or filing the § 27-14-916 notice. |
| California verified 2026-07-23 | Cal. Veh. Code §§ 5600, 5602, 5750-5753, 5900, and 5902; California DMV. Ordinary private sale of a currently titled California passenger vehicle. |
Seller and buyer sign/address the title; 'and'/slash or JTRS co-owners all sign, while 'or'/'and-or' needs one releasing owner. A recorded lienholder signs the title or gives an accepted release, and on payoff must release and deliver the title within 15 business days or owe the buyer $25/day up to $2,500 (§ 5753(c),(e)); very recent titles may require a lienholder-requested replacement title (DMV basic-transfer rules; §§ 5750-5753). |
No notary, witness, or agent verification for the ordinary current-title assignment. If the title is lost/damaged and REG 227 is used, the lienholder signature must be notarized when applicable (§ 5752; DMV title-transfer FAQ). |
Not required when the titled owner directly signs and delivers the current title. Required if the seller is not the owner named on the title, signed by both that seller and the titled owner; optional REG 135 records seller/buyer, VIN, year/make, plate, sale date, and price (DMV private-sale instructions). |
Odometer disclosure uses the complying title or secure REG 262, with original seller and buyer signatures and no POA, under DMV's current 20-model-year rule. No separate ordinary damage-disclosure form appears in the basic-transfer checklist; salvage/rebuilt-title procedure is outside scope. |
Seller files the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (online or REG 138) within 5 calendar days and keeps confirmation (§ 5900). A complete NRL shifts specified later liability but does not transfer ownership or remove the seller's name; standard-plate removal is not an ordinary checklist step (§ 5602; DMV NRL page). |
Within 10 days after receiving the endorsed title, buyer sends or delivers it to DMV with transfer fee and applies for transfer (§ 5902). Basic filing also includes buyer ID information, purchase date/price, use tax or exemption, lien information, odometer disclosure, and smog certification/exemption. |
Seller generally provides a valid smog certification; transfer exemptions include a vehicle under 4 model years old, for which buyer pays the transfer fee identified by DMV. California has no ordinary safety-inspection step, but owner/driver must carry evidence of financial responsibility to operate (§ 16020). |
Transfer is not effective until the statutory title-and-filing path is completed (§ 5600); failure to endorse, date, and deliver the title is unlawful (§ 5753(a)). Registration fees are due within 20 days of transfer (§ 9553(b)); after that a graduated penalty runs from $10 (10 days or less) to $100 (over two years) plus a vehicle-license-fee percentage penalty (§ 9554(b)-(c)), and delinquency can lead to impoundment (§ 9553(e)). An incomplete lien release, signature, odometer statement, smog item, tax, or fee can stop issuance; the seller's NRL limits exposure but does not cure buyer nonfiling. |
| Colorado verified 2026-07-23 | C.R.S. Title 42, arts. 3 and 6; Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, with county clerks as authorized agents. Ordinary same-state individual-to-individual sale of a currently titled used passenger vehicle. |
Every current owner signs and prints the name shown on the original title, enters buyer name, sale date, price, and odometer information, and delivers the endorsed title (§§ 42-6-109, 42-6-110). Buyer signs the assignment. A recorded lien must be released; a Colorado release may use a notarized declaration or a signed second-degree-perjury declaration (§ 42-6-125). |
No notary or witness is required for the ordinary title assignment or DR 2395 application. Seller transfer and buyer application signatures are affirmed under penalty of perjury. A separate lien-release letter may instead be notarized, and special powers of attorney have separate rules. |
Recommended, and required for the county filing if price is omitted from the title. Use DR 2173 or an equivalent showing vehicle year/make/model/VIN, price, date, and both parties' names/signatures. A signed bill of sale stating the time is mandatory for the narrow 36-hour drive-away exception. It never replaces the endorsed title. |
For model-year 2011 and newer vehicles, disclose mileage for the first 20 years on the title or secure DR 2173; seller and buyer sign. Vehicles 20+ years old, over 16,000 GVWR, and trailers are exempt (§ 42-6-202 incorporates federal disclosure law). If a vehicle carries a brand, seller and buyer complete DR 2710; rebuilt/salvage procedure is outside this ordinary-sale scope. |
Optional Report Release of Liability is properly filed within 5 business days with sale date/time, prior owner name, VIN, and a perjury affidavit (§ 42-6-109(3)); it protects against later vehicle/operator actions subject to statutory exceptions but does not transfer title. Remove the plates. Current ordinary plates expire and generally cannot transfer; special-plate exceptions apply (§ 42-3-115(5)). |
Within 60 days, take the endorsed title, DR 2395, secure/verifiable ID (DR 2841), bill of sale if title lacks price, insurance, emissions certificate if applicable, lien release, tax, and fees to the county clerk (§§ 42-3-103, 42-6-110). State use tax is 2.9% of purchase price plus applicable local/special-district tax, paid to the county clerk at registration. Title fee is $7.20 (§ 42-6-137); registration and specific ownership tax vary. |
No ordinary statewide safety or in-state VIN inspection. In the Denver-metro/North Front Range emissions area, the seller supplies a new passing certificate for a qualifying vehicle. Gasoline vehicles are generally exempt for 7 model years and diesel for 4, but transfer in the last exemption year can trigger testing. Proof of active Colorado insurance is required to register and drive. Register before highway operation, unless temporarily registered or within the exact 36-hour private-sale/closed-office/direct-to-storage exception (§ 42-3-115(2)). |
Violating the 60-day title-transfer rule is a class A traffic infraction (§ 42-6-110); violating the 60-day registration duty is a class B traffic infraction (§ 42-3-103). Late registration costs $25 per month or part, capped at $100, plus prorated taxes/fees (§ 42-3-112). False or missing odometer disclosure can be a class 2 misdemeanor. The county may refuse title if ownership is not established; a missing/improper title, signature, odometer entry, lien release, price proof, insurance, tax, or emissions certificate can stop the filing. |
| Connecticut verified 2026-07-23 | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-16 and 14-179 (Uniform Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title and Antitheft Act) and Ch. 246-247; Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Connecticut-titled passenger vehicle; Connecticut does not title vehicles more than 20 model years old, and dealer, salvage, estate, and out-of-state rules differ. |
At delivery, the seller must 'execute an assignment and warranty of title to the transferee, showing the name and address of the transferee,' in the space on the certificate, and cause the certificate and assignment to be delivered to the buyer or the commissioner (§ 14-179(a)); the certificate carries a block-letter warning never to assign title without inserting the buyer's name and address. Any one joint owner named on the title and registration may transfer (§ 14-179(e)). A lienholder holding the title must deliver it for the transfer, and a paid-off lien must be released (§ 14-179(b); Connecticut issues only paper titles and has no electronic-title program). |
No notary, witness, or agent verification is required. Section 14-179 requires an 'assignment and warranty of title' signed by the seller, but not a notarized or witnessed one, and the DMV's sell-and-transfer instructions add no acknowledgment step for the ordinary current-title transaction. |
A bill of sale is mandatory to register in Connecticut: 'A Bill of Sale (Form H-31) is required, along with proof of ownership, to process a new registration.' You may use Form H-31 or draft your own, which 'must contain' the purchaser's and seller's names and addresses, the vehicle description (make, model, year, color, VIN), the sales price, the date of sale, and the seller's signature (DMV). It supplements, and does not replace, the endorsed title. |
Odometer disclosure is made on the title assignment or the bill of sale (Form H-31 has an odometer-reading field), under the federal odometer rule for vehicles generally under 20 years old. Because Connecticut does not title vehicles more than 20 model years old, the oldest cars are transferred with the last registration plus a Form Q-1 and H-31 rather than a title. No separate ordinary damage-disclosure form applies; salvage and rebuilt titles use a different process outside this scope. |
The registration 'expires upon transfer of ownership' (§ 14-16(a)); the DMV records the expiration when the seller cancels the registration or the buyer reregisters. The seller removes the plates and cancels the registration with the DMV (and keeps the receipt) — plates stay with the seller, not the car — and should keep insurance until the registration is cancelled, since until then the car remains subject to town property tax. A seller who has delivered possession and complied with the title-assignment steps 'is not liable as owner for any damages thereafter resulting from operation of the vehicle' (§ 14-179(d)). |
Because the registration expires on transfer (§ 14-16(a)), the buyer must register and apply for a new title before driving; there is no separate in-state day-count deadline, but the car cannot be legally operated until registered. The buyer files an Application for Registration and Certificate of Title (Form H-13B) with the endorsed title, the H-31 bill of sale, the title fee, and required fees (§ 14-182). Connecticut sales or use tax on a private-party purchase is 6.35% of the price (7.75% for vehicles over $50,000), collected at registration (DMV/DRS). |
Connecticut has no separate state safety inspection for an ordinary private transfer, but a vehicle four or more model years old must pass an emissions test before it can be registered (exempt vehicles get a VIN verification instead). Liability insurance must be maintained on an active registration. A valid, current registration is required to operate on public roads, so the buyer cannot drive on the signed title alone — a temporary registration is available to move or test the car. |
As between the parties, a transfer 'is not effective until the provisions of this section and section 14-182 have been complied with' (§ 14-179(d)) — an unsigned assignment, a missing buyer name/address, an unreleased lien, a missing bill of sale, or an unmet emissions requirement can stop the new registration and title. Operating the car without a current registration is itself a violation; the seller's cancellation of the registration limits the seller's exposure and property-tax billing but does not complete the buyer's title work. |
| Delaware verified 2026-07-23 | 21 Del. C. ch. 23 (Title and Liens) and ch. 25 (Transfer of Title, Registration and Liens), esp. §§ 2301, 2306, 2501, 2502, 2503, and 2510, with the motor-vehicle document fee in 30 Del. C. § 3002; the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) titles and registers. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Delaware-titled used passenger vehicle. A certificate of title is required; the DMV will not register, and the owner may not operate, a vehicle without one (§ 2301(a)-(b)). |
The seller endorses an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate, certifying all liens under penalty of perjury, and delivers the title to the buyer at delivery (§ 2510(b)); the title carries the owner-signature, assignment/warranty, and lien-notation spaces (§ 2306(b)). On the back the seller fills in the buyer's name and address, the date of sale, the purchase price, and the odometer disclosure and signs — if ownership reads 'AND' all owners sign, if 'AND/OR' only one signs (DMV). The buyer completes the Purchaser's Application section and signs (DMV). A lien must be cleared by a lien release before transfer (DMV). The transferee then presents the endorsed title with a $35 transfer fee and applies for a new title (§ 2510(c)). Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the assigned title and the buyer's application. |
The title assignment needs no notary — Delaware titles do not require a notary (DMV), and § 2510(b) requires only the owner's endorsement certified under penalty of perjury. The one notarization point is tax, not title: to have the document fee computed on the actual purchase price, 30 Del. C. § 3002(b) requires that the price be evidenced by a notarized bill of sale; without one, the DMV bases the fee on the vehicle's NADA book value (DMV). |
Not required to transfer the title, but it is what proves the price for the document fee. Under 30 Del. C. § 3002(b) the purchase price 'shall be evidenced by a notarized bill of sale,' and the DMV provides that if the applicant has no bill of sale, or the title does not show the price, the document fee is based on the current NADA average trade-in value (DMV). A bill of sale should show the vehicle, VIN, price, date, and the parties' signatures; it supplements, and does not replace, the endorsed title and the buyer's application. |
The seller records the odometer disclosure in the Assignment of Certificate of Title on the back of the title (DMV), as part of the § 2510(b) assignment and warranty, under the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay: 2011-or-newer vehicles disclose for the first 20 years, and most 2010-and-older vehicles are now beyond the older window. No separate ordinary damage form applies; salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the separate salvage-title process outside this ordinary answer. |
Delaware has a seller report-of-sale. The registration expires on transfer (§ 2501), and § 2502 requires the owner to endorse the transferee's name and address and the date of transfer on the registration card and 'immediately give or send' it to the Department; the DMV provides a Seller's Report of Sale (detachable at the bottom of the new title, or a separate form) that notifies the DMV of the sale and protects the seller from future liability tied to the vehicle (DMV). The license plate must be removed and returned to a DMV office, or retained or transferred to another vehicle by the owner — plates stay with the owner, not the car (DMV). |
The buyer must apply for a new title 'immediately following purchase, but in no case more than 30 days after purchase' (§ 2503(a)); before operating, the buyer must apply for the title transfer, register the vehicle, submit it to inspection, and obtain new plates (§ 2503(a)). File at the DMV with the endorsed title, the Purchaser's Application, proof of liability insurance, and a Delaware license or two proofs of residency (DMV). Delaware has no sales tax; instead it charges a motor-vehicle document fee at $5.25 per $100 of price — about 5.25% (30 Del. C. § 3002(c)) — on the greater of the purchase price or the NADA average trade-in value (evidenced by a notarized bill of sale under § 3002(b); DMV), plus a $35 title transfer fee (§ 2510(c)) and the annual registration fee. |
Delaware makes inspection part of registering a transferred vehicle: § 2503(a) requires the transferee to 'submit the vehicle to inspection' before operating, and the DMV lanes perform safety and (in New Castle and Kent Counties) emissions inspection. Liability insurance is required — the DMV requires proof of Delaware liability insurance to title and register (DMV), and driving uninsured triggers the DMV's uninsured-motorist penalty. The vehicle may not be operated until a new title is issued in the buyer's name (DMV); § 2301(b) likewise bars operating a vehicle without a title. |
Selling or transferring a vehicle without first obtaining a certificate of title is an offense: a fine of $25 to $500, or imprisonment of 30 days to 1 year, or both (§ 2510(a)). A buyer who applies more than 30 days after purchase pays a late fee (§ 2503(a); DMV). The DMV rejects a title with alterations or white-out, or one missing the assignment, lien release, or required application — a corrected or duplicate title is then needed (DMV). The registration expires on transfer (§ 2501), so the buyer must retitle and re-register before operating. Driving uninsured carries the uninsured-motorist penalty ($100 for the first 30 days, then $5 per day) (DMV). |
| District of Columbia verified 2026-07-23 | D.C. Official Code Title 50, ch. 12 (Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title; §§ 50-1201, 50-1202, 50-1204, 50-1208) and § 50-2201.03 (title fee, penalties, and the motor-vehicle excise tax), with process detail in 18 DCMR and mandatory insurance under the District's Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act (D.C. Code Title 31, ch. 24); the Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) titles and registers vehicles — the District has no county layer. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently DC-titled used passenger vehicle. A certificate of title must be obtained before the vehicle is operated on a public highway (§ 50-2201.03(d)). |
The District passes ownership on the seller's assignment executed on the back of the certificate of title plus delivery of possession — § 50-1201(6)(A) treats 'a sale ... accompanied by delivery of possession and on execution of the assignment on the back of the certificate' as passing title outside the certificate-lien system. The seller must 'sign over the back of the title to you' and enter the odometer reading; if multiple owners are listed, 'all owners must sign over the vehicle on the back of the title' (DMV). A vehicle 'that is not properly titled cannot be registered.' Any lien must be cleared before sale, and liens are recorded on the certificate (§§ 50-1202, 50-1204). Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the signed title and DC DMV titling. |
None for an ordinary transfer. The District passes title on the seller's signed assignment 'on the back of the certificate' (§ 50-1201(6)(A)); neither the title assignment nor the Certificate of Title/Temporary Tag Application requires a notary or witness in the DC DMV process. A Vehicle Power of Attorney is used only when someone signs on an owner's behalf, not for an ordinary owner-signed sale. |
Required. DC DMV lists a Bill of Sale among the original documents required to obtain a new vehicle title and states it is required for private sales. The bill of sale records the parties, the vehicle description and VIN, the price, and the date; an 'altered bill of sale' is one of the DMV's most common rejection reasons, and documents must have matching names, addresses, and VINs. It supplements — it does not replace — the signed title and DC DMV titling. |
For a used car the odometer reading must be certified 'on back of title (when signed over)' (DMV); DC advises that odometer disclosure statements should be available for vehicles less than 10 years old, though the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay now requires disclosure on 2011-and-newer vehicles for their first 20 years. There is no separate ordinary damage form, but a salvage or flood brand carried on an out-of-jurisdiction title 'must retain the salvage brand' on the DC title even after the vehicle passes DC inspection (DMV); junk and salvage vehicles use the separate Chapter 13A process outside this ordinary answer. |
District tags belong to the owner, not the car. On a sale the seller must 'remove your license tags from the vehicle' and, if not transferring them to another vehicle, 'surrender the tags to DC DMV' in person or by certified mail; the seller 'may be deemed liable for any traffic violations while your tags remain on the car' (DMV). The seller then gives the buyer the properly signed title. One trap: do not cancel insurance before surrendering the tags, or an insurance-lapse fee applies (DMV). Tag surrender — not a separate report-of-sale form — is how the seller closes out the record and limits later liability. |
There is no drive-untitled grace period: the owner 'shall not ... operate ... any such vehicle upon any public highway in the District without first obtaining a certificate of title' (§ 50-2201.03(d)); a new District resident has 60 days to register a vehicle already owned (DMV). The buyer submits the signed title, the Certificate of Title/Temporary Tag Application, a bill of sale, proof of DC insurance, odometer verification, and DC ID, and pays the $30 title fee (§ 50-2201.03(d)), a $20 lien recordation if financed, and the excise tax. The District has no flat sales tax; § 50-2201.03(j) levies an excise tax on fair market value at 6% (Class I, 3,499 lbs or less), 7% (Class II, 3,500-4,999 lbs), or 8% (Class III, 5,000 lbs or more), now increased or decreased by the vehicle's fuel efficiency under § 50-2201.03(j)(1A) and DC DMV rules effective February 17, 2025. A bona fide gift already DC-titled between spouses, parent and child, or domestic partners, and transfers by death, divorce, or insurance re-title, are exempt (§ 50-2201.03(j)(1),(3)). |
The District requires used vehicles — those previously titled in DC or another jurisdiction — to pass a DC DMV emissions inspection, so the buyer obtains a temporary DC registration to take the vehicle through inspection before full registration (DMV). Proof of valid DC insurance is required to title and register, and the Compulsory/No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act requires continuous minimum coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident third-party bodily-injury liability, $10,000 property-damage liability, and uninsured-motorist coverage (DMV). Because the seller removes the DC tags, the buyer cannot drive on them; a temporary registration and tag are needed for inspection, and an insurance lapse suspends the registration. |
Operating a vehicle without first obtaining a certificate of title, or knowingly having a title issued in your name for a vehicle you do not own, is punishable by a fine (up to the amount in § 22-3571.01) or up to one year in jail (§ 50-2201.03(d)); any other violation of the District's traffic rules or regulations is a fine or up to 90 days (§ 50-2201.03(f)). DC DMV refuses to title on altered or non-corresponding documents — altered titles and altered bills of sale are among its most common rejection reasons — and a title may be refused subject to a right to a hearing (§ 50-2201.03(d)). Leaving DC tags on the sold car exposes the seller to the buyer's later tickets, and an insurance lapse brings a $150-per-day escalating fine and registration suspension (DMV). Tag surrender does not itself transfer ownership — only the buyer's DC DMV titling does. |
| Florida verified 2026-07-23 | Fla. Stat. ch. 319 (Title Certificates); Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles through the county tax collector as agent. Ordinary private sale of a currently Florida-titled used passenger vehicle. The buyer does not acquire marketable title until a certificate of title is issued in the buyer's name (§ 319.22(1)). |
Seller completes the transfer/assignment on the front of the title and enters the sale price; buyer applies for a new title (§§ 319.22, 319.23). Co-owners joined by 'or' hold in joint tenancy and either may sign; co-owners joined by 'and' must both sign (§ 319.22). A recorded lienholder holds the title until the lien is satisfied and must deliver a satisfaction and the title within 10 working days of final payment (§ 319.24). |
No notarization or witness for the ordinary title assignment or the odometer disclosure; the department may not require the transferor's signature to be notarized even on a lienholder- or lost-title odometer power of attorney, which uses a penalty-of-perjury affidavit instead (§ 319.225). VIN verification by a law officer, dealer, or notary applies only to out-of-state or no-prior-Florida-title vehicles (§ 319.23). |
Not required for a vehicle already titled in Florida; the assigned certificate of title carries the transfer. A bill of sale or sworn ownership statement is required only when no Florida title was previously issued or for an antique vehicle, and an antique bill of sale must list the VIN, year, make, color, price, and both signatures (§ 319.23). The department's notice-of-sale form doubles as an optional bill of sale. |
Odometer disclosure is completed in the title's transfer form and acknowledged by the buyer (§ 319.225); the same person may not sign as both transferor and transferee (§ 319.225). A 2011-or-newer vehicle is exempt after 20 years and a 2010-or-older vehicle after 10 years (§ 319.225). Rebuilt or total-loss status is branded on the title (§ 319.23); salvage and rebuilt procedures are out of scope. |
The seller removes the Florida license plate and keeps it—plates stay with the owner, not the car—and may transfer it to another vehicle for a $4.50 fee (§ 320.0609). Filing a notice of sale with the department within 30 days limits the seller's civil liability for the buyer's later operation, as does proper title endorsement and delivery (§ 319.22). Notice does not transfer ownership. |
Buyer must file the title application within 30 days after delivery or pay a $20 late fee (§ 319.23). It goes to the department or county tax collector with the assigned title, the applicant's photo ID and full name and date of birth, and the fee (§§ 319.22, 319.23). The department will not issue a title until all sales or use tax is paid and current registration is obtained (§ 319.23). |
Florida requires no state safety or emissions inspection as a condition of a private used-car title transfer; the title prerequisites are tax, registration, and odometer compliance (§ 319.23). But title will not issue until the buyer registers under § 320.02, and registration requires proof of Florida personal-injury-protection and property-damage-liability insurance, which the agent must refuse to register without (§ 320.02). |
Late title application costs a $20 fee on top of other fees (§ 319.23). Transferring title without the purchaser's name on it, or with intent to defraud, is a first-degree misdemeanor (§ 319.22); failing to complete the odometer disclosure is a second-degree misdemeanor (§ 319.225). The department rejects a title application until tax, registration, and odometer requirements are met (§ 319.23); the seller's notice of sale limits liability but does not complete the buyer's transfer. |
| Georgia verified 2026-07-23 | O.C.G.A. §§ 40-3-32, 40-3-25; administered by the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division through county tag offices. Ordinary same-state private ('casual') sale of a currently titled Georgia used passenger vehicle. |
Seller executes the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate at delivery (§ 40-3-32(a)); willful failure to deliver a properly assigned title is a misdemeanor plus civil liability for damages and attorney's fees. Georgia does not recognize 'or' ownership, so every owner named on a Georgia title signs (DOR). Recorded liens must be released on the title or by an original lien release (DOR). |
None for a Georgia title. The Department of Revenue's casual-sale document list requires only the buyer's and seller's signatures on the back-of-title assignment—no notary or witness. An out-of-state title is notarized only if that state required it (DOR). |
Not required for a titled vehicle; the assigned title controls. A bill of sale is required in lieu of a title only for a vehicle model-year 1985 or older that carries no title (DOR). Otherwise a bill of sale (Form T-7) is optional evidence and does not replace the assigned title, MV-1, and county-tag filing. |
The seller enters the odometer reading on the certificate of title when executing the assignment and warranty of title (§ 40-3-25); vehicles over 16,000 lbs GVWR are exempt. Odometer tampering is separately penalized (§ 40-8-5). Salvage/rebuilt vehicles use a separate salvage-title process (§ 40-3-36) and are out of scope. |
Georgia has no separate seller report-of-sale filing. The seller's protection is delivering a properly assigned title—failing to is a misdemeanor and civil liability (§ 40-3-32(a))—and removing the license plate, because plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle; the seller may reuse a still-valid tag on another vehicle for a $5 transfer (DOR). Until the buyer titles, an unbroken chain requires the assigned certificate (§ 40-3-32(d)). |
Buyer applies at the county tag office so the title application is received within 30 days of transfer (§ 40-3-32(b)) with the assigned title, Form MV-1, proof of insurance, and ID (DOR). Pays the one-time Title Ad Valorem Tax—currently 7.0% of the vehicle's state-assessed fair market value (0.5% qualifying family transfer)—plus an $18 title fee and $20 tag fee (DOR). |
No statewide safety inspection. Emissions testing is required for registration only in 13 metro-Atlanta counties for gasoline cars/light trucks (8,500 lbs GVWR or less) of covered model years—for 2026 registration, model years 2002-2023, with the three newest model years and vehicles 25+ years old exempt (Georgia's Clean Air Force). Minimum liability insurance is mandatory; driving without it or without proof in the vehicle is a misdemeanor (§ 40-6-10). |
A title application received after 30 days owes a $10 penalty on top of the title fee (§ 40-3-32(b)); late TAVT adds 10% plus 1% per month (DOR county-tag guidance). Rejected documents get 60 days to resubmit; miss that and a second $10 penalty applies and the plate is pulled (§ 40-3-32(b)). Delivering or accepting a title assigned in blank is a misdemeanor (§ 40-3-91). A missing lien release, signature, odometer entry, insurance proof, or emissions certificate stops issuance. |
| Hawaii verified 2026-07-23 | Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 286, Part III (§§ 286-47, 286-51, 286-52); administered by each county's director of finance (Honolulu/O'ahu Department of Customer Services; Hawai'i, Maui, and Kaua'i county finance offices) — Hawaii has no statewide DMV. Insurance under § 431:10C-104. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Hawaii-titled used passenger vehicle. |
Seller and buyer both write their signatures in pen and ink on the certificate of ownership with addresses; each signature attests the information is correct (§ 286-52(a)). Joint owners joined by 'and' all sign; the seller completes the front assignment and the buyer completes the transferee application on the reverse (county; § 286-47). A recorded lienholder must sign the release (Section B) before title can pass — Honolulu accepts a notarized bill of sale if that release is missing (county). |
No notarization, witness, or agent verification is required. Section 286-52(a) calls only for pen-and-ink signatures; counties treat notarizing the seller's signature as optional — recommended only to avoid rejection for a signature that does not match the record (Honolulu CSD). |
Not required for an ordinary transfer; the endorsed certificate of ownership is the operative instrument. A bill of sale is optional evidence, and in Honolulu a notarized bill of sale may substitute only when a lienholder's Section B release is missing (county). It supplements — never replaces — the endorsed certificate and the county filing. |
The odometer reading is entered on the certificate of ownership on the date of transfer (§ 286-47(a)(2)); counties require it for vehicles 20 model years old or newer (2011 model year and later), exempting 2010-and-earlier vehicles (Honolulu CSD). No separate ordinary damage or title-brand form applies to a standard transfer; salvage procedures are outside scope. |
A non-dealer seller must give the director of finance a notice of transfer within 10 days on the official form; violating this is fined up to $100 (§ 286-52(j)). Once the notice is filed and the endorsed certificate delivered, the transferor is relieved of civil and criminal liability from the date possession is delivered (§ 286-52(k)), and proof of filing is a 'complete defense' to later claims (§ 286-52(o)). Plates and the registration stay with the vehicle; the county issues a new registration to the buyer (county). |
The buyer must forward the endorsed certificate to the county director of finance within 30 calendar days (60 days if the lienholder has no in-state office); a late filing adds a $50 fee plus the § 286-51 fee (§ 286-52(b)). Bring the endorsed title, the last certificate of registration, and a current safety inspection certificate; pay the county transfer fee ($10 in Honolulu, $5 in Hawai'i County, varying by county) and bring the registration and weight tax current. Hawaii has no state sales tax on the transfer (county). |
A current Hawaii safety inspection certificate is required to operate — driving without one is fined up to $100 (§ 286-25) — and counties require it to complete the transfer. Hawaii has no emissions/smog program. The vehicle must be insured under a motor-vehicle (no-fault) policy at all times to operate (§ 431:10C-104). The buyer is not the lawful registered owner until the county issues the new certificates (§ 286-52(e)). |
Until the director of finance issues the new certificates, 'delivery of the vehicle shall be deemed not to have been made and title thereto shall be deemed not to have passed,' and the transfer is 'incomplete and not to be valid or effective for any purpose' (§ 286-52(e)). Late buyer filing adds the $50 fee (§ 286-52(b)); false or fraudulent information by either party is fined $500–$1,000 (§ 286-52(a),(p)); refusing to deliver the certificate is penalized under section 286-61 (§ 286-52(h)); a missed seller notice is fined up to $100 (§ 286-52(j)). The county can reject for a signature mismatch, a missing lien release, or a missing safety inspection. |
| Idaho verified 2026-07-23 | Idaho Code Title 49, Ch. 5 (Vehicle Titles), esp. §§ 49-502, 49-503, 49-504, 49-504A, and 49-526, plus 6% sales tax (§ 63-3619); titles and registration run through the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and county assessors' motor vehicle offices. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently titled Idaho passenger vehicle. |
The seller delivers the certificate of title with an assignment 'as necessary to show title in the purchaser' (§ 49-502(1)); the buyer acquires no interest until a title is issued in the buyer's name (§ 49-503). The existing title must carry the previous owner's and any lienholder's signatures releasing interest (ITD). A lien is released on the title or by the lienholder's separate release. |
No notary or witness is required for an ordinary Idaho title assignment or bill of sale; the Title Act sections require only a properly assigned title and impose no notarization, and ITD directs the seller simply to sign the title over. Notarization is required only in narrow cases — for example, the grantor's signature on a power of attorney used to sign a mailed title application must be notarized (county assessor instructions). |
A bill of sale (ITD Form 3738 or an equivalent) is used to document the purchase price for the sales tax when the seller has not written the price in the title's designated space; it shows the parties, the vehicle and VIN, the odometer reading, the price, the date, and both signatures (ITD). Listing a false price on the title or bill of sale is a felony. The assigned title, not the bill of sale, transfers ownership. |
The seller must give an odometer disclosure for a vehicle newer than model year 2010 that weighs under 16,000 pounds; older vehicles are exempt and may transfer on an application for duplicate title with assignment (ITD; § 49-502(2)). The mileage is recorded on the title assignment or the bill of sale. There is no separate ordinary damage form; salvage or branded-title steps are outside this transfer. |
The seller must complete and forward to the department a separate release-of-liability statement within 5 days of delivering the vehicle, listing the VIN, description, seller, buyer name and address, date of sale, odometer reading, and sale price (§ 49-526). Filing it ends the seller's liability for later damages, infractions, towing, storage, and service charges (§ 49-526(2)). License plates stay with the seller, not the vehicle; the buyer obtains a new registration (ITD). |
The buyer must present the assigned title and apply for a new title at a county assessor's motor vehicle office within 30 days of the transfer to avoid a $20 late-filing penalty (§ 49-504A; ITD), using the Application for Certificate of Title (ITD 3337) with proof of identity, any bill of sale or price entry, and proof of insurance. The buyer pays 6% Idaho sales/use tax on the purchase price (§ 63-3619), a $14 state title fee plus a county administrative fee, and registration fees. |
No VIN inspection is required for a vehicle already titled in Idaho; that inspection applies only to vehicles coming from out of state or never titled in Idaho (ITD). Idaho has no statewide safety inspection; vehicle emissions testing is a local requirement in the Treasure Valley (Ada and Canyon counties), not a statewide title condition. The owner of a registered, operated vehicle must continuously carry liability insurance at Idaho's minimum limits, an infraction if not (§ 49-1229), and it is unlawful to operate a vehicle without first obtaining its certificate of title (§ 49-519). |
Titling more than 30 days after the transfer costs the new owner a $20 penalty (§ 49-504A). Operating a vehicle for which the title has not been obtained is unlawful (§ 49-519), and operating without required insurance is an infraction (first offense $75) (§ 49-1229). The county office rejects an application whose title lacks the necessary releasing signatures or is incomplete or altered. The seller's release of liability limits the seller's exposure but does not complete the buyer's title transfer. |
| Illinois verified 2026-07-23 | 625 ILCS 5/3-101, 3-104, 3-112, 3-115, and 3-205; Illinois Secretary of State Vehicle Services. Ordinary private sale of a currently titled Illinois passenger vehicle. |
At delivery, titled seller signs/dates the assignment and delivers the title; buyer ownership names and signatures must match VSD 190. Paid lienholder releases within 21 days, or 10 business days for cash/cashier's/certified check, and delivers title/release (§§ 3-104, 3-112, 3-115, 3-205). |
No notarization for the ordinary Illinois title; SOS also lists no witness or agent-verification step for the standard private transfer. All named applicants sign the title/registration application (SOS FAQ and VSD 293). |
Recommended evidence, not the ordinary ownership instrument: SOS tells the seller to prepare one showing sale date and price and keep a copy. It supplements the assigned title, VSD 190, VSD 703, and RUT-50. |
Certify mileage and actual/not-actual/mechanical-limit status on the title/application; current federal rule covers model-year 2011+ vehicles for 20 years. Check title notations such as flood, rebuilt, junk, or mileage brands; SOS verifies title applications through NMVTIS, while salvage/rebuilt procedure is outside scope (§ 3-104). |
Remove Illinois plates before delivery and immediately mail VSD 703 Seller's Report of Sale with sale date, vehicle/VIN, and both parties' names/addresses. The form releases seller responsibility but expressly does not transfer ownership; the assigned title and buyer filing remain required (§ 3-112(e); VSD 703). |
Within 20 days after receiving vehicle and assigned title, submit VSD 190 and title to SOS (§ 3-112(b)). Submit printed RUT-50/payment or exemption proof; RUT-50 itself is due within 30 days. Current title fee is $165, with registration/plate fees additional. |
No Chapter 13 safety test for an ordinary passenger car. Emissions testing affects most 1996+ gasoline passenger vehicles after four years in Chicago/Metro-East program areas and noncompliance can block registration. Liability insurance is required to operate/register; seller plates do not go with the car (§§ 3-401, 3-801, 7-601, 13-101). |
Transfer is not effective until §§ 3-112 and 3-115 are satisfied; SOS will not process unpaid fees/taxes and returns insufficient applications. Driving an unregistered vehicle is unlawful. A late lienholder release creates $150 liability plus reasonable attorney fees/costs (§§ 3-104(f), 3-112(e)-(f), 3-205(c), 3-401). |
| Indiana verified 2026-07-23 | Indiana Code articles 9-17 (title) and 9-18.1 (registration), with vehicle use tax under IC 6-2.5; administered by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Indiana-titled used passenger vehicle. Since July 1, 2025 titles may be electronic, but BMV requires a paper title when selling to a nondealer. |
The transferring owner—or an agent holding the owner's power of attorney—endorses the title with an assignment and warranty of title, states all liens, completes every buyer-information blank including name, address, and price, and delivers the title at the sale or delivery after agreed initial payment (IC 9-17-3-0.6, -3.2, -3.4). Each titled owner whose interest is conveyed must execute the seller information; the buyer completes the purchaser section and signs the application. Before sale all lienholders must release their interests: sign the title's release, issue a signed letter stating owner, release date, year, make, and VIN, or release an electronic lien electronically. |
No notary, witness, or BMV-agent acknowledgment is required for the ordinary Indiana title assignment. The buyer's Application for Certificate of Title for a Vehicle (State Form 205) is signed beneath an oath/affirmation and perjury warning, but the statute requires the applicant's signature rather than notarization (IC 9-17-2-3). BMV likewise says even its limited-use Bill of Sale (State Form 44237) need not be notarized. |
A bill of sale is not required and cannot transfer an ordinary vehicle that must be titled; the assigned Indiana title controls. BMV allows a bill of sale only in limited no-title situations, or as supporting proof of a missing sale date or price, and it cannot override information already written on the title. When accepted, it identifies the purchaser, year/make/model, VIN when primary proof, seller signature and address; it supplements rather than replaces the assigned title and BMV application. |
The title application must contain the odometer reading as of sale or transfer (IC 9-17-2-6); an ordinary passenger vehicle is not within the listed exemptions, which include vehicles registered over 16,000 pounds. Use Odometer Disclosure Statement State Form 43230 only if the disclosure is not completed on the title. Failure to provide the reading or knowingly giving an erroneous reading is a Class B infraction. The ordinary checklist has no separate damage form; existing salvage, rebuilt, odometer, or manufacturer-buyback brands remain material, with special salvage/rebuilt procedures outside this cell. |
The seller removes the plate and registration when ownership transfers; the vehicle's registration expires (IC 9-18.1-4-6(a)). The seller may, but is not required to, deliver the registration plus proof of transfer to BMV within 30 days so the bureau marks the ownership transfer in its records (§ 9-18.1-4-6(b)); an endorsed-title copy is proof. The seller may transfer the retained plate/registration to another owned or newly acquired vehicle, subject to the current fee and any tax difference. This record notice does not title the vehicle for the buyer. |
The buyer must apply for title and register within 45 days after acquisition (IC 9-17-2-14.7(b); 9-18.1-11-5(a)). Apply through BMV with the assigned title and the buyer's signed State Form 205/application information; BMV requires vehicle description, VIN, former title number, purchase date, owner identifying number, liens, odometer, and tax information. The title fee is $15. A private-sale buyer pays the 7% vehicle use tax to BMV at titling unless proof of prior payment or exemption is presented (IC 6-2.5-2-2; 6-2.5-3-2, -3, -6), plus registration, excise, plate, and transaction fees. |
No VIN inspection is required because IC 9-17-2-12(a)(3) exempts a vehicle transferred on an Indiana BMV-issued title. Lake and Porter County vehicles manufactured after 1975, 9,000 pounds GVWR or less, generally need biennial emissions/tampering testing after the four newest model years. Proof of financial responsibility is required to obtain a plate and registration. Highway operation otherwise requires registration, but a private buyer may drive for up to 72 hours solely by the most direct route to storage, an emissions station, or BMV/provider while carrying the assigned title; a buyer transferring their own valid plate from a disposed vehicle has a separate 45-day exception (IC 9-18.1-2-8). |
A seller's failure to fill all buyer information or to endorse the warranty/complete the purchase information is a Class B infraction (IC 9-17-3-3.2(b), -3.4(d)); other chapter violations are generally Class C infractions. A buyer applying after 45 days owes a $30 title penalty (IC 9-17-2-14.7(e)) and a separate $15 registration penalty and commits a Class C infraction (IC 9-18.1-11-5). Failure to register is a Class C infraction, and police may take the plate or vehicle into custody until proper registration/plates or the legal owner is found (IC 9-18.1-2-10 to -11). BMV may investigate, demand more information, or reject any application whose genuineness, regularity, legality, or truth is unsatisfactory (IC 9-17-2-14.5). |
| Iowa verified 2026-07-23 | Iowa Code chapter 321, especially §§ 321.20, 321.34, 321.45, 321.46, 321.50, 321.69, 321.71, and 321.105A; Iowa Administrative Code rules 701—250.2 and 761—400.16. Iowa DOT administers the system and county treasurers process titles and registrations. This answer covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Iowa-titled used passenger vehicle; dealer, salvage, rebuilt, bonded, estate, gift, and out-of-state-title procedures differ. |
At delivery, the seller must endorse an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate, state all liens, give the buyer the title, and provide the last-registration county and expiration date (§ 321.45(3)). The reverse-side assignment includes the buyer's printed name/address, transfer date, price, disclosures, and signatures. On a jointly owned title, 'and' requires every listed owner to sign; 'or' permits either owner to sign (Iowa county treasurers FAQ). A discharged lien is cancelled by the lienholder's signature on the title; a separate release form or letter must be notarized (§ 321.50(5)). |
No notary, witness, or county-agent verification is required for the ordinary seller/buyer title assignment: § 321.45 requires endorsement and delivery, and Iowa DOT's current assignment instructions require signing the reverse but list no acknowledgment. Do not extend that rule to lien documents—a separate lien-release form or letter is expressly notarized under § 321.50(5). |
A bill of sale or equivalent documentation is required to establish the purchase price, and it must be signed by the seller (Iowa Admin. Code r. 701—250.2(3)). Iowa DOT says the newer title's Transfer/Sale Date section may itself serve as the bill of sale; if the title lacks that section, a separate bill of sale is required. It should identify the parties and vehicle, VIN, sale date, and purchase price. It supplements rather than replaces the assigned title and buyer's application. |
The seller makes the federal-compliant odometer statement on the Iowa title; through 2030 it is required for model-year 2011 and newer vehicles, and beginning in 2031 for vehicles less than 20 model years old (§ 321.71; Iowa DOT). For a vehicle seven model years old or newer, the transferor must give the buyer the damage/title-history disclosure at or before sale, normally on the title; a separate Form 411108 is used when required. It covers known salvage, rebuilt, flood, or wrecked history, and both parties sign/date a separate disclosure when applicable (§ 321.69). Missing/nonoperative airbags require separate written disclosure regardless of the seven-year cutoff. |
Plates belong to the seller. The seller removes them and either forwards them to any county treasurer or assigns them to another owned vehicle within 30 days (§ 321.34(1)). Filing optional Form 411107, Notice of Sale of Vehicle and Delivery of Title, with any county treasurer creates a presumption that the seller assigned and delivered the title (§ 321.46(5)); keep a copy of the assignment or buyer receipt too. A seller who makes a bona fide sale and delivers possession is not liable for later negligent operation by another (§ 321.493(3)). |
The buyer has 30 calendar days after purchase or transfer to apply for and obtain a new initial registration and title from any county treasurer, presenting the assigned title and last-registration county/expiration information (§ 321.46(1)). The ordinary filing uses Application for Certificate of Title and/or Registration (Form 411007), the seller-signed purchase-price record, disclosures, lien release if needed, and identity/owner information. Current statutory charges include a $30 title fee, $5 title surcharge, annual registration, and a new-registration fee of $10 plus 5% of purchase price (§§ 321.46(2), 321.52A, 321.105A(2)). |
Iowa DOT's ordinary same-state transfer checklist does not require a safety, VIN, or emissions inspection; its inspection program targets special constructions, VIN problems, certain old out-of-state ownership records, and other exceptional cases. Financial-liability coverage is required to drive (§ 321.20B). If the vehicle is currently registered and the buyer has no plates that can be assigned, the buyer may operate without plates for no more than 30 days while carrying the assigned title/registration copy or bill of sale; if transferable plates are attached, operation without the new registration receipt is allowed for no more than 45 days (Iowa Admin. Code r. 761—400.16). An unregistered vehicle cannot use that grace. |
A late title/registration application adds 10% of the fee for new registration (§ 321.105A(7)(c)), and a § 321.46 title/registration violation carries a $135 scheduled fine (§ 805.8A(2)(j)). Knowingly false odometer or damage disclosures are fraudulent practices (§§ 321.71(8), (12), 321.69(11)); purchase-price fraud carries a 75% unpaid-fee penalty (§ 321.105A(7)(a)). A county treasurer can withhold the new title for a missing/defective assignment, lien release, seller-signed price record, odometer statement, or required damage disclosure. Seller notice proves assignment/delivery but does not complete the buyer's title filing. |
| Kansas verified 2026-07-23 | Kansas Statutes Annotated Chapter 8, Article 1 (especially § 8-135); administered by the Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles, with titling and registration handled at the county treasurer's motor vehicle office. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Kansas-titled used passenger vehicle. On transfer the registration and plate expire (§ 8-135(a)) and the buyer must apply for a new certificate of title and registration. |
The seller completes the assignment on the back of the title with the purchase price, date of sale, odometer reading, and the printed names and signatures of the seller(s) and buyer(s) in original ink; the buyer then applies for a new title (Kansas DOR). If several owners are listed: 'And' — all sign; 'Or' — any one signs; no connection defaults to 'and.' A seller may use a Power of Attorney (Form TR-41) to let the buyer complete the assignment. A recorded lien needs a release on the title, a notarized lien release (Form TR-150), or a lienholder letter. |
Generally none. The Kansas Division of Vehicles 'does not require most title assignments, title applications and bills of sale completed within Kansas to be notarized,' though it may require notarization in unusual circumstances (Kansas DOR). The exceptions are lien documents: a lien release, a Kansas lienholder's consent, and the lienholder's portion of the Title-with-Lien request (Form TR-42) must be notarized. |
Not the transfer instrument for an ordinary sale. The Kansas Bill of Sale (Form TR-312) can transfer ownership only for an antique vehicle (35 years or older) with no title; 'All other vehicles sold by or purchased from a Kansas resident must have the ownership transferred (sold) by assigned title.' It is a sworn affidavit of the purchase price (year, make, VIN, price, date, signatures) and, for an ordinary car, supplements rather than replaces the assigned title. |
The odometer reading is entered in the title assignment on the back of the certificate (Kansas DOR), satisfying the federal odometer disclosure (required until a vehicle is 20 years old for 2011-and-newer models). No separate ordinary damage form applies to a clean transfer. Salvage, nonhighway, and rebuilt-salvage vehicles use separate certificates and procedures under K.S.A. 8-197 and 8-198 and are outside this scope. |
The plate stays with the seller. On transfer 'the registration of the vehicle and the right to use any license plate thereon shall expire ... and the license plate shall be removed by the owner,' and it is unlawful for anyone other than the person to whom the plate was issued to possess it (§ 8-135(a)); the seller may register another vehicle under the same plate number for a $1.50 fee. Kansas offers a Seller's Notification of Sale (Form TR-216, filed online) to protect the seller, but it does not transfer ownership. |
The buyer must apply for registration or reregistration at the county treasurer's motor vehicle office 'within 60 days, inclusive of weekends and holidays, from date of such transfer' (§ 8-135(b)). Bring the assigned title, current proof of insurance, and payment: on a private sale, sales tax is paid at registration (no dealer sales-tax receipt); the Kansas title fee is $10; and property tax is due at registration unless a temporary plate is issued. A $2 penalty is added for failing to apply on time. |
Kansas has no statewide safety inspection and no vehicle emissions test for an ordinary in-state Kansas-titled transfer. Current proof of insurance is required to register. A vehicle titled in another state, or bought from an out-of-state owner, needs a Motor Vehicle Examination (Form MVE-1) from a Kansas inspection station before titling — outside this scope. The buyer cannot drive during the 60-day window without a temporary registration (a 60-day permit from the county treasurer, $3); after 60 days it is unlawful to operate the vehicle unless it is registered (§ 8-135(b)). |
Failing to apply for registration within 60 days adds a $2 penalty (§ 8-135(b)), and after the 60-day period 'it shall be unlawful for the owner or any other person to operate such vehicle upon the highways of this state unless the vehicle has been registered.' Operating during the window without a temporary registration is prohibited. The county treasurer will reject a transfer offered without the assigned title (a bill of sale alone works only for a titleless antique). Statements on the assignment and bill of sale are made under penalty of perjury; until the buyer applies, the seller should keep proof of the sale (Form TR-216). |
| Kentucky verified 2026-07-23 | KRS Chapter 186A (especially § 186A.215), with KRS Chapters 186 and 138; administered by the county clerk under the Transportation Cabinet's Department of Vehicle Regulation (AVIS system). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Kentucky-titled used passenger vehicle. At delivery the seller executes an assignment and warranty of title to the buyer (§ 186A.215(1)). |
The seller executes the 'assignment and warranty of title' in the space on the certificate (or, if the title lacks that space, on the county-clerk application) and delivers the title with the application to the buyer, who then executes the application for a new title (§ 186A.215(1)-(3)). Owners joined by 'and' or 'and/or' all sign; 'or' needs one. Any recorded lien must be released before a clean title issues (county clerk). |
Kentucky notarizes the transfer: both the seller's and the buyer's signatures on the title must be notarized (county clerk; a county clerk charges $2 and requires photo ID and signing in person). If an older title has no notary field, the signature is notarized on the Application for Title/Registration (TC 96-182). |
No separate bill of sale is the transfer instrument — the notarized title assignment is, and it carries the buyer's name and address, the date of sale, and the odometer reading (county clerk). A bill of sale or the TC 96-182 total-consideration affidavit can document a purchase price for the 6% usage tax; otherwise the clerk values the vehicle from standard value. |
Federal odometer disclosure is made in the title's assignment; § 186A.215(1) ties the assignment to the federal odometer-disclosure requirement, and the odometer reading must be entered with the notarized seller signature (county clerk). No separate ordinary damage form applies to a clean title; salvage, rebuilt, and branded titles follow separate processes outside this scope. |
Kentucky has no separate seller 'report of sale,' but the plate stays with the seller: on a change of ownership the registration plate does not remain on the vehicle and is retained by the seller (KRS 186.190), who may reassign it to another vehicle they own; as of January 2024 a plate cannot be transferred to a new owner (county clerk). If the buyer does not file within 15 days, the seller may file an affidavit (TC 96-3) that restricts further registration on the vehicle until the transfer is processed (§ 186A.215(4)). |
The buyer submits the notarized title and Application for Title/Registration (TC 96-182) to the county clerk promptly — within 15 calendar days of the seller signing over the title (§ 186A.215(3)-(4); county clerk). Pay the 6% motor vehicle usage tax on the retail price (KRS 138.460), the title and registration fees, and any annual ad valorem property tax then due; proof of Kentucky insurance is required. |
Kentucky requires no statewide emissions test and no ordinary safety inspection for an in-state used-vehicle transfer. Compulsory motor-vehicle liability insurance is required to register and operate (KRS 304.39-080). Title and register the vehicle before operating it on the highway; an out-of-state vehicle (outside this scope) needs a sheriff's VIN inspection first. |
The county clerk 'shall not title, register or issue any license tags' unless the usage tax is paid (KRS 138.460(5)), so an unpaid tax stops the transfer. If the buyer misses the 15-day window, the seller's affidavit (TC 96-3) freezes further registration on the vehicle until the transfer is processed (§ 186A.215(4)). A missing notarization, lien release, odometer entry, or insurance proof can also cause the clerk to reject the file. |
| Louisiana verified 2026-07-23 | La. R.S. Title 32, Chapter 4 (Vehicle Certificate of Title Law), especially §§ 32:705 and 32:707; administered by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), and Public Tag Agents. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Louisiana-titled used passenger vehicle. No one may sell without delivering a title endorsed with a signed sale and assignment showing title in the buyer (§ 32:705(A)). |
The seller endorses the sale and assignment on the current title and delivers it to the buyer (§§ 32:705(A), 32:707(B)). Every owner named on the title signs; owners joined by 'and' both sign in the seller space (OMV). A recorded lien must be released; if the lienholder will not, the buyer may demand release by certified mail and OMV may cancel the lien 30 days after receipt absent a written objection (§ 32:705(D)(3)). |
Louisiana requires authentication of the seller's endorsement: a signature made before a notary, OR before two witnesses whose signatures are then acknowledged before a notary, OR before an authorized officer of the buyer's federally insured lender when a lien is recorded (§ 32:705(B)). A private bill of sale or invoice used for value must also be notarized (OMV). Dealer transfers on or after Jan. 1, 2023 are the exception (OMV). |
An original notarized bill of sale or invoice stating the actual price and full vehicle description is required for a used private sale, unless the selling price is written into the title assignment itself (OMV). A bill of sale or statement of ownership can also serve as evidence of ownership where no prior title exists (§ 32:707(D)(1)). It supports the price for use tax but does not replace the endorsed, notarized title. |
Federal odometer disclosure is completed on the title; if the title has no odometer block and the vehicle is not exempt, a supplemental Odometer Statement is required (OMV). No separate ordinary damage form applies to a clean private sale; salvage, total-loss, water-damage, and reconstructed titles follow separate processes and disclosures (§ 32:707(I),(J),(O)) outside this scope. |
The seller must give OMV written notice of the transfer within 15 days on the official form (Notice of Transfer of Vehicle, DPSMV 1697, or the online tool), stating the sale date and both parties' names (R.S. 47:510(B)). The notice flags the record but 'is not a transfer' — only the buyer's title application transfers ownership (OMV). Plates belong to the seller: destroy the regular plates after filing the notice (OMV). |
The buyer must apply for a new title within five days after delivery of the endorsed title (§ 32:707(A)) at an OMV office or Public Tag Agent, using the Vehicle Application (DPSMV 1799) with the endorsed notarized title, notarized bill of sale, photo ID, and proof of liability insurance if getting a plate (OMV). Pay state and local sales/use tax on the price (by parish), the $68.50 title fee, an $8 handling fee, any $6 local fee, and lien-recordation ($10/$15) and plate fees (OMV). |
Proof of current Louisiana liability insurance is required to obtain a license plate (OMV). An emissions or safety certificate is not part of the OMV titling checklist for an ordinary private transfer; the transfer turns on the notarized title, tax, and application. Title and register before driving, but for 60 days after a private purchase the buyer is protected from no-current-tag citations during the gap between purchase and receipt of title, if proof of application is shown (§ 32:707(H)). |
Failing to give the 15-day seller notice is punishable under the chapter's general penalty — a fine up to $100 or up to 30 days, or both (R.S. 47:537, quoted on the OMV notice form). The buyer's 60-day citation protection ends when it lapses or without proof of application (§ 32:707(H)); late use-tax payment at titling adds penalty and interest (OMV). Because no ownership passes without the endorsed title (§ 32:705(A)), OMV can reject a file missing the notarized endorsement, bill of sale, or lien release; minor listed title errors do not (§ 32:705(E)). |
| Maine verified 2026-07-23 | 29-A M.R.S. ch. 7 (Title to Vehicles), esp. §§ 651, 652, 657, 658, and 662, plus § 406; the Secretary of State / Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues titles, and the municipal (town) office or a BMV branch handles registration and excise tax. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Maine-titled used passenger vehicle. A title is required except for a vehicle more than 25 model years old (§ 652(13)). |
The owner executes an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate at delivery — including the odometer statement — and delivers the certificate and assignment to the buyer or the BMV (§ 662(1)); both sign. The owner must provide a properly released certificate of lien if one was issued, and a lienholder holding the title delivers it on request (§ 662(1)-(2)). A vehicle more than 25 years old has no title and transfers on a bill of sale plus the prior registration (§ 652(13); BMV). |
None. Section 662 requires only the assignment and warranty in the space provided on the certificate; the BMV title application (MVT-2) and the bill of sale are not notarized. No notary, witness, or agent verification applies to an ordinary transfer. |
Maine requires a signed bill of sale for a private sale (BMV). The official Maine Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale lists the vehicle, the price, and the buyer's and seller's names, addresses, and signatures. It supplements the endorsed title — or, for a vehicle more than 25 years old, pairs with the prior registration — and does not by itself establish ownership. |
The odometer statement is part of the assignment and warranty on the title (§ 662(1), incorporating § 752), under the federal overlay; the certificate itself records the mileage and whether the vehicle is new, used, rebuilt, repaired, or salvage (§ 658). No separate ordinary damage form applies; salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the certificate-of-salvage process (§§ 651, 657) outside the ordinary answer. |
The registration expires on the transfer of ownership, except a transfer to a surviving spouse (§ 406); the seller keeps the plates and registration and can move the plates and the excise-tax credit to a replacement vehicle (BMV; municipal offices). There is no separate report-of-sale form. The seller's liability release is statutory: once the seller delivers possession and completes § 662 and § 665, the seller 'is not liable thereafter as owner for damages resulting from operation of the vehicle' (§ 662(4)). |
No fixed statutory day-count for an in-state buyer, but the transfer 'is not effective until' the § 662 and § 665 steps are done and the fees paid, and the buyer must register to operate (§ 662(4)). Register at the town office or a BMV branch with the signed title (for models 25 years old and newer) or the bill of sale plus prior title, a signed bill of sale, proof of insurance, and the MVT-2 title application. Pay Maine's 5.5% sales tax on the purchase price, a $33 title fee (models 25 years old and newer), the annual municipal excise tax, and the registration fee (BMV; § 657). |
A registered Maine vehicle must pass an annual safety inspection (§ 1751(1)); Cumberland County adds an enhanced OBD emissions inspection for 1996-and-newer vehicles (§ 1751(2-A)) — the only emissions area. The owner and operator must maintain motor-vehicle financial responsibility (liability insurance) at all times; driving uninsured is a traffic infraction of $100 to $500 with license and registration suspension (§ 1601). A transfer is not effective until the § 662 steps are complete. |
A transfer 'is not effective until' § 662 and § 665 are fulfilled and the fees paid, and the seller sheds owner liability only after delivering possession and completing them (§ 662(4)). A non-dealer transferee must obtain title in the transferee's name before transferring the vehicle to another (§ 662(1)). The BMV can reject a title bearing cross-outs or errors, or a filing missing a lien release, bill of sale, or insurance proof (BMV). Failing to maintain insurance is a traffic infraction with suspension (§ 1601). |
| Maryland verified 2026-07-23 | Md. Code, Transportation §§ 13-104, 13-112, 13-809, and 23-106; administered by MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Maryland-titled used Class A passenger vehicle; dealer, gift, estate, salvage, out-of-state, and temporary-registration procedures are outside the ordinary answer. |
At vehicle delivery, the owner executes an assignment and warranty of title, states every security interest, lien, or encumbrance in the title space, delivers the certificate, and the buyer completes the new-title application (§ 13-112(a)-(c)). MVA directs the seller to enter buyer name/address, price, odometer, signature, and date. All titled owners sign unless the title shows “OR.” Each buyer/owner signs VR-005 (§ 13-104(d)). Any listed lien must be released before MVA processes the private purchase. |
The ordinary title assignment and VR-005 application require signatures but no notary or witness. Notarization currently applies only to the tax-price proof in a narrow case: for a private vehicle not yet 7 model years old sold at least $500 below MVA guide retail, § 13-809(a)(2)(iii) and (d)(2) accept the low price only if verified by MVA's notarized Bill of Sale VR-181, signed by buyer and seller and explaining the price. Signed 2026 Chapter 119 repeals that route effective October 1, 2026. |
A separate bill of sale is optional for the ordinary title transfer and is recommended as proof of vehicle, parties, price, date, and signatures. It becomes material under current tax law when the newer used vehicle's price is $500 or more below guide retail: use official VR-181 with year/make/model/body/VIN, odometer status, buyer(s), price and explanation, seller/buyer signatures, dates, and notarization. It supplements rather than replaces the assigned title and VR-005. For a private vehicle 7 model years old or older, statutory value is generally the greater of price or $640. |
The seller records the odometer reading and any actual/exceeds-mechanical-limits/not-actual status on the title or applicable disclosure; MVA can reject an erroneous or altered title. The federal overlay requires disclosure for model year 2011 and newer during the first 20 years, while model year 2010 and older vehicles are exempt from the extended rule. Maryland's ordinary private-sale workflow lists no separate general damage disclosure; a prior taxicab requires a signed taxicab-use statement under § 13-112(d), and salvage/rebuilt branding follows separate procedures. |
MVA's ordinary private-sale workflow does not list a separate seller report-of-sale filing. The seller removes the plates before the buyer takes possession, keeps copies of the completed title and bill of sale, and returns unneeded plates to MVA, retaining the return receipt. Plates may be kept only for a qualifying transfer to another vehicle. Return plates before canceling insurance; Maryland requires continuous insurance while a vehicle remains registered and keeping plates after cancellation can generate penalties. |
Promptly file the completed Certificate of Title/Application, and ensure MVA receives it within 30 days after delivery; after 30 days MVA may assess an additional transfer service fee (§ 13-112(c)). A private buyer submits VR-005, the properly assigned original title, proof of price/bill of sale if applicable, odometer disclosure if applicable, Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate, valid ID, lien release, and taxes/fees. The excise tax is 6.5% of statutory fair market value (§ 13-809), with a $100 ordinary minimum; title, registration, plate, and service fees also apply. |
For an ordinary private transfer, § 23-106(b)(2) requires the transferor to obtain a Maryland Safety Inspection Certificate, and the buyer must submit the certificate to title/register; MVA says it is valid 90 days. Emissions (VEIP) testing is separate and normally follows a later notice, not the sale-time safety inspection. The buyer must have Maryland insurance before registration and must register before driving on public roads. A single 30-day temporary registration may be available solely to complete inspection; it is not automatic driving authority from the signed title. |
After 30 days MVA may add a transfer service fee (§ 13-112(c)(2)). MVA may refuse or delay a missing, altered, incorrectly completed, lien-encumbered, or unsupported application. Failure to pay the § 13-809 excise tax is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000. A registered vehicle without continuous insurance can incur penalties, registration suspension, flags, and collections; the seller avoids continuing exposure by removing/returning plates before canceling coverage. An expired safety certificate or failed inspection prevents ordinary registration until cured. |
| Massachusetts verified 2026-07-23 | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90D (certificates of title) and ch. 90 (registration); administered by the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), part of MassDOT. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Massachusetts-titled used passenger vehicle. Vehicles too old to be titled instead transfer on the previous registration plus a bill of sale. |
At delivery the owner executes on the certificate an assignment 'including the actual odometer reading and warranty of title' and delivers it to the buyer or the registrar (ch. 90D, § 15(a)); the buyer then executes the application for a new title (§ 15(b)). The RMV requires the back of the title to carry the signatures of both sellers and buyers and the recorded mileage, with no erasures, white-outs, or alterations. If a lienholder holds the certificate, it delivers the title for the transfer (§ 15(c)-(d)). |
No notary or witness is required for the title assignment. Massachusetts instead requires an insurance step: a licensed Massachusetts insurance agent must complete, stamp, and sign the Registration and Title Application (RTA) to bind coverage before the RMV will register and title the vehicle. That agent stamp, not a notarization, is the distinctive Massachusetts verification. |
For a titled vehicle the assigned certificate of title is the proof of ownership; a bill of sale is supporting evidence. A bill of sale becomes mandatory only for a vehicle exempt from title because of its age, where the buyer presents the previous owner's registration plus the bill of sale in place of a title. The RMV also advises private buyers to get a proper title and bill of sale as good practice. |
The seller must enter the actual odometer reading in the title assignment (ch. 90D, § 15(a)); the RMV requires mileage recorded in the proper area. Separately, the Massachusetts used-vehicle Lemon Law requires a private seller to tell the buyer about any known defect that impairs safety or substantially impairs use—regardless of price or mileage—and a buyer who proves a concealed known defect may cancel within 30 days. Salvage and total-loss vehicles follow the separate ch. 90D, § 20 salvage-title process. |
There is no separate private-seller report-of-sale filing to the RMV for an ordinary sale. Registration plates stay with the owner, not the vehicle: the seller keeps or cancels the plates and the buyer uses their own. An owner who delivers the vehicle and completes the § 15 steps 'shall not be held liable' for later operation or automobile-law violations, even before a new title issues (ch. 90D, § 15(e)); a seller not buying a replacement should cancel the plates and registration to stop excise-tax bills. |
The buyer must apply for a certificate of title within 10 days (ch. 90D, § 4, per the RMV). To register and title, take the assigned title and the insurance-agent-stamped Registration and Title Application to an RMV Service Center. Fees: a $75 title fee plus the registration fee, and 6.25% sales/use tax computed on the sale price or NADA book value, whichever is higher. The sales/use tax is due to the Department of Revenue by the 20th of the month after purchase. |
Active Massachusetts motor-vehicle insurance is required before registration—the insurance agent stamps the RTA to certify it. After registering, the buyer must obtain a Massachusetts vehicle inspection sticker (the combined annual safety and emissions inspection) within 7 days. Under the 7 Day Transfer Law, a buyer 18 or older who has disposed of a previous vehicle may attach their existing plates to the newly purchased vehicle and drive for up to 7 days while completing the registration. |
A transfer 'is not effective' between the parties and the state until the § 15 (and § 18) steps are done, though the complying seller is shielded from post-delivery liability (ch. 90D, § 15(e)). Late payment of the sales/use tax 'subjects you to penalties and interest' from the Department of Revenue. The RMV will reject an application or proof of ownership that has erasures, white-outs, or alterations, or that does not match the supporting documents; missing signatures, mileage, insurance, or tax can also stop the transfer. |
| Michigan verified 2026-07-23 | MCL 257.233, 257.233a, 257.234 (Michigan Vehicle Code, 1949 PA 300); administered by the Michigan Secretary of State (Department of State). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently titled Michigan used passenger vehicle. |
Seller indorses (signs) the seller's assignment on the certificate of title and delivers it to the buyer at delivery of the vehicle (§ 257.233(8)). Every owner named on the title must sign; changes or crossed-out names void the title (SOS). A lien is cleared by the title's termination statement, a lienholder 'paid' stamp, or a signed lien-termination letter (SOS). |
None. Michigan's title-transfer requirements call for the buyer's and seller's signatures on the title, an odometer entry, lien termination, and No-Fault insurance—no notary, witness, or agent verification for the ordinary transfer (SOS). |
No separate bill of sale is required to transfer an ordinary currently titled vehicle. But unless the seller accompanies the buyer to SOS, § 257.240 requires the seller to retain for at least 18 months either a photocopy of the reassigned title or another sale record containing buyer name, address, driver-license number and signature, purchase price, and sale date. That record supports seller liability protection but does not replace the assigned title or buyer filing. |
The seller must give written odometer disclosure before delivery, on the title or a signed statement (Odometer Mileage Statement BDVR-108) with the reading and date (§ 257.233a(1)). Disclosure is not required for a model-year-2010-or-earlier vehicle transferred 10+ years after its model year (rolling to a 20-year rule for 2011-and-later vehicles) (§ 257.233a(5)). Odometer fraud is a felony (§ 257.233a). Salvage/rebuilt titling is separate and out of scope. |
The plate stays with the owner: on transfer the plates are removed and either moved to a specified close family member receiving the vehicle or retained by the owner for another vehicle (§ 257.233(1)). Michigan has no separate private-seller report-of-sale filing. For § 257.240 protection from later use/ownership liability, seller must deliver the endorsed title and possession, then either accompany buyer to SOS or keep a qualifying sale record for at least 18 months. |
Buyer presents the assigned certificate of title at a Secretary of State office or uses the online service if eligible and transfers title within 15 days of sale (§ 257.234). Fees: $15 title transfer fee, a $10-$15 plate transfer, and 6% use tax collected at transfer (SOS). Proof of Michigan No-Fault insurance and a Michigan ID/driver's license are required. |
Michigan has no periodic state safety inspection and no emissions/smog testing program, so neither is part of an ordinary in-state title transfer or registration (SOS). Michigan No-Fault insurance is required to register and drive. For three days after sale, buyer may drive without a plate only directly to the first place of storage, carrying the assigned title and proof of insurance; seller's plate must not be used (SOS). |
If the transfer is not made and the fee paid within 15 days, the vehicle 'is considered to be without registration,' SOS may repossess plates, and a $15 late transfer fee applies (§ 257.234(3)). Failure to properly endorse and deliver the title is a civil infraction with a fine up to $100 (§ 257.239). A seller who neither accompanies buyer nor keeps the 18-month record faces a $15 civil fine and is presumed the last titled owner liable for abandoned-vehicle towing and daily storage (§ 257.240). |
| Minnesota verified 2026-07-23 | Minn. Stat. ch. 168A (esp. § 168A.10) and the motor-vehicle sales-tax at § 297B.02; administered by the Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) through deputy registrar offices. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Minnesota-titled used passenger vehicle. |
At delivery the owner executes the assignment and warranty of title and states the actual selling price on the certificate (§ 168A.10, subd. 1). DVS directs that all sellers handprint their name and sign the assignment area and enter the date of sale, and that all buyers complete the assignment and application portions (name, date of birth, signature). The seller must deliver the title to the buyer immediately. If a lien is listed, a lien-release card or a notarized lien-release form must accompany the transfer. |
None for the ordinary transfer. The seller and buyer sign the title's assignment and application areas without a notary, witness, or agent verification. Notarization appears only for related documents when they apply—most commonly a lienholder's notarized lien-release form (a lien-release card is the alternative) and a duplicate-title application. |
No separate bill of sale is required. Minnesota puts the price on the title itself: the seller states the actual selling price in the sales-tax-declaration area of the certificate (§ 168A.10, subd. 1), and the assigned title plus the on-title application are what the buyer files. A bill of sale, if used, is supporting evidence and does not replace the assigned title or the deputy-registrar filing. |
The seller records the odometer reading on the title; DVS requires odometer disclosure for 20 years on all vehicles of model year 2011 or newer, except vehicles over 16,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or not self-propelled. DVS also requires a damage disclosure at transfer. Salvage, prior-salvage, and rebuilt brands carry their own separate procedures and are outside the ordinary transfer. |
Within 10 days of the sale the seller must complete and return the title's 'Notice of Sale' (or file the Report of Sale electronically) with the buyer's name, address, driver's license number, and date of sale (§ 168A.10, subd. 1). An owner who has delivered the vehicle and complied is not liable for later operation; the transfer 'is not effective until' the section is complied with, though completing the Notice of Sale within 48 hours cures the liability window (§ 168A.10, subd. 5). The license plates and registration taxes are assigned to the new owner—plates stay with the vehicle, not the seller. |
Within 20 calendar days after the title is assigned, the buyer must execute the application on the certificate and deliver it to DVS (§ 168A.10, subd. 2), in person at a deputy registrar or by mail, with the buyer's identification and current insurance information. Tax and fees: 6.875% motor-vehicle sales tax on the purchase price (§ 297B.02, subd. 1), an $8.25 title fee, a $10 transfer tax, a $12 filing fee, and small technology and public-safety surcharges. A passenger car in its tenth or later year worth under $3,000 pays a $10 in-lieu tax instead (§§ 297B.02, subd. 2; 297B.025). |
Minnesota does not require a periodic safety inspection or an emissions test for an ordinary passenger vehicle; neither appears in the DVS title-and-registration checklist. To register and lawfully operate, the buyer must carry Minnesota no-fault insurance and provide the insurer's name, policy number, and expiration at titling. Because the plates stay with the vehicle, the buyer may generally operate it on the existing registration while the title application is processed, but insurance must be in force. |
If the buyer fails to apply for a new certificate within 20 days, the vehicle's registration is suspended under § 168.17 (§ 168A.10, subd. 2). Until the seller files the Notice of Sale/Report of Sale, the transfer is not fully effective and the seller can remain exposed for post-delivery operation (§ 168A.10, subd. 5). A transfer can be rejected for a missing assignment, price, odometer or damage disclosure, lien release, or unpaid tax; late payment of the motor-vehicle sales tax is collected with the ordinary state sales-tax penalties. |
| Mississippi verified 2026-07-23 | Miss. Code tit. 63, ch. 21, especially §§ 63-21-15, -31, -49, -63, -67, and -69, administered by the Department of Revenue through county tax collectors and other designated agents. This answer covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Mississippi-titled used passenger vehicle; dealer, salvage, rebuilt, untitled, estate, gift, and out-of-state procedures differ. |
At delivery, the seller executes the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate and mails or delivers it to the buyer; the buyer promptly executes the new-title application and delivers the certificate and application to a county tax collector or designated agent (§ 63-21-31). A paper-title lienholder must release within 10 days after demand and no later than 30 days (§ 63-21-49). A lienholder with an EIN must transmit an electronic release within 14 days after payoff (§ 63-21-16(14)). |
No notary or witness is stated for the ordinary seller's title assignment. The buyer's application is different: a designated agent certifies that the vehicle was physically inspected, the VIN and descriptive data are correct, the signer was identified, and the agent witnessed the application signature (§ 63-21-15(5)). |
A separate bill of sale is not listed for the ordinary transfer of a currently Mississippi-titled vehicle; it supplements rather than replaces the assigned title and application. One narrow operating rule requires a true bill of sale during the 48-hour trip home when the vehicle was bought outside the buyer's county; the statute calls for the vehicle description, the name/address of the 'dealer from whom purchased,' the buyer or operator's name/address, and the acquisition date (§ 27-19-63(5)(a)). |
The transferor discloses mileage in writing on the title or reassignment document, and both transferor and transferee sign and print their names. Vehicles 20 years old or older and the other listed categories are exempt (§ 63-21-15(1)(e)). Branded, salvage, and rebuilt-title procedures are separate from this ordinary current-title transfer. |
The ordinary private-sale statute does not state a separate seller report-of-sale filing. It requires the seller to remove and retain the plate from the vehicle and then surrender it to the issuing authority; the corresponding tax receipt accompanies it if required for the remaining-tax credit, and the plate cannot be transferred after surrender (§ 27-19-141; DOR FAQ). Plate removal and surrender are not the buyer's title transfer. |
Current law is internally inconsistent. HB 310 (effective July 1, 2024) amended §§ 63-21-69 and 27-19-63 to allow 30 full working days, and DOR's current registration page says 30 business days; unchanged § 27-19-141 still says seven working days for a private sale. Filing within seven working days satisfies both. Apply through the county tax collector/designated agent with the assigned title and DOR-prescribed application. The title fee is $9 plus up to $1 agent commission; private-sale tax is generally 5% of DOR-schedule true value, collected at registration, with a statutory exemption for vehicles transferred 10 or more years after manufacture (§§ 63-21-63, 27-65-201). |
The title application includes a designated-agent physical check of the VIN/descriptive data and witnessed applicant signature (§ 63-21-15(5)); the title statute does not add an ordinary emissions certificate. Every operated vehicle must have liability insurance and the insurance card must be carried or displayed electronically (§ 63-15-4). If bought outside the buyer's county, § 27-19-63 allows 48 hours to transport it home with the specified true bill of sale. After filing, the duplicate title application serves as an operating permit until DOR issues or refuses the title (§ 63-21-67). A buyer who will not drive may title without buying a tag by filing the required nonoperation affidavit (§ 63-21-15(7)). |
Until § 63-21-31 is followed, the transfer is not effective between the parties. Late privilege-license tax adds 5% for the first 15 days or part, then 5% for each additional 30-day period or part, capped at 25%; displaying an out-of-state tag or a tag issued for another vehicle adds $250 (§ 27-19-63(4)). Knowingly false odometer information is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000, one year, or both (§ 63-21-15(1)(e)(iii)). If DOR refuses the title, operation must stop and the application permit and current tag must be returned; officers may compel surrender if they are not received within 10 calendar days (§ 63-21-67). |
| Missouri verified 2026-07-23 | Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 301.190, 301.196, and 301.210 (with tax under § 144.070); administered by the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Bureau, through local license offices. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Missouri-titled used passenger vehicle. |
Seller endorses the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate, with a statement of all liens, and delivers it to the buyer at the time the vehicle is delivered (§ 301.210.1). On the back of the title all sellers and purchasers print their names and sign the assignment area, and the seller writes in the odometer reading and date of sale (no correction fluid or erasures). A sale without the assigned certificate is 'presumed fraudulent and void' (§ 301.210.4). A recorded lien needs a notarized Lien Release (Form 4809). |
None for the ordinary transfer. DOR states the seller and buyer signatures in the title assignment area 'do not need to be notarized,' and no witness or agent verification is required. Notarization is required only for related documents when they apply—a Lien Release (Form 4809) and a duplicate-title application (Form 108 marked duplicate). |
No separate bill of sale is required for an ordinary Missouri-titled vehicle: the properly assigned title plus the Application for Missouri Title and License (Form 108) prove the transfer and price. A Bill of Sale (Form 1957) or Notice of Sale (Form 5049) may be used to substantiate the purchase price and can double as the seller's sale report. A full bill of sale (buyer and seller names, addresses, signatures, purchase date, price, year, make, and VIN) is required only when buying from a state that does not issue titles. |
The seller writes the mileage in the title assignment; the buyer and seller print and sign to verify it. Disclosure is required on model-year 2011 and newer vehicles until the vehicle turns 20 years old (§ 301.190.1). When the title has no space, a separate Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 3019) is used. DOR's ordinary checklist has no separate damage-disclosure form; salvage, prior-salvage, and junk brands carry forward on the title and use separate procedures. |
The seller must report the transfer to DOR within 30 days on a Notice of Sale (Form 5049) or Bill of Sale (Form 1957) (§ 301.196.1); the report is informational and 'does not constitute an assignment or release of any interest,' and the seller stays the last titled owner of record until the buyer titles. The seller removes the plates before the buyer takes possession; on a complete change of ownership the plates cannot go to the buyer, though the seller may move plates or registration credit to a replacement vehicle or surrender them. DOR states that failing to report is an infraction (fine up to $200), or a class C misdemeanor (fine up to $300) if done to help the buyer avoid titling. |
The buyer must apply for a certificate of ownership within 30 days of the purchase (§ 301.190.1), at a Missouri license office, with the assigned title, a signed Application for Missouri Title and License (Form 108), a safety inspection if required, and proof of insurance. Fees: an $8.50 title fee plus a $9 processing fee, and 4.225% state sales tax plus local sales tax on the purchase price less any trade-in, which must be paid before the title issues (§ 144.070.1). A buyer who wants to drive before plates issue can buy a 30-day temporary permit. |
It is unlawful to operate the vehicle unless a certificate of ownership has been applied for (§ 301.190.7), and driving requires registration and insurance. A Missouri safety inspection no more than 60 days old is generally required, though a vehicle less than 11 model years old with under 150,000 miles is exempt. An emissions inspection is required if the vehicle is based in St. Louis City or Jefferson, St. Charles, or St. Louis County. Proof of insurance (financial responsibility) is required to register or to obtain a temporary permit; the buyer cannot drive on the seller's plates. |
A sale of a Missouri-registered vehicle without passing the assigned certificate is 'presumed fraudulent and void' (§ 301.210.4). A buyer who applies late owes a delinquency penalty of $25 for the first 30 days and $25 for each 30 days after, up to $200 (§ 301.190.5). If DOR learns an owner failed to obtain a title within 30 days or sold a vehicle without a title, it cancels the registration of all vehicles in that person's name until the penalty and fees are paid (§ 301.190.5). A title can be rejected for a missing assignment, odometer entry, lien release, unpaid tax, or missing inspection. |
| Montana verified 2026-07-23 | Montana Code Annotated Title 61, ch. 3, part 2 (Certificates of Title), esp. §§ 61-3-201, 61-3-216, and 61-3-220, plus §§ 61-3-303, 61-3-317, and 61-3-334; the Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) issues titles, and a title/registration is processed through the county treasurer or an authorized agent in the buyer's county of domicile. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Montana-titled used light (passenger) vehicle. A certificate of title is required (§ 61-3-201(1)). |
The owner executes the transfer in the assignment space on the certificate of title and delivers the assigned title to the buyer at delivery, or to the department/agent/county treasurer with the buyer's completed title application (§ 61-3-220(1)(b)); an e-title owner instead authorizes an electronic-record transfer (§ 61-3-220(1)(a)). Every owner named on the title must sign (MVD). The buyer executes the application for a new title in the space provided or on the MV1 (§ 61-3-220(2)(a)). Any security interest/lien on the title must be released — the lienholder signs a Release of Security Interest or Lien (MV37A) delivered with the title (MVD). Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the assigned title and the buyer's title/registration filing. |
None for an ordinary transfer. Section 61-3-220 requires only that the owner execute the transfer in the space on the certificate; no notary or witness is required for the title assignment or the buyer's application. The state Bill of Sale (MV24) states a notary is required only when the form is used with a Break/Bond Title application (MV10) or when an electronic-records transfer occurs — not for the ordinary paper-title sale. |
Not required by statute for the ordinary transfer. MVD recommends keeping a written record of the sale and provides the official Bill of Sale (MV24), which records the purchase price, the year, make, model, and VIN, and the buyer's and seller's names, addresses, and signatures, and directs use of the Odometer Disclosure Statement (MV90A) for 2011-or-newer vehicles. It supplements, and does not replace, the assigned title and the buyer's title application. |
Before executing any transfer document, the seller must record the odometer reading on the title or furnish a signed written statement with the reading, date, parties, vehicle description, and an accuracy certification, and the buyer signs to acknowledge it (§ 61-3-206(1)-(2)); the title application must carry the odometer statement (§ 61-3-216(2)(e)). Disclosure is not required for a 2010-or-earlier model year, or a 2011-or-later vehicle that is 20 years old or older (§ 61-3-206(4)); MVD uses the MV90A for 2011-or-newer vehicles. No separate ordinary damage form applies; salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the salvage-certificate process (§ 61-3-211) outside this ordinary answer. |
No report-of-sale or DMV notice is required — MVD says you do not need to notify the county treasurer that you sold the vehicle. But § 61-3-334 requires the transferor to immediately remove the license plates on transfer; the plates belong to the owner, not the car, so the seller keeps them and may transfer them to another vehicle (MVD). There is no statutory liability-release filing: MVD warns that a seller who leaves the plates on the car may be liable for later parking or traffic violations, so removing the plates and keeping a written record of the sale is the seller's protection. |
The buyer has 40 calendar days from the transfer to apply for a certificate of title and register at the county treasurer or an authorized agent in the county of domicile (§§ 61-3-220(2)(c), 61-3-317(1), 61-3-303(1)). Bring the assigned title, the Application for Certificate of Title (MV1, § 61-3-216), the Odometer Disclosure Statement (MV90A) for a 2011-or-newer vehicle, any lien release (MV37A), photo ID, and proof of liability insurance (MVD). Montana levies no general sales or use tax; the buyer pays a registration fee / fee in lieu of tax for a light vehicle (age-based, § 61-3-321, per § 61-3-303(6)), a title fee, and any applicable local-option tax (§§ 61-3-303(6), 61-3-317(1)). New plates issue on registration (§ 61-3-303(5)(e)). |
Montana has no statewide periodic safety inspection and no emissions or smog test for an ordinary passenger vehicle; registration under § 61-3-303 turns on the title application, the fees, and insurance verification, not an inspection. Liability insurance is required: the county treasurer or agent must verify through the online insurance-verification system that the owner has complied with § 61-6-301 before issuing plates (§ 61-3-303(11)). Because the seller removes the plates, the buyer may not drive the car during the 40-day window unless a temporary registration permit (§ 61-3-224) is issued and properly displayed (§ 61-3-317(1)-(2)). A VIN inspection (MV20) applies only to out-of-state or bonded titles, outside this answer. |
A transferee who misses the 40-day deadline owes a $10 late penalty, payable before the vehicle is registered and in addition to the other fees (§ 61-3-220(3)). Operating the vehicle on the highways during the grace period without a displayed temporary registration permit is not allowed (§ 61-3-317(1)). The county/MVD may reject a title with blank fields, cross-outs, or white-out, or a filing missing a lien release, odometer statement, or insurance proof (MVD). If the buyer never completes the transfer, a secured party or lienholder of record may pay the transfer fees to protect its interest (§ 61-3-220(4)); until the seller removes the plates and keeps a record, the seller can remain exposed to post-sale liability (§ 61-3-334; MVD). |
| Nebraska verified 2026-07-23 | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-101 to 60-197 (Motor Vehicle Certificate of Title Act), especially §§ 60-139, 60-140, 60-144, 60-151, and 60-153; Nebraska DMV and county treasurers. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Nebraska-titled passenger vehicle. |
Seller delivers the Nebraska title with assignments showing title in the buyer; without possession plus the assigned title, the buyer acquires no ownership interest (§§ 60-139, 60-140). Every name on the title signs the seller section; buyer name, address, and signature are completed at sale, and spouses cannot sign for each other on the transfer. Any open lien must be released on the title before reassignment; a paper or electronic lienholder has 15 days after payoff to release it (§ 60-164(8); Nebraska DMV). |
No notary or witness is listed for the ordinary title assignment. The title statute requires the owner's signature, and the current title application is signed under a sworn/affirmed declaration but has no notary block (§§ 60-151, 60-153; DMV forms). The DMV courtesy Bill of Sale includes sworn notary/designated-county-official blocks; Form 6 is the non-notarized alternative signed by seller and purchaser. |
Mandatory alternative document: seller gives buyer either a bill of sale or completed Nebraska Form 6 (DMV transfer instructions). The DMV bill-of-sale form records sale date/price, year/make/model/VIN, each party's name/address/phone/signature, and title warranty; another bill-of-sale form may be used. Form 6 records buyer/seller, vehicle, purchase date, price, trade-in, tax, and signatures. Neither replaces the assigned title. |
Seller signs the odometer statement on the title: 2010-and-older models are exempt; a 2011-or-newer vehicle remains covered until more than 20 years old (§§ 60-192, 60-193; Nebraska DMV). The statement gives mileage and actual/exceeds-limits/not-actual status, and seller keeps a copy 5 years. Nebraska titles carry forward accessible salvage, rebuilt, flood, buyback, damaged, and similar brands (§ 60-172); special salvage procedure is outside scope. |
On transfer the registration expires; seller keeps the registration and plates, may transfer plates/credit to a replacement vehicle within 30 days, or return registration/plates within 60 days to claim unused tax/fee refund (§§ 60-376(7)(b), 60-395). DMV offers a free online Notice of Transfer. If buyer has not titled within 30 days, seller may ask DMV to update the electronic title record (§ 60-151(2)); the notice/update does not replace the assigned title. |
Within 30 days after delivery, buyer files the assigned title and Application for Certificate of Title with any county treasurer (§§ 60-144(3),(5), 60-149), plus the bill of sale or Form 6, $10 title fee, and registration items. Buyer owes 5.5% state sales tax plus applicable local tax on price less allowable trade-in; tax is due by day 30 even if the vehicle is not registered (§§ 77-2701.02(7), 77-2703(1)(i)). Registration also carries vehicle tax/fees. |
No Nebraska identification inspection for this same-state transfer because surrendering a Nebraska title is exempt (§ 60-146(1)(b)); DMV's ordinary registration list has no safety or emissions certificate. Proof of financial responsibility is required to register and to operate. A private buyer may operate unregistered for up to 30 days without plates/in-transit tag while carrying the assigned title or dated bill of sale (§ 60-365), but insurance remains mandatory (§ 60-3,167). |
Selling without delivering a duly assigned title, possessing an incompletely assigned title, operating without the required title, or other Certificate of Title Act violations are Class III misdemeanors (§ 60-180). DMV confiscates an open title and requires a duplicate if an assignment is altered/mutilated. Late tax draws statutory penalty and interest from day 30 (§ 77-2703(1)(i)); odometer-copy failure is a Class V misdemeanor and other odometer-law violations are Class IV felonies (§ 60-196). Seller record notice does not cure buyer nonfiling. |
| Nevada verified 2026-07-23 | Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 482 (Motor Vehicles), especially § 482.400 (endorsement of title on transfer), § 482.399 (registration expires on sale; plate handling), and § 482.245 (contents of the title); administered by the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Nevada-titled used passenger vehicle. On transfer, the parties sign the certificate and the buyer must apply for registration (§ 482.400). |
The seller and buyer both 'sign in writing or electronically the certificate of title issued for the vehicle, together with the residence address of the transferee, in the appropriate spaces provided' (§ 482.400(1)). Where the title reads two names joined by 'and,' both must sign; joined by 'or,' either may sign alone (DMV). For a 2011-or-newer vehicle the seller must hand over the paper title — a bill of sale plus duplicate-title application is not accepted. Any lien must be released by the lienholder (Lien Release, DMV Form VP 186) before a clear title issues. |
None. Nevada does not require the title assignment or the registration application to be notarized, witnessed, or verified by a licensing agent for an ordinary current-title transfer; § 482.400(1) requires only the parties' signatures and the buyer's residence address. A separate power of attorney used in a sale must be the DMV's secure power of attorney, not a generic notarized POA. |
Not the transfer instrument, and not a substitute for the title: the DMV warns that 'a Bill of Sale by itself is not acceptable' and to walk away if the seller has no title. A bill of sale (DMV Form VP 104) is useful evidence of price and date and is used in limited older-vehicle situations, but the assigned certificate of title is what transfers ownership. It supplements the title and the DMV registration, never replaces them. |
The certificate of title carries 'a reading of the vehicle's odometer as provided to the Department by the person making the sale or transfer' (§ 482.245(2)). Federal law requires an odometer disclosure until a vehicle is 20 years old (2011 and newer); the seller completes the odometer section on the title, and mileage must be disclosed even on an older 'exempt' title (DMV). The title also carries brands such as 'rebuilt' (§ 482.245(2)); a clean-title sale has no separate ordinary damage form, and salvage/rebuilt titles follow separate procedures outside this scope. |
The seller may — but is not required to — submit an electronic notice of transfer to the DMV 'within 5 days after the transfer' (§ 482.400(2)). Plate handling is the key step: on sale 'the registration expires' (§ 482.399(1)), and the holder may transfer the plates and remaining registration to another vehicle they own or surrender them (§ 482.399(2); DMV). The seller keeps the plates and should surrender or reuse them; leaving them on the sold car leaves the seller's name on the plates. |
The buyer 'shall immediately apply for registration as provided in NRS 482.215 and shall pay the governmental services taxes due' (§ 482.400(4)); the DMV allows registration within 30 days of purchase. Nevada charges no sales tax on a private-party sale. The buyer pays the $28.50 title (change-of-ownership) fee, the registration fee, and the annual Governmental Services Tax (a value-based tax collected at registration). Bring the assigned title, Nevada Evidence of Insurance, the current odometer reading, and any smog certificate. |
Nevada requires no statewide safety inspection, but a smog check is required to register in the Las Vegas (Clark) and Reno (Washoe) emissions areas unless the vehicle is exempt, and the test must be under 90 days old (DMV). Liability insurance from a Nevada-licensed carrier, in the names that will be on the title, is required to register and operate. The buyer may drive a just-purchased vehicle for three days on proof of ownership and insurance; after that a DMV movement permit ($8) is needed until the car is registered. |
Registration is what makes the car legal to drive; operating past the three-day window without a permit or registration is a violation, and late registration adds a penalty to the registration fee (DMV). A knowingly false odometer or application statement violates state and federal odometer law. The DMV will reject a transfer offered on a bill of sale without the title, or on a duplicate-title-plus-bill-of-sale route for a 2011-or-newer vehicle. Until the buyer registers, the seller's registration has expired (§ 482.399(1)) but the record is not updated, so the seller should keep proof of the sale. |
| New Hampshire verified 2026-07-23 | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. ch. 261 (Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles), esp. §§ 261:1-3, 261:14, 261:20, 261:66, and 261:148; the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues titles and the town or city clerk issues the registration permit. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently NH-titled used passenger vehicle. Model year 2000 and newer must be titled; 1999 and older are title-exempt (§ 261:3, I(k)). |
For a titled vehicle (model year 2000+), the seller executes an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate at delivery and delivers it to the buyer (§ 261:14, I); both sign and the buyer's name, address, and odometer go on the reverse (DMV). A lienholder holding the title delivers it on request (§ 261:14, II). For a title-exempt vehicle there is no title — the seller supplies a bill of sale plus a current or expired NH registration or a valid title (§§ 261:2-a, 261:148). |
None. Section 261:14 requires only the assignment and warranty in the space provided on the title, and the § 261:148 bill of sale requires only the seller's signature and address — no notary, witness, or agent verification for an ordinary transfer. |
For a titled vehicle the endorsed title is the instrument and a bill of sale is supplemental. For a title-exempt vehicle a bill of sale is mandatory: § 261:148, III requires the date of sale; make, model, VIN, model year, year of manufacture, body type, and cylinders; the purchaser's name and address; and the seller's signature and address. A bill of sale by itself does not establish ownership (DMV). |
The odometer reading is entered on the title at transfer (DMV), under the federal disclosure overlay. No separate ordinary-transfer damage or title-brand form applies to a standard sale; salvage, total-loss, and rebuilt vehicles follow the separate process in § 261:22 and are outside the ordinary answer. |
On transfer of ownership the registration expires; the seller keeps the expired certificate for transfer credit and keeps the plates, and may move the registration and credit to a like vehicle (§ 261:66, I-III). There is no separate report-of-sale form. The seller's liability release is statutory: once the seller delivers possession and completes the § 261:14 and § 261:19 steps, the seller 'is not liable as owner for any damages thereafter resulting from driving of the vehicle' (§ 261:14, IV). |
The buyer brings the endorsed title (or, for a title-exempt vehicle, the bill of sale plus prior registration/title) to the town or city clerk, obtains the municipal registration permit (§ 261:148), and applies for a new title; the title application must reach the DMV within 20 days or a penalty equal to the fee applies (§ 261:20, II). Fees: a $35 title fee (§ 261:20, I(b), effective Jan. 1, 2026), the value-based municipal permit fee, and the state registration fee. New Hampshire has no sales or use tax on the purchase; a VIN verification (Form TDMV 19A) may be required (DMV). |
Program in flux — verify before relying. New Hampshire repealed its safety-inspection statute (§ 266:1, repealed effective Jan. 31, 2026); after litigation over the inspection contract, the DMV's Feb. 13, 2026 guidance states the inspection and emissions program 'is suspended until further notice' and 'vehicles will not be required to obtain an annual state inspection at this time,' though the status is on appeal and could change. Drivers remain responsible under ch. 266 to keep a vehicle safe. New Hampshire does not compel liability insurance; financial-responsibility proof is required only after certain convictions or at-fault accidents (§ 264:2). A transfer is not effective until the § 261:14 steps are done. |
A transfer 'is not effective until' the § 261:14 and § 261:19 steps are complied with, and the seller sheds owner liability only after delivering possession and completing them (§ 261:14, IV). Delivering the title application to the DMV more than 20 days late costs a penalty equal to the fee (§ 261:20, II). Registering a title-exempt vehicle without the required prior NH registration, title, or application is a misdemeanor (§ 261:2-a). The clerk or DMV can reject for a missing assignment, bill of sale, VIN verification, or fee. |
| New Jersey verified 2026-07-23 | N.J.S.A. 39:10-9 and 39:10-11; administered by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently New Jersey-titled used passenger vehicle. |
Seller signs the seller section on the reverse of the title and delivers it to the buyer; buyer signs the buyer section and enters a driver-license number or MVC Entity Identification Number. If an open lien appears, use the original title with the lien satisfaction endorsed or attach an original signed lien-satisfaction letter; individual lienholder letters must be notarized (MVC). |
No notary or witness is listed for the ordinary seller and buyer title signatures. A person signing title/application paperwork for someone else must present a general, durable, or limited power of attorney, and MVC says the POA must be notarized; a limited POA identifies the vehicle and authorized transaction. |
Required by MVC in addition to the assigned title. Seller gives buyer a bill of sale stating buyer name and address, sale date, odometer reading, and sale price. It supplements rather than replaces the assigned title and MVC filing. |
Record the mileage in the title assignment and bill of sale; the Universal Title Application also carries the odometer reading and boxes for nonactual mileage or mechanical-limit rollover. MVC's ordinary private-sale checklist does not list a separate damage-disclosure form. Federal odometer exceptions and salvage/rebuilt or other branded-title procedures are separate. |
MVC lists no separate private-seller report-of-sale filing. Seller removes the plates and either transfers them to another vehicle registered in the same name and class or surrenders them to MVC; plates cannot transfer to the buyer. Keep the surrender receipt in case later charges are linked to the plates. |
Buyer transfers at an MVC agency, not by mail, within 10 working days. Bring the assigned title/buyer information, bill of sale, identification, lien documentation if needed, and registration/insurance materials. Sales tax is 6.625% of purchase price; current title fee is $60 without a lien or $85 with one lien, plus registration fees. |
Inspection proof is not part of the ordinary title-transfer checklist. Vehicles subject to inspection are generally inspected every two years; new vehicles receive a five-year inspection, while listed older/heavier, historic/collector, motorcycle, and 100% electric vehicles are exempt. Registered vehicles require liability, PIP, and uninsured-motorist coverage; buyer cannot drive on seller's plates. |
A purchaser who misses § 39:10-11's 10-working-day filing rule owes a $25 penalty plus the issuing and filing fee. MVC states the same $25 late consequence. A bill of sale alone does not complete ownership transfer, and missing title assignment, lien proof, tax, identification, registration, or insurance materials can prevent completion at the agency. |
| New Mexico verified 2026-07-23 | NMSA 1978 Ch. 66, Art. 3 (Motor Vehicle Code), esp. §§ 66-3-101, 66-3-102, 66-3-103, 66-3-107, plus the 4% excise tax (§ 7-14-4); administered by the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) of the Taxation and Revenue Department. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently titled New Mexico passenger vehicle. |
Owner endorses the assignment and warranty of title on the certificate, states all liens, and delivers the title to the buyer at delivery of the vehicle (§ 66-3-102); the title has spaces for lien release and for the owner's assignment/warranty (§ 66-3-10(E)). Co-owners joined by 'and' must all sign; a recorded lien is released by the lienholder's endorsement in the title's release area, MVD Form 10041, or a notarized letterhead release (MVD used-vehicle manual). |
No notary or witness is required for the ordinary title assignment; the total-loss conveyance rule even confirms such signatures 'shall not require a notarized signature' (§ 66-3-10.1(C)). Notarization is required only for a power of attorney signing for the owner and for a lien release given on a lienholder's letterhead (MVD used-vehicle manual). |
Not the transfer instrument and not separately mandatory when the title's assignment is complete. Between individuals, MVD Bill of Sale Form MVD-10009 is used to carry out the transfer when the assignment area on the title is incomplete or full; it must show year, make, VIN, sale price, and each party's name, address, and signature (MVD used-vehicle manual). The endorsed title and MVD application still control. |
The transferor must sign and record the vehicle's actual odometer mileage on the transfer document (§ 66-3-101(A); § 66-3-107(C)); MVD requires an odometer statement on every title transaction except off-highway vehicles, on the title assignment, the bill of sale, Form 10009, or the Form 10001 application (MVD manual; §§ 66-3-4, 66-3-10, 49 CFR 580.5). The federal age exemption for older vehicles is an overlay; salvage or nonrepairable branding is a separate process (§ 66-3-10.1), outside this ordinary transfer. |
The previous owner must notify the division of the sale with its date, the buyer's name and address, and a vehicle description (§ 66-3-101(A)), using MyMVD 'Mark My Vehicle as Sold' or the Notice of Vehicle Sold (Form 10048). Plate-to-owner state: the seller removes and retains the plate and has 30 days to reassign it to another same-class vehicle or surrender it to MVD to be destroyed; the registration expires on transfer (§§ 66-3-101(B), 66-3-104, 66-3-19(B)). The notice marks the record; it does not itself transfer ownership. |
Before operating the vehicle, and within 30 days of the sale, the buyer presents the properly assigned title and applies to MVD for a new title and registration (§§ 66-3-103(A), 66-3-107(A)) on the Application for Title and Registration (Form 10001), with proof of a New Mexico residence address (§ 66-3-4(A)), any lienholder information, an insurance affirmation, the 4% motor vehicle excise tax on the price paid with trade-in allowance deductible (§§ 7-14-3, 7-14-4), and title and registration fees. |
No VIN inspection for a vehicle already titled in New Mexico (§ 66-3-4(B) inspection applies to out-of-state titles). Emissions testing is required only for vehicles registered or commuting in Bernalillo County (§ 66-3-7.1; MVD manual). Registration requires an affirmation of financial responsibility under the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act (minimums $25,000/$50,000/$10,000). Because registration expires on transfer and § 66-3-103(A) bars operating before applying, the buyer cannot lawfully drive on the seller's plate. |
Failing to apply for the new title and registration within 30 days of the sale draws a $20 penalty on the buyer (§ 66-3-107(E)) and is a penalty assessment misdemeanor (§ 66-3-103(B)). Operating on an expired registration adds a penalty of the greater of $10 or, at 31+ days, 75% of the registration fee, and the vehicle may be seized (§ 66-3-19(E)). MVD rejects an application missing a lien release, signatures, or with discrepancies, and gives a 10-day cure window (Form 10282). The seller's notice does not complete the buyer's transfer. |
| New York verified 2026-07-23 | N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law art. 46; New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Ordinary private sale of a currently New York-titled used passenger vehicle, generally model year 1973 or newer (§§ 2108, 2113). |
At delivery, the titled owner completes the Transfer by Owner assignment, including seller/buyer names and addresses and transfer date, signs, and delivers the original title (§ 2113). If two individuals are titled, DMV says either may sell. Give the buyer the original signed lien release for every listed paid lien; an altered, erased, or crossed-out title is rejected. |
No notary, witness, or agent verification for an ordinary New York title assignment or MV-912 bill of sale. DMV lists notarization only for transfers using titles from specified other jurisdictions, not a New York title. Special powers of attorney and estate transfers may differ. |
Separate signed bill of sale required in addition to the assigned title; MV-912 is the DMV form. Include price, year, make, model, VIN, any terms, sale date, and both parties' names, addresses, and signatures. It does not replace the title or buyer's DMV filing. |
Seller completes the title's odometer disclosure and buyer acknowledges it for model-year 2011+ vehicles during their first 20 model years. Complete the title's damage disclosure; for a New York ownership proof and a vehicle 8 model years old or newer, DMV will not title/register without the signed damage statement. Damage over 75% of retail value triggers the rebuilt-salvage examination/brand path. |
No separate report-of-sale filing. Seller removes both plates and the windshield registration sticker before completing the sale, then transfers or promptly surrenders the plates before canceling insurance. Proper assignment/delivery plus statutory compliance ends owner status for ordinary owner-liability purposes; retain the bill of sale/title-assignment copy as proof (§ 2113). |
Buyer applies within 30 days (§ 2113), usually at DMV with MV-82, assigned original title, bill of sale, DTF-802 or other tax clearance, proof of identity, New York insurance, and fees. Current title fee is $50 plus registration/plate charges. State sales tax is 4% plus local tax at the buyer's residence or principal-garage rate; below-market sales can be taxed on DMV/Tax Department fair market value (Tax Law § 1105; DTF-802). |
New York liability insurance is required before registration; register within 180 days of the insurance-card effective date. The buyer may not drive until new plates/registration or a lawful plate transfer is obtained. A private-sale buyer gets a 10-day inspection extension from registration; the seller's inspection is invalid after transfer. Annual safety inspection and applicable emissions inspection follow, subject to listed vehicle exemptions (§ 301). |
No separate ordinary late-title fee is stated, but the 30-day application duty remains (§ 2113). DMV must refuse title for unpaid fees, false/fraudulent statements, missing documents, or ownership doubts (§ 2111). With fraudulent intent, filing or delivery more than 10 days after the statutory due time is a misdemeanor; forged title/release or material application fraud is a felony, and other willful article violations are traffic infractions (§ 2130). |
| North Carolina verified 2026-07-23 | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 20-72, 20-73; administered by the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (Department of Transportation). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently titled North Carolina used passenger vehicle. |
Seller executes the assignment and warranty of title on the reverse of the certificate, naming the transferee, and delivers it with the vehicle; no title passes or vests until that is done (§ 20-72(b)). A recorded lienholder holding the title forwards it with the buyer's application; a shown lien needs a lien release (DMV). Co-owner signatures must all be notarized (DMV). |
Required. The title assignment must be executed before a person authorized to administer oaths (a notary) or via approved electronic notarization (§ 20-72(b)), and the DMV also requires the Title Application (MVR-1) to be notarized. No title passes until the notarized assignment is executed and the vehicle delivered. |
Not required for a private (individual) sale of a titled vehicle; the notarized assigned title and MVR-1 are the instrument. The DMV's individual-purchase document list does not include a bill of sale (a bill of sale is listed only for a dealer purchase). Any bill of sale is optional evidence and does not replace the notarized title and application. |
Odometer Disclosure Statement (MVR-180) and Damage Disclosure Statement (MVR-181) are both required when the vehicle is less than 10 years old (DMV). Salvage/rebuilt vehicles follow a separate process and are out of scope; an individual may not transfer on a salvage form (DMV title manual). |
The seller must remove the license plates on transfer; the registration card and plates go to the Division unless the seller keeps them to transfer to another vehicle under § 20-64, which requires a plate-reassignment application within 20 days (§ 20-72(a)). North Carolina has no separate seller report-of-sale; delivering the notarized assigned title is what moves ownership (§ 20-72(b)). |
Buyer must apply to the DMV for a new title within 28 days of the transfer (§ 20-73(a)) on a notarized Title Application (MVR-1) with the assigned title, plus MVR-180 and MVR-181 if under 10 years old. Tax is the one-time Highway Use Tax of 3% (§ 105-187.3); for a private (non-retailer) sale it is charged on the DMV schedule market value, not the sale price. A title fee and registration fees also apply (DMV). |
A used vehicle from a private sale must pass a North Carolina safety inspection before it is registered unless it passed one within the prior 12 months, and the annual safety inspection is statewide (DMV). Vehicles registered in 19 named counties also need an OBD emissions inspection (3-year/70,000-mile, 20-year-old, diesel, and farm exemptions apply). Liability insurance is a prerequisite to registration and must be maintained throughout (§ 20-309(a)). |
A buyer who fails to apply within 28 days is subject to a $20 civil penalty and is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor (§ 20-73(c)); the same $20 penalty falls on anyone who undertook to file and did not. Because no title passes until the notarized assignment is executed and the vehicle delivered (§ 20-72(b)), a missing notarization, signature, lien release, or disclosure stops the transfer, and the registration is blocked until the vehicle passes inspection (DMV). |
| North Dakota verified 2026-07-23 | North Dakota Century Code Title 39, ch. 39-05 (Title Registration), esp. §§ 39-05-02.1, 39-05-05, 39-05-16.1, 39-05-17, and 39-05-17.2, with the 5% motor-vehicle excise tax in ch. 57-40.3 (§§ 57-40.3-02, 57-40.3-04, 57-40.3-05, 57-40.3-08, 57-40.3-11); the Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division titles and registers vehicles through its central office, branch sites, and kiosks — not county treasurers. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently North Dakota-titled used passenger vehicle. Every owner of an untitled in-state vehicle must apply to the department for a certificate of title (§ 39-05-02.1). |
The owner or transferor 'shall endorse an assignment and warranty of title upon the certificate of title,' filling in the transferee's name and the selling price, and deliver the endorsed title (§ 39-05-17(1)-(2)). On the North Dakota title, Part 1 is signed by the seller(s)/transferor and Part 3 by the new owner(s) (Motor Vehicle Division). Where owners are joined by 'and,' both must sign; joined by 'or,' either may sign; a company-held title must be countersigned by an officer (Division). Any lien on the front of the title must be released — the lienholder executes a release of the security interest (§ 39-05-16.1). Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the endorsed title and the buyer's application to the Division. |
None for an ordinary transfer. Section 39-05-17 requires only that the owner 'endorse an assignment and warranty of title upon the certificate of title,' and the Motor Vehicle Division's title-transfer procedure has Part 1 signed by the seller/transferor and Part 3 by the new owner, with no notary or witness step for the assignment or the title application. Notarization appears only on the Seller's Certificate and Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 2888), which is signed before a notary and used as substitute proof of ownership when no certificate of title is available — not part of the ordinary titled transfer. |
Not required by statute for an ordinary transfer accompanied by the endorsed title. The Division's Seller's Certificate and Vehicle Bill of Sale (SFN 2888) — which must be signed before a notary — is used 'as proof of ownership if no certificate of title is available' (Division manual): a substitute, not an add-on. Separately, every purchaser must complete a motor vehicle purchaser's certificate showing the vehicle description, the seller's and buyer's names and addresses, and the full purchase price (§ 57-40.3-05); the price it reports drives the 5% excise tax, and a gift or nominal price is booked to the average value of similar vehicles (§ 57-40.3-01(5)). |
The application may require federal odometer disclosure (§ 39-05-05(1)(g), Truth in Mileage Act of 1986), and the Division's title-transfer procedure has the new owner sign certifying the mileage; under the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay a 2011-or-newer vehicle discloses for its first 20 years. Body-damage disclosure is a separate North Dakota mandate: § 39-05-17.2 provides a damage disclosure statement from transferor to transferee and bars the department from transferring title without it, for a vehicle of the current model year or the seven preceding model years where damage equals or exceeds the greater of $10,000 or 25% of predamage retail value. Salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the separate salvage-title process (§ 39-05-20.1) outside this ordinary answer. |
North Dakota has no report-of-sale or release-of-liability filing. Plates belong to the owner, not the car: the seller removes the license plates when the vehicle is transferred and may apply the unused registration months as a credit toward a replacement vehicle (Division manual). The endorsed-title delivery is the seller's core statutory duty — § 39-05-17(2) requires the owner to 'deliver the endorsed certificate of title to the transferee within thirty days of the date the vehicle was purchased' (the Division manual instructs delivery within 15 days). Keeping a copy of the completed title and the purchaser's certificate is the seller's practical proof of the sale. |
The buyer must, 'within thirty days of receiving the title,' deliver the endorsed certificate of title to the Motor Vehicle Division with a $5 transfer fee and apply for a new certificate of title (§ 39-05-17(4)); an application received within 30 days of purchase is presumed to be for in-state use (§ 57-40.3-08(2)). Bring the endorsed title, the Application for Certificate of Title & Registration (SFN 2872), a motor vehicle purchaser's certificate (§ 57-40.3-05), photo ID, proof of at least $25,000/$50,000/$25,000 liability insurance, and payment. North Dakota charges no general sales tax on the sale; a 5% motor-vehicle excise tax applies to the purchase price (§ 57-40.3-02), with exemptions for a gift between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or siblings (§ 57-40.3-04(5)(c)), inheritance (§ 57-40.3-04(5)(a)), a vehicle surrendered to an insurer in a claim settlement (§ 57-40.3-04(19)), and a divorce-decree transfer within one year (§ 57-40.3-04(21)). Fees: a $5 title fee (§ 39-05-05(5)) plus weight- and age-based registration. |
North Dakota requires no periodic safety inspection and no emissions or smog test for an ordinary passenger vehicle; titling and registration turn on the endorsed title, the purchaser's certificate, the excise tax, and insurance, not an inspection. Liability insurance is mandatory — state law requires each motor vehicle to carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (§§ 26.1-41-02, 39-08-20, 39-16.1-11; Division manual). Because the seller removes the plates, the buyer registers for plates before driving, or may operate on a temporary permit valid 75 days from acquisition while completing registration (Division manual). A VIN/vehicle inspection (SFN 2486) applies to out-of-state or no-title situations, outside this answer. |
A transferee who fails to present the endorsed title and apply for a new certificate of title within 30 days may have the vehicle's registration suspended or revoked, and a violation of the transfer section 'by an owner, lienholder, or transferee is a class B misdemeanor' (§ 39-05-17(4)-(5)); the chapter's general penalty is also a class B misdemeanor (§ 39-05-33). Failing to pay the excise tax, or submitting a false or missing motor vehicle purchaser's certificate, is a class B misdemeanor plus a penalty of 5% of the tax (minimum $5) with monthly interest (§ 57-40.3-11). The Division rejects a title with cross-outs, white-out, or alterations, or a filing missing a lien release or required disclosure; a lienholder must first release its interest (§ 39-05-16.1). Seller notice alone does not transfer ownership — only the buyer's completed application does. |
| Ohio verified 2026-07-23 | Ohio Rev. Code Ch. 4505 (Certificate of Motor Vehicle Title Law); titles are issued by county Clerk of Courts title offices (the BMV oversees), and registration and plates by a deputy registrar. Ordinary same-state private ('casual') sale of a currently Ohio-titled used passenger vehicle (§§ 4505.04, 4505.06). |
At delivery the titled owner completes the assignment-of-ownership section on the back of the certificate of title and delivers the assigned title; no ownership passes until a title is issued to the buyer (§ 4505.04). The assigned title is the buyer's application (§ 4505.06(A)(3)); all owners named must complete the assignment, and joint owners may hold with right of survivorship. If a lien is listed, the lender must first discharge it — marked on the title or released electronically — before a clean title issues (BMV). When the title is electronic, form BMV 3770 serves as the assignment. |
Ohio is a notarization state for private sales: the seller's signature on the title's assignment of ownership must be notarized (BMV). Section 4505.062 confirms the 'sworn to before a notary public' requirement applies to a transfer 'in the course of a casual sale'; dealer transfers are exempt (§ 4505.063). No separate witness is required, and the buyer's casual-sale application is also sworn (§ 4505.06(A)(1),(G)). |
No separate bill of sale is required for an ordinary in-state casual sale — the notarized title assignment carries the transfer, and the purchase price stated on the assigned title is prima-facie evidence of the amount taxed (§ 4505.06(B)(3)). DMV lists a bill of sale for new or out-of-state dealer purchases, not for the ordinary Ohio used private sale. Any bill of sale used is supporting evidence and does not replace the assigned, notarized title or the buyer's title filing. |
The seller certifies the odometer reading in the title's assignment; Ohio incorporates the federal odometer-disclosure rule (§ 4505.06(C)), and the clerk brands the title 'exceeds mechanical limits' or 'nonactual: warning - odometer discrepancy' if the seller so indicates. Both buyer and seller are responsible for verifying the odometer and all other title information at transfer (BMV). Ohio has no separate ordinary damage-disclosure form; salvage, rebuilt, and other brands ride on the certificate itself, and salvage titling is out of scope. |
Ohio has no separate seller report-of-sale; the buyer's duty to title within 30 days is what changes the record (§ 4505.06(A)(5)(b)). Registration and license plates are owner-based and separate from the title — plates stay with the seller, who may cancel the registration and plates (form BMV 4311 or online), and only the named owner may do so. Ownership does not pass, and no court will recognize the buyer's interest, until a title issues in the buyer's name (§ 4505.04); the seller should keep a copy of the assigned title. |
The buyer must file for a new title within 30 days of the assignment or delivery (§ 4505.06(A)(5)(b)). At a county Clerk of Courts title office the buyer presents the assigned, notarized title and acceptable ID, and pays Ohio sales/use tax on the purchase price — the clerk must collect it before issuing title (§ 4505.06(B)) — plus an $18 title fee (or $23 where the county adopts the higher fee) and any lien-notation fee (§ 4505.09(A)(1)(b)). An online person-to-person transfer is available through the Ohio Title Portal. Registration and plates are obtained separately from a deputy registrar. |
Ohio has no statewide periodic safety inspection; a physical VIN inspection is required only for a vehicle last titled out of state (§ 4505.061; BMV). E-Check emissions testing is required for registration only in seven northeast Ohio counties (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Summit) for gasoline/diesel vehicles 6-25 model years old (Ohio EPA). Liability insurance is mandatory to operate or register — minimum 25/50/25 — and the registrant signs a financial-responsibility statement (BMV; § 4509.101). The buyer needs a title, registration, and insurance before driving; a temporary tag is available to drive before the title issues. |
If the buyer does not apply for title within 30 days, the clerk collects an added $5 late fee (§ 4505.06(A)(6); § 4505.09(A)(1)(a)). The clerk must refuse the application and withhold the title until the sales/use tax is paid (§ 4505.06(B)). Ohio makes the title the sole proof of ownership: no court will recognize the buyer's right or interest without a title issued in the buyer's name (§ 4505.04). Falsely stating the selling price on the casual-sale application is falsification under § 2921.13, punishable by up to six months' imprisonment or a $1,000 fine (§ 4505.06(G)). |
| Oklahoma verified 2026-07-23 | 47 O.S. §§ 1105, 1107, and 1112.2; Service Oklahoma (formerly the Oklahoma Tax Commission) and its licensed operators (tag agents). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Oklahoma-titled passenger vehicle; dealer, salvage, out-of-state, and off-road-vehicle rules differ. |
Seller (the certificate holder) completes the assignment on the back of the title with warranty of title and a statement of all liens, and delivers it to the buyer at delivery of the vehicle (§ 1107(A)). Co-owners joined by 'and' all sign; owners joined by 'or'/'and/or' need only one signature (Service Oklahoma; OAC 260:135-7-204). An active lien blocks transfer except in narrow cases, so any lien must be released first (OAC 260:135-7-204(c)). Oklahoma issues most titles electronically since July 1, 2025; where the title is electronic, Form 718 (Bill of Sale of an Electronic Title) is the evidence of ownership. |
The seller's title assignment must be 'sworn to before a notary public or some other person authorized by law to take acknowledgments' (§ 1107(A)) — Oklahoma is a notarize-the-seller's-signature state. The buyer's signature is not notarized (Service Oklahoma). A transfer to an insurer on a total-loss settlement is exempt from the notarized title signature. |
A bill of sale is not the ownership-transfer instrument for a paper title — the notarized assigned title is (§ 1107(A)). A purchase document (purchase contract, bill of sale, or Form 722-1, Declaration of Vehicle Purchase Price) is required to establish the actual sales price for excise tax (OAC 260:135-7-204(d)); such a document offered only to prove price need not be notarized. Two separate points require more: for an electronic title, Form 718 (Bill of Sale of an Electronic Title) supplies the evidence of ownership, and to drive the car for five days after purchase you must carry a dated, notarized bill of sale (§ 1112.2). |
An odometer disclosure is required when transferring a motor vehicle of model year 2011 or newer; it is normally built into the title assignment, and Form 729 (Odometer Disclosure Statement) is used if it is not (Service Oklahoma; § 1107(A) lists the odometer statement among supporting documents), on top of the federal odometer rule. No separate ordinary damage-disclosure form appears in the basic used-transfer checklist; salvage and rebuilt titles (§ 1105 salvage definition) use a different process outside this scope. |
The plate stays with the seller: the plate and registration are issued to and remain in the name of the owner and are not transferable between owners (§ 1112.2(A)), so the seller removes and keeps the plate (to move to a replacement vehicle). Within two business days of the sale, either the seller or the buyer must pre-register the sale with Service Oklahoma (§ 1112.2(6)). The seller may also file an optional written notice of transfer, which marks the state's records but does not complete the buyer's transfer (§ 1107.4). If a plate is left on the car, the new owner must remove and destroy or discard it (§ 1112.2(3)). |
The buyer must present the assigned certificate of title and insurance security verification to Service Oklahoma or a licensed operator within 30 days of delivery, with the $11 title fee and any excise tax or license fee due (§ 1107(A)); Service Oklahoma frames the outer window as registration and title within two months, with a plate and temporary decal issued at the two-business-day pre-registration. Forms include Form 701-6 (title application) and Form 722-1 (purchase price). Motor-vehicle excise tax is 3.25% of value for a new vehicle and, for a used vehicle, $20 on the first $1,500 plus 3.25% of the rest (68 O.S. § 2103); it is delinquent after the 30th day. |
Oklahoma has no state safety inspection or emissions test for an ordinary in-state transfer or registration, but the buyer must show liability-insurance verification to title and register the vehicle (§ 1107(A); Service Oklahoma). A vehicle coming from out of state generally needs a VIN inspection (Service Oklahoma) — outside this same-state scope. After purchase, the buyer may operate the car for five calendar days without plates only if a dated, notarized bill of sale is carried in it; if the vehicle has a lien, a ten-day temporary plate is available (§ 1112.2(5)). |
Violating the transfer section is a misdemeanor: a first conviction is a fine up to $500 with impoundment until all taxes and fees are paid, and a second up to $1,000, with each vehicle a separate offense (§ 1107(C)). Excise tax is delinquent after the 30th day, adding a $1.00-per-day penalty up to the amount of the tax (§ 2103). A signed title can still be rejected if it is not notarized, a lien is unreleased, insurance verification is missing, or the purchase-price or odometer document is missing; the seller's optional notice limits record confusion but does not cure a buyer who never files. |
| Oregon verified 2026-07-23 | ORS Chapter 803 (Oregon Vehicle Code — vehicle title and registration), esp. §§ 803.092, 803.094, 803.105, 803.112, 803.117; administered by the Oregon DMV (Driver and Motor Vehicle Services Division of ODOT). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Oregon-titled used passenger vehicle. |
The seller releases or assigns the interest shown on the Oregon title (§ 803.094(1)) by signing and dating either the back of the title or a Bill of Sale; the buyer then submits an application for a new title (§ 803.092(1)). All owners shown on the title must sign. If there is a loan, the lienholder must have signed the front of the title or given a separate signed release, and a vehicle with an unpaid loan cannot be sold until the lien is cleared (Oregon DMV). |
No notarization, witness, oath, or agent verification. Oregon requires only that the seller sign and date the title release or a Bill of Sale and that the buyer sign the title application; nothing in the ordinary transfer must be sworn before a notary or verified by an agent. |
A Bill of Sale is an accepted alternative to signing the back of the title as the seller's release, not merely supplemental (Oregon DMV; Form 735-501). The DMV Vehicle Bill of Sale identifies the vehicle (VIN, plate, year, make, title number), the buyer's name and address, the date of purchase, and the seller's name, address, signature, and date of release. It records the sale but does not by itself complete the buyer's title application. |
For a vehicle model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old, the seller writes the odometer reading on the back of the title and both parties sign, or uses a separate secure odometer disclosure; the disclosure is not required for a vehicle 20 years old or older (Oregon DMV; § 803.102, tracking the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay). No separate ordinary damage-disclosure form applies; salvage, totaled, and rebuilt or otherwise branded-title procedures are outside this ordinary answer. |
The seller must notify DMV of the sale within 10 days (§ 803.112(1)) — online through DMV2U or by mail — giving the buyer's name and address. After delivering possession, the transferor is not subject to civil or criminal liability for the vehicle's later parking, abandoning, or operation (§ 803.117). The seller may remove the license plates before selling; DMV notes the sale on the record but keeps the seller listed as owner until the buyer transfers the title (Oregon DMV). |
The buyer submits the title application within 30 days of the transfer (§ 803.092(1)) and presents the certificate of title within 30 days (§ 803.105(1)); presenting it later triggers a late-presentation fee of $25 from the 31st through the 60th day and $50 thereafter (§ 803.090(3)). Oregon charges no general sales tax on a private used-vehicle sale. Title and registration fees apply, and the title fee is set by the vehicle's rated miles per gallon (§§ 803.090, 803.091). |
Oregon has no statewide safety inspection, but a vehicle whose registration address is in the Portland-metro or Medford/Ashland DEQ boundary must pass a DEQ emissions test to register. Oregon requires insurance to register and operate — the DMV registration form's insurance section must be completed. A VIN inspection applies to out-of-state or specialty vehicles; a signed title does not by itself make the car legal to drive. |
Failing to deliver the required documents on a transfer is an offense (§ 803.105), and a buyer who presents the title after 30 days owes the late-presentation fee — $25 through the 60th day, then $50 (§ 803.090(3)). A missing lien release, unsigned title, missing odometer disclosure, or missing DEQ certificate in a testing area can stop the buyer's title or registration. The seller's 10-day notice (§ 803.112) and delivery of possession limit later seller liability (§ 803.117) but do not complete the buyer's title transfer. |
| Pennsylvania verified 2026-07-23 | 75 Pa.C.S. ch. 11; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) through an authorized agent, tag service, or motor-vehicle dealer. Ordinary private sale of a currently Pennsylvania-titled used passenger vehicle (§ 1111). |
Seller enters buyer name/address and mileage, signs and prints the seller's name, and delivers the title; buyer completes Section D and signs/prints (§ 1111). Every titled owner signs. If an electronic title is lien-held, seller obtains a paper title first. On payoff, lienholder immediately delivers title with release or processes a corrected title (§ 1135). |
Title assignment and buyer application must be sworn before a notary/other oath officer or verified by a statutorily authorized wholesale auction or issuing agent; PennDOT directs both parties to meet an authorized agent and sign there (§ 1111). No separate witness requirement. |
Not listed for the ordinary in-state transfer; the Pennsylvania title plus agent-completed MV-4ST are the transfer package. Keep a bill of sale showing seller/buyer contact information, price, date, make/model, VIN, and tax paid because Revenue may demand it to verify a below-market price. It does not replace the title or MV-4ST. |
Seller records mileage on the title when applicable; model-year 2011+ vehicles remain in federal disclosure for 20 years, while 2010-and-older vehicles use the prior 10-year exemption (§§ 1105, 1111; NHTSA). No separate ordinary damage form is listed. PennDOT checks odometer and junk/salvage/flood brands through NMVTIS; branded/reconstructed procedures are outside scope. |
PennDOT's ordinary private-sale instructions list no separate report-of-sale filing. After transfer, seller removes the registration plate—never gives it to the buyer—and either transfers it to another eligible vehicle or returns it to PennDOT (§ 1314; PennDOT). Keep the completed transaction record; plate removal does not replace the buyer's title application. |
Buyer applies within 20 days through an authorized agent with completed/notarized title, MV-4ST, Pennsylvania ID, and registration insurance proof (§ 1111). Pay title/registration/agent fees and tax: 6% generally, 7% for Allegheny County residents, 8% for Philadelphia residents. Revenue may assess fair-market-value tax when the reported price is not arm's length (Tax Reform Code § 202; PennDOT/Revenue). |
Registration or a plate transfer requires acceptable insurance proof; a registered/operated vehicle must remain insured (§ 1786). Buyer needs registration/plate before highway operation. A newly purchased vehicle may be driven without a current inspection for 10 days; buyer then needs annual safety inspection, plus emissions inspection if registered in a participating area (§ 4703; PennDOT). |
Seller's violation of the assignment/delivery duty is a summary offense: $100 first offense, $300-$1,000 later (§ 1111). PennDOT issues title only when the application is genuine, regular, and the applicant entitled (§ 1105); missing title, authentication, agent filing, lien release, tax, or insurance/registration proof can stop title or registration processing. Uninsured operation is a $300 summary offense plus suspension consequences (§ 1786); inspection violation is up to $25 (§ 4703). |
| Rhode Island verified 2026-07-23 | R.I. Gen. Laws Title 31, ch. 3.1 (Certificates of Title and Security Interests), esp. §§ 31-3.1-1, 31-3.1-12, 31-3.1-15, and 31-3.1-16, with the use tax in § 44-18-20; the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) titles and registers. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Rhode Island-titled used passenger vehicle. Since January 1, 2024 Rhode Island titles all vehicles regardless of model year — before then model-year-2000-and-older vehicles were not titled and transferred on the registration and a bill of sale (RI DMV). |
At delivery the owner executes an assignment and warranty of title in the space on the certificate and mails or delivers the certificate and assignment to the buyer or the DMV (§ 31-3.1-12(a)); the buyer then executes the application for a new certificate of title in the space provided and delivers it to the DMV (§ 31-3.1-12(b)). All owners named on the title must sign (RI DMV). A lienholder in possession of the title must, on request, deliver it for the transfer (§ 31-3.1-12(c)); the lien is cleared by the lienholder signing off on the title or providing a lien-release letter (RI DMV). The DMV issues the new title on the properly assigned certificate plus the application and fee (§ 31-3.1-16(a)). Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the assigned title and the buyer's application. |
None. Section 31-3.1-12 requires only that the owner execute the assignment in the space on the certificate and the buyer execute the application; no notary or witness is required for either. The official RI DMV Bill of Sale form contains no notary block. A federal odometer power-of-attorney form is permitted for title transfers (§ 31-3.1-12(f)) but is not a notarization requirement. |
Required to register a private-party purchase. The RI DMV lists a bill of sale as required documentation for a private-party sale, filed with the Application for Registration and Title (TR-1), and it drives the sales-tax assessment by documenting the price (RI DMV). The DMV publishes an official Bill of Sale form with an integrated odometer-disclosure section recording the parties, the vehicle year/make/model and VIN, and the price. For a model-year-2000-and-older vehicle first registered to the seller before January 1, 2024, the seller supplies a bill of sale plus valid proof of ownership (RI DMV). The bill of sale supplements the assigned title; it does not by itself title the car. |
The Rhode Island title carries an odometer-disclosure section on the back: the seller records the mileage and marks whether it is actual, exceeds the mechanical limit, or is not actual, and both parties sign (RI DMV), under the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay incorporated in the § 31-3.1-12(a) assignment and warranty. The official DMV Bill of Sale form has an equivalent integrated odometer section. Federal disclosure runs for the first 20 years for 2011-or-newer vehicles; most 2010-and-older vehicles are now beyond the older 10-year window. No separate ordinary damage form applies; salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the separate salvage-title process (RI DMV) outside this ordinary answer. |
Rhode Island requires no separate seller report-of-sale filing. The seller's protection is statutory: under § 31-3.1-12(e) an owner who has delivered possession of the vehicle and completed the assignment required of him or her is not liable as owner for any subsequent damages resulting from operation of the vehicle. Rhode Island plates are issued to the registrant, not the vehicle, so the seller keeps the plates and either transfers them to another vehicle or lets the registration lapse, and the buyer must register for plates of their own (RI DMV). |
The buyer must promptly execute and deliver the assignment and title application; the transfer is not effective until §§ 31-3.1-12 and 31-3.1-15 are complied with (§ 31-3.1-12(e)). File at the RI DMV (Cranston, or by mail) with the assigned title, a completed Application for Registration and Title (TR-1) or title application (TR-2/TR-9), the bill of sale, a sales-tax form, and photo ID (RI DMV). Rhode Island charges its 7% use tax on a private (casual) sale (§ 44-18-20(b),(h)), computed on the greater of the sale price or the vehicle's retail dollar value from a nationally recognized used-vehicle guide (§ 44-18-20(e)) — so a low written price will not cut the tax — but a sale to a spouse, parent, child, or sibling is exempt (§ 44-18-20(d)(1)). The tax is due by the 20th of the month after the sale or interest and penalties accrue (RI DMV); the current title transfer fee is $53.50 (RI DMV fee table). |
Rhode Island runs a mandatory safety and emissions inspection program (ch. 31-38): § 31-38-1(a) bars driving or moving a vehicle that is not in safe condition, and § 31-38-1(b) makes a used-vehicle dealer sell with a current inspection sticker — but a private seller has no such duty, so in a private sale the buyer must have the car inspected after registering. Liability insurance is required: Rhode Island's Motor Vehicle Reparations Act (ch. 31-47) sets the required owner's policy of liability insurance at 25/50/25 minimum limits and defines proof of financial security (§ 31-47-2), and the DMV requires proof of insurance to register. The buyer must title, register, and insure the car before driving it; a transfer is not effective until the filing is complete (§ 31-3.1-12(e)). |
A transfer is not effective until §§ 31-3.1-12 and 31-3.1-15 are met, and the seller's liability release applies only once the owner has complied (§ 31-3.1-12(e)). Use tax not paid by the 20th of the month after the sale accrues interest and penalty charges (RI DMV). The DMV rejects a title bearing white-out, erasures, or errors — a duplicate title is then required before transfer (RI DMV). Where a lienholder holds the title, the buyer's assignment, application, registration card, plates, and the required $50 fee are routed through the lienholder to the DMV (§ 31-3.1-12(c)). The DMV will not register a vehicle unless a title has been issued or a title application has been delivered by the owner (§ 31-3.1-1(b)). |
| South Carolina verified 2026-07-23 | S.C. Code §§ 56-19-210, -240, and -360; §§ 56-3-210, -212, -627, and -1260; SCDMV. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently titled passenger vehicle. |
At delivery, seller assigns and warrants title and delivers/mails the certificate; buyer signs the first assignment and promptly sends the title/application to SCDMV (§ 56-19-360). 'And' owners both sign; either 'or' owner may act. A recorded lien must be satisfied/released before an ownership change (Form 400 instructions; § 56-19-680). |
No notary, witness, or licensing-agent verification appears on the ordinary current-title assignment or Form 400; buyer and seller signatures are required. Separate POA, replacement-title, or lien documents may differ. |
Bring a signed bill of sale. SCDMV's current Titles page says it is required for all title transactions, showing total sale price less trade-in and the buyer's signature; the private-sale page specifically requires it when the title assignment lacks a sales-price field. It supplements, not replaces, the assigned title and Form 400. |
Title/Form 400 records mileage and actual/excess/not-actual status; 2010-and-earlier vehicles retain the 10-year exemption, while 2011-and-newer vehicles report for 20 years (§ 56-19-240(A)(5),(7); Form 400 instructions). No separate ordinary damage form is listed; existing salvage/flood/fire/rebuilt brands remain in title history. |
Seller immediately gives SCDMV written notice on Form 416 with vehicle, buyer/address, sale date, plate, and signature (§ 56-3-1260). Notice protects the last registered owner but does not transfer ownership. Plate stays with seller, who has 30 days to transfer it to another eligible vehicle or return it with the registration card. |
Title application is due 'promptly'; SCDMV requires registration within 45 days, and § 56-3-212(D) states that clock for a transferred plate. File assigned title, Form 400, signed bill of sale, TI-006 if no SC credential, $15 title fee, 5% IMF capped at $500, registration fee, and paid county property-tax receipt for a plate. |
SCDMV's ordinary title/registration lists no safety or emissions inspection. Registration requires liability-insurance evidence (§ 56-10-10). Before highway operation, buyer must transfer an eligible own plate, buy registration/plate, or obtain a traceable temporary plate; carry the title/bill of sale. Temporary maximum is 45 days now, 60 days on Oct. 6, 2026 (Act 115). |
Transfer is ineffective between the parties until § 56-19-360 is followed; SCDMV may reject an irregular or untruthful application (§ 56-19-40). Late registration fees are $10/$25/$50/$75 by delay; unlawful temporary-plate operation can mean up to $100. Willful title/application nondelivery and other willful Chapter 19 violations are misdemeanors, generally up to $100 or 30 days (Title 16, ch. 21). |
| South Dakota verified 2026-07-23 | SDCL Title 32, ch. 32-3 (title, registration, liens, and transfers), esp. §§ 32-3-4, 32-3-18, 32-3-26, and 32-3-27, with the 4% motor-vehicle excise tax in ch. 32-5B (§§ 32-5B-1, 32-5B-2); the Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles titles and registers, processed through the county treasurer in the buyer's county of residence. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently South Dakota-titled used passenger vehicle. No vehicle may be licensed until a certificate of title is obtained (§ 32-3-4). |
The seller assigns the certificate of title to the buyer — filling in the buyer, the date of sale, the price, and the odometer, and signing on the back — and the buyer's title application must be 'accompanied by the certificate of title duly assigned' (§ 32-3-18). Where owners are joined by 'and,' both sign; where by 'or,' one may sign (county treasurer). The buyer files the Application for Motor Vehicle/Boat Title & Registration (MV-1001), signed by the owner(s) or an authorized agent with a power of attorney (DOR). Any lien must be released before a clear title issues (DOR). Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the assigned title and the buyer's application. |
None for an ordinary transfer. South Dakota transfers on the assigned certificate of title plus the Bill of Sale and the MV-1001 application, and neither the Department of Revenue nor the county treasurer requires the title assignment, the bill of sale, or the application to be notarized — the county treasurers' titling document lists include no notarization step. A false statement on a title document is perjury (§ 32-3-19), but that is a penalty-of-law certification, not a notary requirement. |
Required. County treasurers list an original title and a bill of sale as always required to title a purchased vehicle, and the Department of Revenue provides an official Bill of Sale; the 4% excise tax is based on the purchase price shown on the bill of sale (DOR; county). The bill of sale states the vehicle's make, model, year, and VIN, the price, the date, and both parties' signatures. It supplements, and does not replace, the assigned title and the buyer's application, and a below-market price may be booked out to NADA value for tax (county). |
An odometer disclosure signed by both seller and buyer is required for a vehicle 20 model years or newer (county treasurer; DOR odometer form), tracking the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay under which 2011-or-newer vehicles disclose for the first 20 years. No separate ordinary damage form applies; a damaged vehicle transferred to an insurance company in settlement of a claim is excise-tax exempt (§ 32-5B-2(13)), and salvage or rebuilt vehicles use the separate salvage process outside this ordinary answer. |
South Dakota plates stay with the owner, not the vehicle: the seller keeps the plates and may transfer them to another vehicle at the county treasurer (DOR; county). The seller may file a Seller's Report of Sale with the Department of Revenue — online, in person, or by mail — to report the sale and protect against later liability (DOR). There is no statutory report-of-sale deadline, but if the buyer fails to transfer the title within 45 days and the seller files a written complaint attesting to the facts, the buyer is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor (§ 32-3-27). |
The buyer must file the title application within 45 days after the date of assignment (§ 32-3-26) at the county treasurer in the buyer's county of residence. Bring the assigned title, the MV-1001 application, the Bill of Sale, an odometer disclosure (20 years or newer), any lien release, and photo ID (DOR; county). South Dakota has no general sales tax on the vehicle; a 4% motor-vehicle excise tax on the purchase price applies in lieu of sales tax (§ 32-5B-1), with exemptions for a transfer without consideration between spouses, a parent and child, or siblings (§ 32-5B-2(4)) and for a vehicle 11 or more model years old sold for $2,500 or less (§ 32-5B-2(12)). Fees: a $10 title fee (§ 32-3-18), a $10 lien notation, and registration; a title processed entirely by mail may carry a county administration fee up to $25 (§ 32-3-18.1). |
South Dakota requires no periodic safety inspection and no emissions or smog test for an ordinary passenger vehicle; titling and registration turn on the assigned title, application, tax, and fees, not an inspection, and proof of insurance is not among the required titling documents. Liability insurance is nonetheless mandatory to drive: every owner or driver must at all times maintain financial responsibility (liability insurance, bond, deposit, or self-insurance), and failure is a Class 2 misdemeanor (§ 32-35-113). Because the seller keeps the plates, the buyer registers for plates — or buys a 5-to-15-day temporary permit — before operating. |
A buyer who files late owes a late fee of one dollar per week for up to twenty-five weeks and fifty dollars at twenty-six weeks or more, and applying more than ninety days after assignment is a Class 2 misdemeanor; a buyer who misses the 45-day deadline is also guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor if the seller files a written complaint (§ 32-3-27). Failing to pay the full 4% excise tax is a Class 1 misdemeanor (§ 32-5B-1), and interest and penalty accrue on the tax after 45 days (DOR). The county treasurer rejects a title with cross-outs, white-out, or alterations — an affidavit of correction or a duplicate is then needed (county). No vehicle may be licensed until the title is obtained (§ 32-3-4). |
| Tennessee verified 2026-07-23 | Tenn. Code Ann. title 55, chapters 3 and 4 (especially §§ 55-3-105, -112, -114, -118, -119, -122, -127 and 55-4-101); administered by the Tennessee Department of Revenue (DOR) through the buyer's resident county clerk. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Tennessee-titled used passenger vehicle. |
The owner endorses an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate, states every lien or encumbrance, and delivers the certificate to the buyer when delivering the vehicle (§ 55-3-118(a)). All listed joint owners sign, except that one signature suffices where spouses are jointly titled with “or” (§ 55-3-118(c)). The seller must enter the buyer's name—delivering or possessing an executed open title is an offense (§ 55-3-127(d)-(e)). When no liens remain, the lienor must deliver the title to the owner within seven business days after discharge and send DOR notice on the discharge date; DOR must receive notice within 72 hours (2021 Pub. Ch. 240, amending § 55-3-114(c)). |
No notary, witness, or agent verification is required for the ordinary assignment on a title in the seller's possession. The narrow exception is when a lienor holds the certificate: the seller may instead execute a separate bill of sale naming the lienor, and the seller's signature on that alternative document must be acknowledged before a notary (§ 55-3-118(b)). |
No separate bill of sale is listed for an ordinary transfer where the seller has and assigns the Tennessee title; the properly assigned title is the transfer document. A separate bill of sale is a statutory substitute only when the lienor holds the certificate, and it must name and address that lienor, include any information required by DOR rules, and carry the seller's notarized signature (§§ 55-3-118(b), 55-3-122(b)). A generic bill of sale does not replace the assigned title or county-clerk filing in the ordinary case. |
DOR requires an Odometer Disclosure Statement when applicable. The current form applies to used vehicles of model year 2011 or newer, requires the seller and buyer to accurately state or acknowledge mileage and sign and date, and exempts model year 2010 or older, vehicles over 16,000 pounds GVWR, and non-self-propelled vehicles, among others; alterations or corrections may void it. DOR's ordinary used-title checklist lists no separate damage disclosure. Salvage, rebuilt, and other branded-title procedures are outside this ordinary-transfer cell. |
Tennessee's ordinary DOR titling and registration workflow does not list a separate private-seller report-of-sale or liability-release filing. The seller should retain the completed sale record and must not leave the transferee blank. Registration expires on transfer of ownership (§ 55-4-101(f)), and DOR states that license plates follow the owner, not the vehicle; the seller keeps the plate and may transfer it to another vehicle through the county clerk for a $1 fee plus the clerk's fee. |
Tennessee supplies no numbered 30- or 90-day filing grace period for this ordinary transfer. Before operating or permitting operation on a highway, the buyer must obtain registration and apply for a certificate of title (§ 55-3-119). File through the resident county clerk with proof of identity and residency, the valid properly assigned title, an Odometer Disclosure Statement if applicable, and current registration if transferring the buyer's existing plate. The clerk cannot accept the title application without evidence that applicable sales/use tax was paid or exemption authority (§ 55-3-105); the buyer also pays the current title, registration, county-clerk, and any county fees. |
No safety, VIN, or emissions inspection appears in DOR's ordinary used-vehicle title and registration checklist. Registration is a condition precedent to highway operation (§ 55-4-101(a)), and § 55-3-119 requires the transferee to obtain registration and apply for title before driving. Every actively registered VIN driven on Tennessee roads must carry the required minimum liability insurance; failure can lead to fines and registration suspension. The buyer cannot lawfully drive on the seller's plate. |
Failure to endorse or deliver the title, failure to enter the buyer's name, and possession of an executed open title are Class C misdemeanors (§ 55-3-127(a), (d)-(e)); an official Fiscal Review Committee source states that a Class C misdemeanor carries up to 30 days' imprisonment or a fine up to $50. Open-title violations also trigger sales/use tax on fair market value plus a 25% penalty, and a vehicle with an improperly assigned title may be impounded until ownership is proved and deemed abandoned after 30 days if no rightful owner can be established (§ 55-3-127(f)-(g)). DOR must refuse a false, fraudulent, materially incomplete, suspicious, or unpaid-fee application (§ 55-3-112). |
| Texas verified 2026-07-23 | Tex. Transp. Code ch. 501 and Tax Code ch. 152; Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and county tax assessor-collectors. Ordinary private sale of a currently titled Texas passenger vehicle. |
Seller signs and prints the seller's name, dates the transfer, and prints buyer name/address on the title, then delivers it at vehicle delivery (§§ 501.028, 501.0721). Transfer must certify no liens or include each lien release (§ 501.071); Form 130-U has seller and applicant signature blocks. |
No notary, witness, or agent-verification block appears on the ordinary title-transfer checklist or current Form 130-U; seller and buyer use ordinary signature blocks. Separate lien-release, power-of-attorney, replacement-title, or special-transfer documents may differ. |
Separate bill of sale not listed for the ordinary transfer. TxDMV lists the signed title, signed Form 130-U with sales price, and applicable supporting documents; it recommends a written record with seller name/address, sale date, vehicle information, and VIN. |
Seller gives the transfer-time odometer disclosure; buyer records it on the application (§ 501.072). Federal overlay keeps model-year 2011+ vehicles in disclosure for 20 years. Texas title carries the last odometer brand and any ordered-repurchase notice; no separate ordinary damage form is listed, and salvage/rebuilt procedure is outside scope (§ 501.021; TxDMV Title Check). |
File Vehicle Transfer Notification online or on VTR-346 within 30 days and retain proof. Timely complete notice marks the record, supports purchaser-liability presumptions, and gives the transferor a complete vicarious-liability defense, but does not transfer title (§ 501.147). Seller may leave plates or remove them to transfer, retain, or deface (§ 501.147; TxDMV). |
Buyer files assigned title and Form 130-U with identification at a willing county tax assessor-collector within 30 days; specified active-duty buyers get 60 days (§§ 501.023, 501.145). Pay title/registration fees and 6.25% tax; private-sale tax uses price when at least 80% of SPV, otherwise 80% of SPV absent a qualifying appraisal obtained within 20 working days (Tax Code §§ 152.021, 152.0412). |
For title plus registration, provide liability-insurance proof; title-only is available without it. No ordinary noncommercial safety inspection, but emissions inspection remains required before registration in 17 listed counties, with VIR supplied if no current database record. Owner must apply for title and registration before public-highway operation (§§ 501.022, 501.0276; TxDMV). |
Chapter-violating sale is void and title does not pass until requirements are met (§ 501.073). Private applicant owes $25 after the filing period, then another $25 for each 30-day period or part after day 60, capped at $250 (§ 501.146). Missing emissions proof blocks title where applicable; accepting or submitting incomplete transfer documents is a $50-$200 misdemeanor (§§ 501.0276, 501.161). |
| Utah verified 2026-07-23 | Utah Code §§ 41-1a-701 to 41-1a-708; Utah State Tax Commission, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Utah-titled passenger vehicle. Vehicles 20 model years or older need no odometer statement, and dealer, salvage, out-of-state, operation-of-law, and off-highway transfers follow different rules. |
The seller must 'endorse the certificate of title ... in the space for assignment and warranty of title,' including a statement of all liens or encumbrances (§ 41-1a-702(1)), and deliver the endorsed title and the registration certificate to the buyer at the time of, or within 48 hours after, delivering the vehicle (§ 41-1a-702(3)). Co-owners joined by 'or'/'and/or' may each sign alone; co-owners joined by 'and' (or with no joining word) must all sign (§ 41-1a-702(2)). A recorded lien must be released before clean title passes (DMV). |
No notary, witness, or agent verification is required. Section 41-1a-702 calls only for the owner's endorsement, and the Utah DMV states plainly, 'No notary is needed to sign off on a title.' |
A bill of sale is not the ownership-transfer instrument (the endorsed title is), but Utah strongly recommends one and uses it to set the tax base. The DMV's Form TC-843 (or a legible handwritten/typed equivalent) should contain the buyer's name and address; the seller's name, address, and signature; the vehicle description and VIN; any trade-in; the purchase price; and the net purchase price. If the buyer has no qualifying bill of sale, the DMV computes tax on the vehicle's Fair Market Value instead. |
The seller delivers the title 'containing the odometer disclosure statement' (§ 41-1a-702(3)); the DMV uses Form TC-891 when the disclosure is not on the title, and no odometer statement is required for a vehicle 20 model years old or older, consistent with the federal odometer rule. No separate ordinary damage-disclosure form applies; a rebuilt, flooded, or non-restored vehicle carries a branded title (§ 41-1a-102) and is outside this scope. |
The registration expires on transfer, and 'unless an owner has included the transfer of a license plate as part of a sale ... the owner shall remove the license plate or plates from the transferred vehicle' (§ 41-1a-701(1)). Within 20 days the seller must forward removed plates to the DMV to be destroyed or have them assigned to another vehicle (§ 41-1a-701(2)). A seller who has made a bona fide sale and delivered possession, the registration, and the properly endorsed title 'is not liable for any damages thereafter resulting from negligent operation of the vehicle ... by another' (§ 41-1a-708). Utah also invites the seller to notify the DMV of the sale. |
Before operating the vehicle on a highway, the buyer must present the endorsed title and registration certificate to the DMV and 'apply for a new certificate of title and obtain a new registration' (§ 41-1a-703(1)); the DMV issues the new title on the endorsed title, the registration, a proper application, and the fee (§ 41-1a-706). Bring the Vehicle Application for Utah Title (Form TC-656), the bill of sale, and the odometer statement if applicable. The private seller does not collect sales tax; the buyer pays sales or use tax at titling based on the bill-of-sale net purchase price (or Fair Market Value if none), plus title and registration fees (DMV). |
Utah has no statewide periodic safety inspection for passenger vehicles; an emissions inspection is required before registration in certain counties, and a VIN inspection applies to out-of-state vehicles (DMV). Registration and current insurance are required to operate, and § 41-1a-703 bars operating the transferred vehicle on a highway before applying for the new title and registration; a temporary permit lets the buyer drive while gathering documents such as an emissions certificate. |
Violating the transfer-and-plate sections (§§ 41-1a-701 to 703) is an infraction. Selling a vehicle without being its owner or another authorized seller is a class B misdemeanor, and a violator 'shall pay all fees and taxes required under this chapter that resulted from the violation,' with each vehicle a separate offense (§ 41-1a-705). The DMV can reject a transfer for an unendorsed or improperly signed title, an unreleased lien, a missing odometer statement, or missing tax or fees; the seller's plate removal and liability release do not complete the buyer's titling. |
| Vermont verified 2026-07-23 | 23 V.S.A. ch. 21 (Title to Motor Vehicles), esp. §§ 2012 (exempted vehicles) and 2013 (when a certificate is required), with registration transfer under 23 V.S.A. § 321 and the 6% motor-vehicle purchase and use tax in 32 V.S.A. ch. 219 (§ 8903); the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles (Vermont DMV) titles and registers vehicles statewide — Vermont has no county layer. Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Vermont-titled used passenger vehicle. Title law changed materially under Act 165 (2024) and Act 41 (2023). |
The seller signs over the certificate of title: 'all owners listed on the title must sign as sellers in the assignment of ownership section on the back of the title,' the buyer's name goes on the 'transferred to' line, and 'any liens listed must be released' (DMV). A title must be obtained at first registration or 'when a change of registration is required ... by reason of a sale for consideration' (§ 2013(a)(1)). For a vehicle so old it carries no title (see below), the seller instead hands over the Vermont registration certificate and a signed bill of sale, and the buyer titles it on registration. Possession or a bill of sale alone does not substitute for the assigned title and the buyer's DMV application. |
None for an ordinary titled transfer. The Vermont DMV assignment on the back of the title takes only the sellers' and buyer's signatures, and the Registration, Tax, and Title Application (VD-119) is signed by the owner (or an agent holding the DMV Vehicle Power of Attorney, VN-101) — no notary. Notarization appears only in narrow off-ramps: the Affidavit of Non-Titled Vehicle (VT-025) and the affidavit route for an 'exempt vehicle title' on a 15-year-old-plus vehicle require signing before a notary (§ 2013(a)(3)) — not part of an ordinary title assignment. |
Required for a private sale. The DMV lists the 'Bill of Sale & Odometer Disclosure Statement' (Form VT-005) among the documents to submit for a private-sale registration; a bill of sale must contain enough to identify the vehicle — make, year, VIN, purchase price, mileage, seller's signature, and date of sale (DMV). The Odometer Disclosure Statement portion is required for a vehicle model year 2011 or newer. The bill of sale supplements the assigned title (and is the primary ownership record for an old, untitled vehicle); it does not by itself title the car. |
An Odometer Disclosure Statement (part of Form VT-005) is required for a vehicle model year 2011 or newer (DMV), tracking the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay under which 2011-and-newer vehicles disclose for their first 20 years. A branded title must be carried forward, and a VIN verification is required when a title is branded salvage before it can be registered (DMV). Salvage and total-loss vehicles use the separate salvage-certificate process — an owner or insurer must apply for a salvage certificate of title within 15 days (§ 2091) — outside this ordinary answer. |
Vermont has no separate report-of-sale form. Plates belong to the owner, not the car: the seller keeps the plates and may transfer the registration and plate to another vehicle, but 'a change of legal ownership of the vehicle you are transferring from must occur before a transfer of registration is allowed' (DMV). For a titled vehicle the seller's core act is signing over the title; for an old untitled vehicle the seller gives the buyer the registration certificate and a signed bill of sale. Keeping a copy of the signed title or bill of sale is the seller's practical proof of the sale. |
The buyer registers and titles at the DMV using the Registration, Tax, and Title Application (VD-119) with the assigned title (or, for an old untitled vehicle, the registration certificate and bills of sale showing the chain of ownership), a Bill of Sale & Odometer Disclosure (VT-005), and the fees. Vermont has no general sales tax on the sale; instead 32 V.S.A. § 8903 imposes a 6% purchase and use tax on the 'taxable cost' of a pleasure car, and the DMV bases that on the purchase price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater. A gift, or a vehicle on which tax was already paid to another state, can qualify for exemption on the Certification of Tax Exemption (VT-014). A title is required at first registration or on a sale-for-consideration registration change (§ 2013(a)(1)); registering makes the purchase-and-use tax 'conclusive' (§ 8903(c)). |
Vermont requires a periodic safety inspection: a vehicle without a valid Vermont inspection sticker 'must be inspected within 15 days of registration,' and the owner must present an insurance identification card at the inspection station as proof of insurance (DMV). Liability insurance is therefore required to operate and to complete inspection. Because Vermont plates stay with the seller, the buyer must register (and can transfer in existing plates only after taking ownership) before driving; a vehicle driven in the 15-day window must still meet Vermont Safety Inspection Standards. Vermont has no separate statewide emissions-only test for ordinary passenger cars — emissions checks are folded into the safety inspection. |
A title must be obtained on a qualifying sale (§ 2013(a)(1)); a vehicle cannot be lawfully operated without registration and, within 15 days, a passing inspection (DMV). The DMV rejects a title with errors or alterations made during the sign-over — an Alteration Statement (VN-020) is required to record and correct such an error — and a branded or NMVTIS-flagged title may require a VIN verification or the Title Bond process before it can be titled. If the seller never signs the title over, or a lien is left unreleased, the buyer cannot complete the transfer; the seller's retention of the plates and a copy of the signed title or bill of sale is the practical protection, since Vermont provides no separate seller release-of-liability filing. |
| Virginia verified 2026-07-23 | Va. Code §§ 46.2-600, 46.2-604, 46.2-628 to 46.2-630; administered by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Virginia-titled used passenger vehicle. |
All owners listed on the title sign Section A; seller enters buyer name/address, exact odometer, sale date, and price, fully endorses the assignment and warranty of title, lists security interests, and delivers the title with the vehicle (§ 46.2-628; DMV). A paid lien is released electronically or by the lender signing and dating the title's lien-release section; obtain a clean/substitute title before an ordinary no-lien electronic transfer. |
No notary, witness, or DMV-agent verification is required for the ordinary buyer and seller title signatures; the statute and DMV checklist call for endorsement/signatures, not acknowledgment. A notarized lien-satisfaction statement is a special fallback when the lienholder is unavailable, outside the ordinary released-lien sale. |
Usually no separate bill of sale: DMV treats the sales price entered by the seller on the title as a bill of sale. For a vehicle more than five years old with a missing/incorrect title price, use SUT 1 or a handwritten bill of sale signed by buyer and seller with price, year, make, model, VIN, and date. For a vehicle less than five years old, SUT-1A is required when price is outside a $1,500 variance from current trade-in value. |
Seller records the actual odometer reading on the title and buyer repeats it on the title/application as DMV directs (§ 46.2-629). Exemptions: over 16,000 pounds; model year 2010 or earlier transferred 10+ years later and previously exempt; or model year 2011+ transferred 20+ years later and previously exempt. DMV cannot issue title without compliance; knowing false mileage is a Class 1 misdemeanor. No separate damage form appears in DMV's ordinary-transfer checklist; salvage/rebuilt brands and disclosures are separate. |
Seller must notify DMV of the sale or transfer (§ 46.2-604), online, at a customer service center, or by phone; the statute states no 30-day seller-notice deadline and expressly excludes the general § 46.2-113 penalty. Seller removes plates before delivery, then transfers them to a replacement vehicle or turns them in/inactivates them before canceling insurance. |
Buyer writes name/address on the title and applies to DMV within 30 days with the completed assigned title; its buyer-certification and, if registering, registration sections serve the ordinary in-state workflow (§§ 46.2-600, 46.2-630; DMV). Pay $15 title fee, registration/plate fees, and 4.15% Sales and Use Tax on gross sales price or $75 minimum (§ 58.1-2402). Eligible resident individuals may transfer a lien-free Virginia title online; reported sales older than 15 days are ineligible for e-titling. |
Before highway operation the buyer must title, register, and display assigned plates/decals (§§ 46.2-600, 46.2-613). Virginia safety inspection is statewide every 12 months (§§ 46.2-1157, 46.2-1158). Biennial emissions inspection applies in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford counties and Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, subject to statutory exemptions (§§ 46.2-1177, 46.2-1178). Registration requires insurance certification (§ 46.2-706); policies effective in 2025+ use 50/100/25 minimum liability limits (§ 46.2-472). |
Willfully failing fully and correctly to endorse the assignment and warranty of title is a Class 3 misdemeanor (up to $500) (§ 46.2-628; § 18.2-11). Missing the buyer's 30-day application duty is subject to the general Title 46.2 traffic-infraction rule, up to the Class 4 misdemeanor fine of $250 (§ 46.2-113). Knowing false odometer reporting is a Class 1 misdemeanor (§ 46.2-629). DMV will not issue title without required odometer disclosure, and registration can be withheld for missing emissions or insurance compliance. |
| Washington verified 2026-07-23 | Wash. Rev. Code 46.12.650 (transfers of ownership — release of interest, report of sale, and new-title application); Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) and its vehicle licensing offices and agents. Ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Washington-titled used passenger vehicle. |
The owner signs the release-of-interest section on the certificate of title (or a DOL release-of-interest form) and delivers the title to the buyer (RCW 46.12.650(1)); all legal and registered owners shown on the title must sign the release (DOL). The buyer then applies for a new title (RCW 46.12.650(6)). If a lienholder holds the title, the secured party either applies for the new title for the owner or provides the documents so the owner can (RCW 46.12.650(7)); the buyer should call DOL to confirm the title is clear of liens (DOL). |
The title release itself is not notarized, but the buyer's Vehicle Title Application must be authenticated: sign it in front of a licensing agent at a vehicle licensing office, who certifies the signature, or else sign it before a notary (DOL). When a seller releases interest on a DOL form in front of a licensing agent, the agent certifies the signatures and no notary is required (DOL). |
A Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale signed by buyer and seller is required unless the sale price and date are entered on the title (DOL). It records the vehicle (year/make/model, VIN, plate), sale date, sale price (used to calculate use tax), and both parties' names, addresses, and signatures. By its own terms the bill of sale 'does not transfer the title or act as a Report of Sale' — the buyer still applies for the title (DOL form). |
An Odometer Disclosure Statement is required when transferring a vehicle 20 model years old or newer, unless exempt; complete it on the title's odometer section or on a tamper-proof DOL form provided at a licensing office (RCW 46.12.650(1); DOL). Washington title brands (for example 'WA Rebuilt') ride on the certificate itself; there is no separate ordinary damage-disclosure form, and salvage or rebuilt titling is out of scope. |
Washington is a report-of-sale state: the seller must notify DOL in writing within five business days of the sale (RCW 46.12.650(2)), which releases the seller from liability for the buyer's later towing, tickets, tolls, and civil or criminal exposure (DOL). The seller is also legally obligated to remove the license plates — plates stay with the seller, who may move them to another vehicle of the same type or surrender them; the buyer cannot use them (DOL). |
The buyer must apply for a new certificate of title within 15 days of delivery (RCW 46.12.650(6)). At a vehicle licensing office the buyer brings the signed title, the Vehicle Title Application (signed before the agent or a notary), the bill of sale, and any odometer disclosure, and pays use tax on the sale price plus title and license fees; a Quick Title is available for an added $50 (DOL). Registration and new plates are issued at the same visit. |
Washington does not require a safety inspection or emissions test to transfer title or register an ordinary passenger vehicle — the DOL registration checklist has no inspection step. Liability insurance is required to drive (minimum $25,000 for bodily injury of one person) and must be carried, though it is not a title-transfer document (DOL Driver Guide). A buyer who must drive an unplated vehicle before registering needs a $36 three-day trip permit (DOL). |
A buyer who does not apply within 15 days pays a late penalty — $50 on the 16th day plus $2 per day, up to $125 (RCW 46.12.650(8); DOL) — and failing to apply within 45 days is a misdemeanor that recurs each day (RCW 46.12.650(8)). A report of sale is not itself proof of a completed transfer for abandoned-vehicle costs (RCW 46.12.650(4)). The penalty is excused only in limited cases, such as the department's own delay or a legal owner who fails to release interest (RCW 46.12.650(9)). |
| West Virginia verified 2026-07-23 | W. Va. Code ch. 17A, arts. 3-4 (§§ 17A-4-1 to -9; 17A-3-4) and the motor-vehicle sales tax at § 11-15-3c; administered by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently WV-titled used passenger vehicle. |
Seller endorses an assignment and warranty of title on the certificate with a sworn statement of all liens (§ 17A-4-2) and, with the buyer, signs the back of the WV title; co-owners joined by 'and' both sign, 'or'/'and/or' just one (DMV). Seller must deliver the title within 60 days of sale (§ 17A-4-2). A lienholder releases on the title or by legal release or electronic acknowledgment (§ 17A-4-7). |
No notary on the ordinary title assignment; the buyer's title application (DMV-1-TR) is signed under penalty of false swearing, not notarized (§ 17A-3-4(a)). A bill of sale must be notarized only when required — when the price is below 50% of NADA Clean Loan Book value — on Form DMV-7-TR with copies of both driver's licenses (DMV). |
Not required for an ordinary transfer. A notarized DMV-7-TR bill of sale (with both parties' license copies) is required only if the purchase price is below 50% of NADA Clean Loan Book value; otherwise it is optional evidence. It supplements — never replaces — the reassigned title and the DMV-1-TR filing (DMV; DMV-7-TR). |
Federal odometer disclosure is made on the title's odometer certification and the DMV-1-TR for most passenger vehicles, trucks under 16,000 lbs GVWR, and motorcycles (DMV; DMV-1-TR). No separate ordinary damage form; salvage, reconstructed, flood/fire, and cosmetic-total-loss brands follow § 17A-4-10 and are outside the ordinary transfer. |
Registration expires on transfer; the seller keeps the plates, must notify the commissioner and surrender the registration card, and may move the plates to another owned vehicle within 60 days for $10 (§ 17A-4-1). No separate report-of-sale form; the seller avoids liability for later negligent operation once there is a bona fide sale, delivery of possession, and delivery of the properly endorsed title (§ 17A-4-9). |
No fixed statutory day-count for a resident buyer, but the buyer must obtain title and registration before operating; a private buyer may drive up to 10 days on the seller's registration only while carrying the seller's written consent (§§ 17A-4-3, 17A-3-1). File the reassigned title and DMV-1-TR with proof of WV liability insurance; fees are a $15 title fee, 6% titling sales tax on net price over $500 (or $30 flat if $500 or under), and $10 per lien (§ 11-15-3c(b); DMV). |
West Virginia has no vehicle emissions/smog program, and no emissions certificate is among the title or registration documents (DMV). Proof of West Virginia liability insurance is certified on the DMV-1-TR (§ 17A-3-4). A current safety-inspection certificate is required to operate — a misdemeanor to drive without one — but it is an operating rule, not a title-transfer step (§ 17C-16-9). |
Failing to properly endorse and deliver the title is a misdemeanor (§ 17A-4-8); false swearing on the application is a misdemeanor, then a felony on repeat (§ 17A-3-4(e); see § 17A-9-1). Ownership does not change until the buyer applies for and is issued a new title (DMV-7-TR; § 17A-4-6). The DMV can reject the application for a missing reassignment, insurance statement, lien release, required notarized bill of sale, tax, or fee. |
| Wisconsin verified 2026-07-23 | Wis. Stat. chs. 341-342; Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (WisDOT DMV). Ordinary same-state individual-to-individual sale of a currently titled used passenger vehicle. |
At delivery the titled seller executes the assignment and warranty, dates it, enters buyer name/address and price, and gives the original title to the buyer (§ 342.15(1)(a)). Every seller signs when owners are joined by 'AND'; either may sign when joined by 'OR.' A paid lien must be electronically released or supported by the original lien release (§ 342.22). |
No notary, witness, or licensing-agent verification is listed for the ordinary title assignment or MV1 application. The seller and buyer use the required signature blocks; special documents such as a power of attorney are separate. |
Optional, not required. WisDOT's MV2928 includes a convenience bill of sale, or the parties may record year/make/model, VIN, mileage, names and contact information, signatures, price, and sale date. It does not replace the assigned original title or buyer application. |
Seller records mileage and actual/not-actual/exceeds-limits status; model-year 2011 and newer vehicles require disclosure, while model-year 2010 and older are age-exempt (§ 342.155). Seller must also disclose applicable permanent title information in writing, including prior taxi/police use, flood damage, salvage, buyback, hail damage, or insurer transfer (§§ 342.10(3), 342.15(1)(bm)). |
Within 30 days the individual seller reports the VIN, buyer identity, price, and sale date electronically to WisDOT (§ 342.41); the confirmation is not placed on the vehicle record and does not replace the title transfer. Remove ordinary automobile plates and retain them for an eligible transfer; do not return them. A seller who delivers possession and complies with § 342.15 is not liable as owner for later operating damages. |
Apply immediately online, by mail, at DMV, or through an authorized agent; Wisconsin has no general 30-day buyer grace period (§ 342.15(2), (6)). Submit the original assigned title, eApplication receipt or signed MV1, identity information, lien release if needed, and payment. State tax is 5% of purchase price plus applicable county/local tax. Current ordinary charges include a $214.50 title transfer fee and $85 annual auto registration, with possible wheel tax or vehicle surcharges. |
No ordinary sale-time safety inspection appears in WisDOT's title checklist; salvage inspection is separate. Qualifying auto/light trucks kept in Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington, or Waukesha County need emissions testing within 45 days when purchased and registered. Liability insurance is required to operate, though proof ordinarily is not filed merely to register. A complete registration application and fee are required for highway operation; after two business days the vehicle generally must display a temporary plate (§ 341.04). |
Seller failure to assign/deliver title: forfeiture up to $500; failure to remove ordinary plates: up to $200 (§ 342.15). Buyer failure to apply immediately: up to $200, or with intent to defraud up to $1,000 and/or 30 days' jail. Brand-disclosure violations reach $1,000 or $5,000 for fraud; odometer violations reach $1,000 or a Class H felony. Unregistered operation may cost up to $200 (§ 341.04). DMV refuses or withholds title for unpaid fees, false/fraudulent statements, missing mileage/documents, uncertain ownership, or unresolved security interests (§§ 342.11-342.12). |
| Wyoming verified 2026-07-23 | Wyo. Stat. Title 31, ch. 2 (Title and Registration), esp. §§ 31-2-103 (title contents and issuance), 31-2-104 (transfer of ownership), and 31-2-201 (registration timelines), with the sales or use tax under W.S. 39-15-107(b) / 39-16-107(b); Wyoming titles through the county clerk and registers vehicles and collects the vehicle sales/use tax through the county treasurer, in the county seat of the owner's county of residence (WYDOT). Covers an ordinary same-state private sale of a currently Wyoming-titled used passenger vehicle. |
The owner 'shall endorse an assignment and warranty of title upon the certificate for the vehicle with a statement of all liens and encumbrances thereon, which assignment, warranty and statement shall be signed and dated by the owner before a notarial officer and acknowledged,' dated and delivered to the buyer at delivery of the vehicle (§ 31-2-104(a)). Where the title lists co-owners, any one owner may transfer without the others' signatures unless the title states joint tenancy or tenancy by the entirety, or joins the owners with 'and,' in which case every co-owner must sign (§ 31-2-104(m)). Liens must be released before transfer. The buyer then presents the certificate to the county clerk and applies for a new title. Possession or a bill of sale does not substitute for the notarized, assigned title and the county-clerk application. |
Required — Wyoming is a notarized-title state. Section 31-2-104(a) requires the seller's assignment and warranty of title to be 'signed and dated by the owner before a notarial officer and acknowledged,' and the certificate itself contains 'space for the notarization of the seller's signature' (§ 31-2-103(d)). The buyer's application to the county clerk is not itself notarized. (Effective July 1, 2027, an electronic signature through the state electronic lien and title system becomes an alternative to notarization under §§ 31-2-104, 31-2-103, and 31-2-113.) |
Not required for an ordinary private sale accompanied by a clear, notarized title — the endorsed title is the instrument. A bill of sale is required for a purchase from a dealer or auction or a lease buyout, and a bill of sale stating the year, make, VIN, and date of purchase lets the buyer pay the sales or use tax to the county treasurer before a title is processed (county). A statutory bill-of-sale form applies when the certificate is held by a bank or an auctioneer, with the title to follow within 30 days (§ 31-2-104(h)); the county clerk may also require a bill of sale as proof of ownership (§ 31-2-103(a)(ix)). |
The current title carries the odometer affidavit: the seller certifies the reading with the federal odometer-fraud warning language (§ 31-2-103(a)(v)), or a separate Odometer Disclosure Statement accompanies the title. The disclosure is not required for a model year 2010 or older vehicle (county), tracking the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay. Wyoming will brand a title from National Motor Vehicle Title Information System data 'even if the current title appears to have no brands' (WYDOT), and a VIN inspection is required for an out-of-state, homemade, rebuilt, or reconstructed vehicle before titling (§ 31-2-103(a)(vi)). |
Wyoming has no separate report-of-sale form; the seller's core act is endorsing and notarizing the title and delivering it. Plates and registration come from the county treasurer, not with the car — the buyer registers in the buyer's own name, and the seller may apply any unused registration credit only to the seller's own next Wyoming vehicle (county). Keeping a copy of the notarized title (or a bill of sale) is the seller's practical proof of the sale, since there is no statutory release-of-liability filing. |
The buyer must register within 45 days of an ordinary transfer, and 'vehicles may be operated by the transferee during this forty-five (45) day period when accompanied by a properly executed title' (§ 31-2-201(a)(ii)(D)). Registration and plates are obtained from the county treasurer (the county clerk issues the new title), with the notarized title, proof of insurance, and the fees — the title fee is about $15 (county). Wyoming charges a state and county sales or use tax on the vehicle's purchase price — commonly 5% to 6% depending on the county (for example, 6% in some counties) — collected by the county treasurer and due within 65 days of purchase; a gift is exempt if the giver already paid the tax. The county clerk 'shall not deliver a certificate of title ... until presentation of a receipt for payment of sales or use tax' (§ 31-2-103(d)). |
Wyoming requires no periodic safety inspection and no emissions test for an ordinary passenger vehicle; registration turns on the notarized title, the sales-tax receipt, and insurance, not an inspection. A VIN inspection is required only for an out-of-state, homemade, rebuilt, or reconstructed vehicle (§ 31-2-103(a)(vi)). Proof of current liability insurance is required to register — a county treasurer 'will not issue' a registration without proof of liability insurance, as Wyoming law requires (county). Because plates come from the county treasurer, the buyer registers before driving beyond the 45-day window, during which the buyer may operate on the properly executed title (§ 31-2-201(a)(ii)(D)). |
A person 'knowingly providing false or incomplete information on any statement required by this act is guilty of a misdemeanor' punishable by a fine of not more than $750, imprisonment of not more than six months, or both (§ 31-2-104(f)). Sales or use tax unpaid within 65 days accrues 1% monthly interest plus a civil fee of the greater of $25 or 10% of the tax (county treasurer), and the county clerk cannot deliver the title until the tax receipt is presented (§ 31-2-103(d)). The county clerk rejects a title lacking the required notarization, an unreleased lien, or a completed odometer statement. A resident found in control of a vehicle who fails to register and pay tax within 30 days of a department notice owes a penalty equal to 75% of the unpaid registration fees (§ 31-2-201(o)-(p)). |
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