Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements in Louisiana
At a glance
| Governing law, agency, and scope | 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)). |
|---|---|
| Title assignment, owner signatures, and lien release | 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)). |
| Notarization, witness, or agent verification | 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). |
| Bill of sale requirement and contents | 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. |
| Odometer, damage, and title-brand disclosures | 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. |
| Seller notice, plate handling, and liability | 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). |
| Buyer deadline, forms, tax, and fees | 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). |
| Inspection, emissions, insurance, and operation | 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)). |
| Penalties, rejection, and failed transfer | 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)). |
Requirements one by one
The title must be signed before a notary
Louisiana treats a vehicle sale as a notarized act, not a casual signature. Section 32:705(A) forbids selling a vehicle "without delivery to the purchaser thereof ... a certificate of title ... with such signed endorsement of sale and assignment thereon as may be necessary to show title in the purchaser." Section 32:705(B) then defines the required "endorsement" as one of a short list: the seller's signature made "in the presence of a notary," or "in the presence of two witnesses" whose signatures are themselves acknowledged before a notary, or before an "authorized officer" of the buyer's federally insured lender when a loan and lien are involved. In an ordinary cash sale between two individuals, that means the seller signs the assignment in front of a notary.
The OMV states the rule plainly: the "MSO and Certificate of Title must be notarized if the vehicle sale takes place in Louisiana." The narrow exception is a dealer transfer on or after January 1, 2023 — not a private sale.
Every owner signs, and any lien must clear
The seller endorses and delivers the current title to the buyer, who applies for a new one (§§ 32:705(A), 32:707(B)). When more than one owner appears on the title, each signs; owners joined by "and" both sign in the seller space. If a lender still holds a lien, it must be released. If the lienholder will not cooperate, § 32:705(D)(3) lets the buyer send a certified-mail demand, after which OMV "is authorized to cancel the lien" 30 days later unless the lienholder objects in writing.
The bill of sale is notarized too
Louisiana does not treat the bill of sale as a throwaway receipt. The OMV requires an "original notarized bill of sale or invoice specifying the actual consideration involved and full description of vehicle," unless the selling price is already written into the title assignment. The document fixes the price for use-tax purposes; it does not replace the notarized, endorsed title.
The buyer's five-day clock
Section 32:707(A) gives the buyer a tight window: a purchaser "shall file an application for a new certificate of title within five days after the delivery of a previously issued certificate of title." Bring the endorsed, notarized title, the notarized bill of sale, the Vehicle Application (DPSMV 1799), a photo ID, and proof of liability insurance (needed for a plate) to an OMV office or a Public Tag Agent. Expect to pay parish sales/use tax on the price, a $68.50 title fee, an $8 handling fee, any $6 local fee, and lien-recordation and plate fees.
The seller's fifteen-day notice
Separately, the seller must tell the state. Under R.S. 47:510(B), "any person, upon transferring a motor vehicle ... shall give a written notice of such transfer to the commissioner within fifteen days, on a form provided by the commissioner." Use the Notice of Transfer of Vehicle (DPSMV 1697) or OMV's online tool. The notice flags the record, but it is expressly "not a transfer" — only the buyer's title application moves ownership. After filing it, the seller destroys the regular plates, which stay with the seller.
Insurance, operation, and the sixty-day cushion
Proof of Louisiana liability insurance is required to get a license plate. An emissions or safety certificate is not part of the OMV titling checklist for an ordinary private transfer — the file turns on the notarized title, tax, and application. Title and register before driving, but § 32:707(H) gives the buyer a real-world cushion: for 60 days after a private purchase, the buyer "shall be protected from citations for failure to have a current license tag during the interval between the date of purchase and the receipt of title, provided proof of application can be shown."
What trips people up
- Skipping the notary. A title the seller just signs at the kitchen table is not a valid endorsement in Louisiana. The signature must be made before a notary (or witnessed and then notarized). This is the single most common private-sale mistake here.
- Assuming the seller's notice transfers the car. Filing the 15-day Notice of Transfer protects and flags the record, but the DPSMV 1697 warns in bold that it "is not a transfer." If the buyer never applies, the sale is incomplete.
- Leaving the plates on. Plates belong to the seller and should be destroyed after the sale; the buyer gets their own plate at titling.
- Missing the five-day filing. The buyer's statutory deadline is five days after delivery. The 60-day protection covers no-tag citations, not the duty to title, and it evaporates without proof of application.
Common questions
Does a Louisiana title transfer really need a notary? Yes. Section 32:705(B) requires the seller's endorsement to be signed before a notary, or before two witnesses whose signatures are then notarized. The OMV also requires a notarized bill of sale unless the price is on the title.
How fast must the buyer act? Within five days of receiving the endorsed title (§ 32:707(A)). Apply at an OMV office or a Public Tag Agent with the notarized title and bill of sale, ID, insurance, tax, and fees.
What does the seller have to do besides sign? Notify OMV of the sale within 15 days (R.S. 47:510(B)) using the Notice of Transfer of Vehicle, and destroy the plates. That protects the seller but does not itself transfer the car.
Can the buyer drive the car home before titling? For up to 60 days the buyer is shielded from no-current-tag citations between purchase and receipt of title if they can show proof of application (§ 32:707(H)), and liability insurance is still required.
Statutes and sources
- La. R.S. 32:705 — a vehicle may not be sold without delivering a title endorsed with a signed sale and assignment; the endorsement must be made before a notary, before two witnesses (then notarized), or before an authorized lender officer; lien-release and accepted-error rules. https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88517 (accessed 2026-07-23)
- La. R.S. 32:707 — the buyer's five-day application for a new certificate of title, the application contents, and the 60-day citation protection for private-purchase buyers. https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88520 (accessed 2026-07-23)
- La. R.S. 47:510(B) — a transferor must give OMV written notice of the sale within fifteen days on the official form. https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=102308 (accessed 2026-07-23)
- Louisiana OMV — Policy 2.00 (Basic Requirements for a Certificate of Title) — the Louisiana notarization requirement and its dealer exception. https://public.powerdms.com/ladpsc/documents/368763 (accessed 2026-07-23)
- Louisiana OMV — Used Title & Registration — the DPSMV 1799 application, notarized-title and notarized-bill-of-sale requirements, insurance, and fees. https://expresslane.la.gov/omv/vehicles/title-and-registration/used-title-registration/ (accessed 2026-07-23)
- Louisiana OMV — Notice of Transfer of Vehicle (DPSMV 1697) — the 15-day seller notice, the R.S. 47:537 penalty, and the warning that the notice is not a transfer. https://public.powerdms.com/LADPSC/documents/353043 (accessed 2026-07-23)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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