Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements in Rhode Island

Short answer In Rhode Island the seller signs the assignment and warranty of title in the space on the certificate — including the built-in odometer disclosure — and delivers the title to the buyer; no notary or witness is required, and the seller keeps the license plates, which are issued to the owner rather than the car. Rhode Island now titles every vehicle (since January 1, 2024, even model-year-2000-and-older cars), and the DMV requires a bill of sale to register a private purchase because it drives the tax. The buyer applies for a new title and registers at the DMV, paying the state's 7% sales/use tax — charged on the greater of the sale price or the vehicle's book value, so a low written price will not lower it — plus a $53.50 title transfer fee; the tax is due by the 20th of the month after the sale or interest and penalties accrue, and the buyer must carry liability insurance and, in a private sale, get the car inspected before it can be driven legally.

State

Rhode Island

Statute checked

July 23, 2026

Sources

10 statutes

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At a glance

Governing law, agency, and scope	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).
Title assignment, owner signatures, and lien release	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.
Notarization, witness, or agent verification	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.
Bill of sale requirement and contents	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.
Odometer, damage, and title-brand disclosures	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.
Seller notice, plate handling, and liability	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).
Buyer deadline, forms, tax, and fees	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).
Inspection, emissions, insurance, and operation	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)).
Penalties, rejection, and failed transfer	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)).

Requirements one by one

The title assignment and the DMV filing

Rhode Island moves ownership through the certificate of title. Under § 31-3.1-12(a) the seller, "at the time of the delivery of the vehicle," executes "an assignment and warranty of title to the transferee in the space provided for it on the certificate" and mails or delivers the certificate and assignment to the buyer or the DMV. The buyer then "execute[s] the application for a new certificate of title in the space provided for it on the certificate" and delivers it to the DMV (§ 31-3.1-12(b)). All owners named on the title must sign. On the properly assigned certificate, application, and fee, the DMV "shall issue a new certificate of title in the name of the transferee" (§ 31-3.1-16(a)).

If a lienholder holds the title, § 31-3.1-12(c) has the lienholder, on request, deliver the certificate for the transfer; the lien is cleared by the lienholder signing off on the title or supplying a lien-release letter.

Every vehicle is now titled

Rhode Island's title law changed on January 1, 2024. Before then the state did not title model-year-2000-and-older vehicles; now the DMV issues "a Rhode Island Certificate of Title upon payment of Sales Tax and/or Registration" for all vehicles regardless of model year. For an older car first registered to the seller before that date, the seller instead provides "a bill of sale and valid proof of ownership" in the seller's name; a car first registered on or after the date carries a title to assign.

No notarization

Nothing in an ordinary Rhode Island transfer is notarized. Section 31-3.1-12 asks only for the seller's assignment and the buyer's application in the spaces on the certificate, and the official RI DMV Bill of Sale form has no notary block. A federal odometer power-of-attorney form is allowed for title transfers (§ 31-3.1-12(f)), but that is a convenience, not a notarization requirement.

The bill of sale is required to register

Rhode Island treats the bill of sale as required documentation to register a private-party purchase, filed with the Application for Registration and Title (TR-1), because it documents the price that drives the sales-tax assessment. The DMV publishes an official Bill of Sale form with an integrated odometer-disclosure section capturing the parties, the vehicle and VIN, and the price. It supplements the assigned title; it does not by itself title the car.

Odometer disclosure is built into the title

The Rhode Island title has an odometer-disclosure section: the seller records the mileage and marks whether it is actual, exceeds the mechanical limit, or is not actual, and both parties sign — the federal 49 CFR 580 overlay carried in the § 31-3.1-12(a) assignment and warranty. The DMV's Bill of Sale form has the same integrated odometer section, so no separate statement is needed when it is completed. There is no separate ordinary damage form; salvage and rebuilt vehicles use the separate salvage-title process.

The seller keeps the plates and sheds liability

Rhode Island has no separate seller report-of-sale. Instead § 31-3.1-12(e) gives the seller a statutory release: an owner "who has delivered possession of the vehicle to the transferee and has complied with the provisions of this section and § 31-3.1-15 ... 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 the buyer registers for plates of their own.

The buyer's filing, 7% tax, and fees

The buyer must "promptly" file the assignment and application, and the transfer "is not effective until" §§ 31-3.1-12 and 31-3.1-15 are complied with (§ 31-3.1-12(e)). At the DMV, bring the assigned title, a TR-1 (or TR-2/TR-9), the bill of sale, a sales-tax form, and photo ID. Rhode Island's 7% use tax applies to a private (casual) sale (§ 44-18-20(b),(h)), and § 44-18-20(e) sets a floor: the tax is charged on the greater of the sale price or "the retail dollar value ... as shown in the current issue of any nationally recognized, used-vehicle guide," so writing a low price does not cut the tax. 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, and the current title transfer fee is $53.50.

Inspection and insurance

Rhode Island runs a mandatory safety and emissions inspection program (ch. 31-38). Section 31-38-1(b) puts the duty to sell with a current inspection sticker on used-vehicle dealers; a private seller has no such duty, so in a private sale the buyer takes on the inspection after registering, and § 31-38-1(a) bars driving a vehicle that is not "in such safe mechanical condition as not to endanger" others. Liability insurance is mandatory: the Motor Vehicle Reparations Act sets the required owner's policy at 25/50/25 minimum limits and defines proof of financial security (§ 31-47-2), and the DMV requires proof of insurance to register.

What trips people up

Writing a low price to save tax. It does not work here. Section 44-18-20(e) taxes the greater of the price or the vehicle's book value from a national used-car guide, so an artificially low bill-of-sale price will not reduce the 7% tax.
Missing the sales-tax deadline. The tax is due by the 20th of the month after the sale; pay late and interest and penalty charges are added.
Assuming an old car has no title. Since January 1, 2024 Rhode Island titles every vehicle. A car first registered to the seller on or after that date should now carry a title to sign over.
White-out or cross-outs on the title. The DMV rejects an altered title; a clean duplicate is then required before the sale can go through.

Common questions

Does the Rhode Island title need to be notarized? No. Section 31-3.1-12 requires only the seller's assignment and the buyer's application in the spaces on the certificate, and the DMV bill-of-sale form has no notary block.

Is a bill of sale required? Yes, to register a private-party purchase. The DMV requires it with the TR-1 application, and it documents the price used to compute the sales tax.

How is the 7% tax figured? On the greater of the sale price or the vehicle's book value from a nationally recognized used-car guide (§ 44-18-20(e)). A transfer between a spouse, parent, child, or sibling is exempt.

Can the buyer drive the car right away? Not legally until it is titled, registered, and insured, and the buyer is responsible for the safety and emissions inspection in a private sale.

Statutes and sources

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-12 — transfer: the owner's assignment and warranty, the buyer's application, the lienholder-in-possession duty, the "not effective until" rule, and the seller's liability release. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-3.1/31-3.1-12.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-1 — certificate of title required; no registration without a title or delivered application. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-3.1/31-3.1-1.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-16 — issuance of a new certificate on a properly assigned title plus application and fee. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-3.1/31-3.1-16.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-15 — the application must be accompanied by the registration card and required fee. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-3.1/31-3.1-15.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-18-20 — 7% use tax on a casual motor-vehicle sale, the book-value floor, and the family-member exemption. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE44/44-18/44-18-20.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-38-1 — safety inspection; the used-vehicle dealer sticker duty. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-38/31-38-1.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2 — the required owner's liability policy (25/50/25) and proof of financial security. https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-47/31-47-2.HTM (accessed 2026-07-23)
RI DMV — Titles — all vehicles now titled, the sales-tax-and-TR-1 filing, and the lien-release rule. https://dmv.ri.gov/registrations-plates-titles/titles (accessed 2026-07-23)
RI DMV — Registrations, Plates & Titles — sales-tax timing (due by the 20th) and the model-year-2000 bill-of-sale rule. https://dmv.ri.gov/registrations-plates-titles (accessed 2026-07-23)
RI DMV — Registration & Title Fees — the $53.50 title transfer fee. https://dmv.ri.gov/registrations-plates-titles/registration/registration-title-fees (accessed 2026-07-23)

Source links

Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-12 · accessed 2026-07-23

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-1 · accessed 2026-07-23

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-16 · accessed 2026-07-23

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.1-15 · accessed 2026-07-23

R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-18-20(b),(d),(e),(h) · accessed 2026-07-23

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-38-1 · accessed 2026-07-23

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-47-2 · accessed 2026-07-23

RI DMV — Titles · accessed 2026-07-23

RI DMV — Registrations, Plates & Titles (sales tax timing) · accessed 2026-07-23

RI DMV — Registration & Title Fees · accessed 2026-07-23

This page is general legal information about an ordinary private-party transfer of a currently titled used passenger vehicle, not legal advice about a sale, title defect, lien, tax, registration, or right to operate the vehicle. Dealer, salvage, rebuilt, bonded, lost-title, gift, inheritance, court-order, out-of-state, commercial-vehicle, vessel, trailer, and temporary-permit rules may differ. A bill of sale ordinarily does not replace the endorsed title, required disclosures, seller notice, buyer application, tax, fees, insurance, inspection, or registration. Agency forms and procedures can change without a statutory amendment; use the current official forms and ask the motor-vehicle agency or a qualified attorney about a disputed or high-value transfer.

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