Vermont: Private-Party Vehicle Title Transfer Requirements
The short answer
In Vermont the seller signs the assignment-of-ownership section on the back of the certificate of title — all owners listed must sign as sellers, the buyer goes on the 'transferred to' line, and any lien is released — and delivers the title; no notary is required for an ordinary assignment, and Vermont plates belong to the owner, so the seller keeps them to move to another vehicle. The buyer registers and titles at the Department of Motor Vehicles using the Registration, Tax, and Title Application (VD-119) with the assigned title and a Bill of Sale & Odometer Disclosure (VT-005), and pays a 6% purchase and use tax on the greater of the purchase price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value. A title is required at first registration or when a sale changes the registration for consideration; a very old vehicle (more than 15 years old on January 1, 2024) that has not changed hands since then needs no title, but once it is sold the buyer must title it. Vermont requires a safety inspection within 15 days of registration and proof of insurance, and the seller keeps the plates.
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This is the general rule in Vermont. Ezel applies current Vermont law to your specific facts and answers with citations to the statutes.
| Governing law, agency, and scope | 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). |
|---|---|
| Title assignment, owner signatures, and lien release | 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. |
| Notarization, witness, or agent verification | 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. |
| Bill of sale requirement and contents | 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. |
| Odometer, damage, and title-brand disclosures | 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. |
| Seller notice, plate handling, and liability | 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. |
| Buyer deadline, forms, tax, and fees | 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)). |
| Inspection, emissions, insurance, and operation | 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. |
| Penalties, rejection, and failed transfer | 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. |
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Requirements one by one
The title assignment and DMV titling
Vermont moves ownership by the seller's assignment on the back of the certificate of
title. On a private sale, "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 the time of first registration or when a change of registration is required
... by reason of a sale for consideration" (§ 2013(a)(1)).
There is no county office — the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles (Vermont DMV) titles and
registers directly. For a vehicle so old that it carries no title (below), the seller
instead hands the buyer the Vermont registration certificate and a signed bill of sale,
and the buyer obtains a title when registering.
The 15-year rule changed in 2024
Vermont's title law changed on July 1, 2024 (Act 165). A vehicle "more than 15 years old
on January 1, 2024 that has been registered in Vermont and has not had a change in
ownership since January 1, 2024" needs no title (§ 2012(10)) — its registration is the
ownership document. But that exemption is frozen to January 1, 2024 and drops away once
the old vehicle is sold: the DMV confirms that when you sell such a vehicle, "the new
owner will obtain a title when they complete their registration." A separate, not-yet-
effective version of the statute would keep the exemption regardless of a later sale.
No notarization
Nothing in an ordinary titled Vermont transfer is notarized. The assignment on the back
of the title and the Registration, Tax, and Title Application (VD-119) take only
signatures. A notary 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 (§ 2013(a)(3)).
The bill of sale is required
A private sale requires the Bill of Sale & Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form VT-005). A
Vermont bill of sale must identify the vehicle — make, year, VIN, purchase price, mileage,
seller's signature, and date of sale (DMV). The Odometer Disclosure portion is required
for a vehicle model year 2011 or newer. For an old, untitled vehicle the bill of sale (with
the registration certificate) is the ownership record; for a titled vehicle it supplements
the assigned title.
The seller keeps the plates
Vermont plates belong to the owner. The seller keeps them and can 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). There is
no separate report-of-sale form; signing over the title (or handing over the registration
and bill of sale for an old vehicle) is the seller's core act.
The buyer's registration, 6% tax, and fees
The buyer registers and titles on the Registration, Tax, and Title Application (VD-119) with
the assigned title and the VT-005 bill of sale. Vermont charges no general sales tax;
instead 32 V.S.A. § 8903 imposes a 6% purchase and use tax on a pleasure car's "taxable
cost," which the DMV computes on the purchase price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value,
whichever is greater. Registering or titling the vehicle is "conclusive evidence that the
purchase and use tax applies" (§ 8903(c)). A gift, or tax already paid to another state, can
be claimed exempt on Form VT-014.
Inspection and insurance
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 to the inspection station to show proof of insurance or the
vehicle cannot be inspected" (DMV). Because the seller keeps the plates, the buyer registers
before driving and, if driving during the 15-day window, must still meet Vermont Safety
Inspection Standards.
What trips people up
- Assuming an old car needs no paperwork. Since 2024, selling a 15-year-plus vehicle
ends its title exemption — the buyer must obtain a title on registration (§ 2012(10)). - Expecting the plates to stay with the car. Vermont plates belong to the seller, who
keeps them; the buyer registers in their own name. - Skipping the VT-005. A bill of sale is required for a private sale, and the odometer
disclosure on it is required for 2011-and-newer vehicles. - Forgetting the 15-day inspection. A newly registered vehicle must pass a Vermont
safety inspection within 15 days, with proof of insurance. - Guessing the tax off the price alone. The 6% purchase and use tax is figured on the
greater of the price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value.
Common questions
Does the Vermont title have to be notarized?
No. The assignment on the back of the title takes only the sellers' and buyer's signatures.
A notary is needed only for narrow affidavits, such as the non-titled-vehicle or exempt-
title routes.
Is there sales tax on a private car sale?
Not a general sales tax. Vermont charges a 6% purchase and use tax on the greater of the
purchase price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value (§ 8903).
My car is a 2008 with just a registration — what do I give the buyer?
Your Vermont registration certificate and a signed bill of sale (VT-005). The buyer obtains
a title when they register the vehicle.
Do I need an inspection?
Yes. A newly registered vehicle must pass a Vermont safety inspection within 15 days, and you
must show proof of insurance to be inspected.
Statutes and sources
- 23 V.S.A. § 2013 — a title must be obtained at first registration or on a
sale-for-consideration registration change, plus the exempt-vehicle-title affidavit route.
https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-23/chapter-21/section-2013/ (accessed 2026-07-23) - 23 V.S.A. § 2012 — exempted vehicles, including the frozen 15-year-old title exemption.
https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-23/chapter-21/section-2012/ (accessed 2026-07-23) - 32 V.S.A. § 8903 — the 6% motor-vehicle purchase and use tax and the conclusive-evidence
rule.
https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-32/chapter-219/section-8903/ (accessed 2026-07-23) - 23 V.S.A. § 2091 — the 15-day salvage-certificate duty (scope boundary).
https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-23/chapter-21/section-2091/ (accessed 2026-07-23) - Vermont DMV — Registration, New — the private-sale documents, the assignment mechanics,
and the purchase-and-use-tax basis.
https://dmv.vermont.gov/registrations/new (accessed 2026-07-23) - Vermont DMV — Title — the Act 165 change, the old-vehicle title rule, and the 15-day
inspection requirement.
https://dmv.vermont.gov/tax-title/vehicle-title (accessed 2026-07-23)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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