How To Transfer a Title When You Sell a Car

It's essential to transfer a car title correctly when you buy or sell one.

Transferring a car title is not very difficult, but you need to make sure that you do it properly. If you sell a car at a dealership this paperwork will be done for you, but if you are involved in a private sale, you should know the necessary steps involved in transferring the title at the time of sale.

Things You'll Need

• Title
• Odometer reading
• Personal identification
• Notary

Instructions

1. Before you are ready to transfer the title of your car you will need to collect a couple things. You will need the title, the current mileage reading on your car's odometer, and you will need personal identification. A current driver's license should be sufficient.

2. Next you should head to the bank to locate a notary. A notary is a public official who presides over and verifies the transferring of legal documents, and can administer and take oaths, among other duties. If you go to the bank where you hold an account, then you typically can use the notary services for free.

3. The notary will check your identification to make sure that the name of the person on the title is indeed you. Then the notary will have you print your name, the current odometer reading, and sign that you are the owner and are selling the car. The notary will then stamp the document with their official seal.

4. You are now ready to hand the title over to the buyer. The buyer does not need to sign the title in front of a notary, but it is in their best interest to print their name, as the purchaser of the vehicle, right away, so that no one else can fill in their name as the new owner.

5. The new owner of the car will then need to take the title with them then when they register the car in their name. Their registration will be processed, and the new owner will receive a new title in the mail with their name printed on it as the owner.

Tips & Warnings

• You can always call the department of motor vehicles in your state to verify the steps you need to take to transfer your title properly.

References

• National Motor Vehicle Title Information System: Information on Vehicles