Paperwork When Selling a Car in Delaware

Paperwork Required to Sell Your Car in Delaware

Hoping to sell your used vehicle in Delaware? The endeavor might seem intimidating—and potentially frustrating—but a little pre-planning goes a long way. This page outlines some of the basic information you'll need to pull off a successful title transfer with minimal headaches. Let's dive in!

Selling a Vehicle in Delaware

Before we get into the Delaware regulations concerning used-car sales, it might be a good idea to review the more universal steps to the process. If you're curious about how to price your vehicle for sale, advertise it through the best channels, and interact with potential buyers, check out the guide we've prepared on selling your used car.

If a buyer is interested in your car, you'll be able to transfer ownership by signing over the title certificate—providing the appropriate information in the process—and then reporting the sale to the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). We'll get into those procedures in a little more detail below.

Required Documents

In terms of the actual paperwork involved in the selling your car in Delaware, you'll sign the car's certificate of title over to the new owner by filling out the pertinent information on the back of the document. The relevant section is the Assignment of Certificate of Title, where you'll include such details including:

  • Your name and signature, as well as those of any other owners if your names are separated by “and." (If “and/or" separates the owner names, only one of you needs to fill out this section.)
  • The buyer's name and address.
  • The date of the car sale.
  • The purchase price you and the buyer have agreed upon.
  • The current mileage of the car. This fulfills your duties in terms of odometer disclosure, which the Delaware DMV mandates for vehicle title transfers.
    • Some vehicles are exempt from this odometer-disclosure requirement, such as those that are 10 years old or older. Learn more about odometer disclosure and exemptions at the DMV website.

You'll also notify the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles of the transaction by filling in the name and address of the new owner, the date and time of the sale, and your signature on the back of your vehicle registration card or the "Seller's Report of Sale" section of the title. Be sure to submit this to the DE DMV.

Duplicate Delaware Title

If you're selling a car in Delaware and your original car title has been stolen, misplaced, or damaged to a “mutilated" status, you'll need to request a duplicate title in order to complete the sale.

To obtain a replacement, fill out the Application for Duplicate Title (Form MV 213), and remember to include the vehicle tag number, your DE driver's license number, and your signature. (Any other owners should also sign and provide their driver's license information.)

If the vehicle has a lien attached to it, the lienholder will need to fill out the appropriate section on the form also.

Send the form, payment for the $50 duplicate registration fee, damaged title (if applicable), and a self-addressed return envelope to the mailing address on the form.

NOTE: The duplicate title fee is $55 if you have a lien on the vehicle.

For more information, visit our Replacing a Lost Title in Delaware page.

Duplicate DE Registration

What if you're missing your vehicle registration or it's been damaged? You can get a hold of a duplicate registration card ahead of your used-car sale by providing the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles with your proof of insurance and your registration plate number.

You'll also need to pay the $10 duplicate registration fee.

For more information, visit our Replacing a Lost Registration in Delaware page.

Vehicle History Reports

Whenever you're selling a car, it's important to keep in mind the strategies of prospective buyers. One resource a used-car shopper commonly seeks out is a vehicle history report, which reveals information on a particular car such as its background with accidents or odometer fraud.

If you'd like to learn a bit more about what vehicle history reports are and how someone in the market for a used car might use them, check out our Vehicle History Reports page.

You may even consider ordering a report yourself and using it as a sales tool.

Forms

MV 213
Application for Duplicate, Corrected, Weight Change Title
Request a duplicate OR corrected vehicle title from the Delaware DMV. Can be used to record a vehicle weight change on your title.
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