Buying From a Private Party

• Complete a bill of sale if the certificate of title is either lost or all of the reassignment boxes have been filled out already. Regardless, it is good to have a bill of sale simply to note the agreed-upon price. It also allows the seller to establish the current odometer reading. Both the seller and the buyer will need to sign the form.

• Take the bill of sale and/or the certificate of title to a MVD office to complete the title transfer and registration.

• Fill out an Application for Vehicle Title and Registration.

• If the vehicle title is from out of state, you will need to have a vehicle identification number inspection.

Buying From a Dealer

When you buy a car from a dealership, the sales people will explain and process the paperwork required.

Buying Without Paperwork

It is possible to buy a vehicle without the certificate of title or registration papers, but the MVD doesn't advise it. For the buyer trying to register and title a vehicle without a previous title, the required paper trail is almost endless. Call the title information line at (888) 683-4636 for details.

A buyer should be aware of a transaction from a seller with no paperwork; this could be a red flag signaling that the seller doesn't really own the vehicle.

The seller does not need to provide the buyer with a current registration.

Bill of Sale

Though not mandatory, a bill of sale is a good document to have for your records. It's one of those papers that you'll probably never need, but if you do you'll be glad you have it on file. If needed, you can easily download a copy of one from our Bill of Sale page.

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