Paperwork When Selling a Car in Texas

As the vehicle seller, you don't need to do much in the way of paperwork.

Title Transfer

The title transfer is usually a very simple transaction. This transfers the ownership of the car from one person to another. Though not mandatory, you should also make out a bill of sale that includes all the pertinent information about the vehicle and its sale price.

To transfer the title to the buyer, just fill out the information requested on the certificate of title itself. This self-explanatory action signs over the vehicle's ownership to the buyer.

In addition to filling out the title, complete the gray sections of the Application for Texas Certificate of Title (Form 130-U) that the buyer will take to their local County Tax Assessor-Collectors office to transfer the title. The buyer has up to a month to do this.

Lost Titles

If you've lost the title, you'll need to complete an Application for Certified Copy of Title and submit it to the County Tax Assessor-Collectors Office to get a duplicate title before completing the sale.

Bonded Titles

If you wish to sell a vehicle for which you hold a bonded title, you should check with the County Tax Assessor-Collectors office about transferring the bonded title to another party. To sell an unregistered vehicle, you will also need to check with local authorities to find out whether you must register the vehicle before transferring ownership.

Seller Beware

If you have sold a vehicle, you might decide to fill out the Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification (Form VTR-346) and submit it to your local County Tax Assessor-Collectors office. While the buyer should apply for title immediately after purchasing your vehicle, they might not do this in a timely fashion.

If the buyer doesn't apply for title within 30 days, it can leave you open to being liable for any parking tickets or other citations they receive. Submitting a Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification might save you the hassle of proving that you weren't the vehicle's owner when it was parked in a red zone.

Notification of Sale and Release of Liability

You must notify the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) within 30 days of your vehicle being sold. You can do this online or submit, in person, a Vehicle Transfer Notification.

Bill of Sale

Though not mandatory, it's wise to keep a bill of sale on file. You can easily download a copy of this form from our Bill of Sale page.

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