Paperwork When Selling a Car in Kentucky

Documents Required to Sell a Car in Kentucky

It seems pretty straightforward to sell your car in Kentucky, but it's more complex than finding a buyer and handing over your keys.

You will need certain paperwork to ensure the buyer has everything they need to complete the transfer. This page outlines the steps you need to take to successfully transfer your vehicle to a buyer.

Selling a Vehicle in Kentucky

How much is your car really worth? Where should you advertise your vehicle for sale? How much preparation do you need to do beforehand? These are all questions you'll need to ask yourself before you even think about selling a car. Since we know how tricky some of these questions can be, we created this helpful Guide to Selling Your Car.

Once you've found a buyer, sorting through the paperwork is the easy part. You'll complete the sale by undergoing a title transfer and completing an official bill of sale. See “Required Documents for KY Car Sellers" below.

Required Documents for KY Car Sellers

Both you, as the seller, and the buyer will be responsible for preparing all of the necessary documentation to complete the sale. Below are some examples of the documents you'll be working with.

Car title: The title assignment is conveniently located on the back of the vehicle title certificate. To sign over the title, you'll need to fill out the following information:

  • Buyer's full name and address.
  • Seller's full name and address.
  • Date of sale.
  • Purchase price.
  • Odometer reading.
  • Signatures of both parties.

Odometer Disclosure Statement: Federal law requires sellers to disclose the vehicle's mileage upon transfer of ownership. Under Kentucky's odometer law, you may be fined and/or imprisoned for failing to disclose or providing false information about the car's mileage. All mileage information should be recorded in an official Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form TC 96-5).

Bill of sale: When you sell your car in Kentucky, you will be responsible for giving the buyer a completed bill of sale. A Kentucky bill of sale is like a receipt, which documents the buyer's ownership when they apply for registration. The document should include the following:

  • Description of the vehicle (year, make, model, color).
  • Vehicle identification number (VIN).
  • Final sale price.
  • Names of both you and the buyer.
  • County and state where the sale took place.
  • Warranty agreement (if applicable).

For more information about transferring a vehicle title in Kentucky, see our Title Transfers in Kentucky page.

Duplicate Kentucky Title

If your car title has been lost or destroyed, you must apply for a duplicate title before you can sell your car. You will need to fill out and submit an Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration (Form TC 96-182) to your KY county clerk's office. There will be an $8 duplicate fee for the title.

Duplicate titles are often processed quickly and mailed to you the following business day.

For more information, see our Replacing a Lost Title in Kentucky page.

Vehicle History Report

Appearance can sometimes be misleading, which is why we're advised to never judge a book by its cover. When the stakes are as high as buying a car, you can't afford to let yourself get too mesmerized by a shiny paint job and a high-speed engine.

For this reason, buying a vehicle history report may be a good idea when selling your car. Buyers may be more inclined to purchase your vehicle knowing that the information you're giving them is accurate.

To order a report and to learn more about what information it will contain, see our Vehicle History Reports in Kentucky page.

Transferring License Plates after a Sale

The Kentucky Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing has developed a newer and more advanced system called KAVIS which allows the plate to stay with the seller instead.

For more information, contact the Kentucky DMV.

Forms for Easy Download

Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form TC 96-5)

Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration (Form TC 96-182)

Other Helpful Links

Vehicle History Reports
Bill of sale

Forms

TC 96-182
Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title or Registration
Application for an original, transferred, updated, OR replacement Kentucky vehicle title.
TC 96-5
Odometer Disclosure Statement
The KY Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing requires you to disclose the number of miles on a vehicle you're selling by using this form.
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