Do you have to have a title to sell a car?

You must have a title to the vehicle in your name, even if you have never driven the vehicle. You can sell a vehicle that isn’t titled to you only if you are a licensed dealer. Pay what you owe before you sell the vehicle.

Where do I go to transfer the title of my car?

Click your state to find the cost to transfer titles with your Department of Motor Vehicles or vehicle licensing agency. Find out if you can complete a tag transfer or registration transfer if you’ve sold your vehicle. Whenever buying or selling a vehicle, you will need to transfer the title to its new owner.

When does a vehicle have to be titled in the buyer’s name?

Vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer’s name within 30 days from the date of sale. Failing to properly transfer a vehicle into the buyer’s name could result in the seller being held responsible for tickets, toll violations or even crimes committed with the vehicle.

How much does it cost to title and register a car?

The cost to title and register your vehicle varies depending on the vehicle. There is a $4 title fee, an $8 registration fee ($9 for motorcycles), an air-quality research fee of $1.50 and a vehicle license tax (VLT) assessed in place of a personal property tax charged by other states.

Can a title be signed when you sell a car?

When you go to sell a vehicle, you can have the title signed around by the buyer and seller, but that is not a guarantee that the buyer will then go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and get the title officially transferred and registered in their name.

Click your state to find the cost to transfer titles with your Department of Motor Vehicles or vehicle licensing agency. Find out if you can complete a tag transfer or registration transfer if you’ve sold your vehicle. Whenever buying or selling a vehicle, you will need to transfer the title to its new owner.

What to do if your car is still in your name when you sell it?

If the car is still in your name and you have no bill of sale, looks like you still own it and can go to tags and title to see if you can get a replacement.

Is it illegal to not transfer the title to a car?

At no point in the title transfer process is it acceptable not to complete all aspects of the process. If you don’t transfer the title and then try to sell the vehicle, you are committing an illegal act. You could be fined and even do jail time. Title jumping is illegal in all 50 states and is considered a felony subject to state punishment.