How to Add Someone to a Car Title in Arizona: Form 96-0236 and Filing

To add someone to a car title in Arizona, you file a Title and Registration Application (Form 96-0236) with the Motor Vehicle Division, choose how the two names will legally sit together on the title, and pay a small set of flat fees. Both the current owner and the person being added must sign. The whole thing can be done at an MVD office, through an authorized third-party provider, or by mail, and the cost is modest. What isn’t modest is the co-ownership choice you make on the form: it controls who can sell the car later, whose signature is needed, and what happens if one of you dies.

Pick How the Two Names Will Sit on the Title

Arizona gives you three co-ownership designations, and you mark your choice in the Legal Status section of the application. Both parties sign that section regardless of which one you pick.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Multiple Owners

  • “OR” (Joint Tenancy). Either owner can sell the vehicle, transfer plates, or record a loan without the other’s signature. If one owner dies, the survivor automatically takes full ownership. No death certificate, no probate.
  • “AND” (Tenancy in Common). Both owners must sign to sell or transfer. If one owner dies, that person’s share goes through probate or requires a Non-Probate Affidavit. The surviving owner cannot simply take over.
  • “AND/OR” (Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship). Both owners must sign to sell while both are alive. If one owner dies, the survivor takes full ownership after providing a death certificate and can sign alone from that point forward.

Adding a spouse and want the simplest arrangement? “OR” gives either of you full authority. Adding an adult child and want to guarantee they inherit the car without probate? “AND/OR” does that while still requiring both signatures during your lifetime. “AND” fits when both parties want veto power over any transaction, but it creates the most friction if one owner becomes unavailable or passes away.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Multiple Owners

What to Gather Before You File

  • The current Arizona title. If you have a paper title, bring the original. Most Arizona titles are electronic by default and viewable under “My Vehicles” in your AZ MVD Now account.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Transferring Ownership of a Vehicle (eTitle Transfer)
  • Full legal names, addresses, and license or state ID numbers for both the current owner and the new co-owner.
  • The odometer reading. Federal rules require an odometer disclosure for most passenger vehicles. The exemption applies only to vehicles manufactured before 2011 that are more than 10 years old, and to 2011-and-newer models more than 20 years old.3eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements
  • Lienholder permission. If money is still owed on the vehicle, the MVD will not process an ownership change without written authorization from the lienholder or a lien release.
  • Form 96-0236, the Title and Registration Application. Available at any MVD office or on the ADOT website.4Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona MVD Form 96-0236 – Title and Registration Application

If any money is changing hands, a bill of sale is recommended. Arizona’s MVD advises that a bill of sale accompanying a title transfer should be signed and notarized.5Arizona Department of Transportation. Buying Or Selling A Used Vehicle?

Filling Out Form 96-0236

The form asks for the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model, and body style.4Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona MVD Form 96-0236 – Title and Registration Application Enter the new co-owner’s full legal name and address exactly as they appear on their ID. Small mismatches between the form and the ID cause delays.

The current owner signs in the seller/transferor section, releasing enough interest to add the new person. Both parties then sign the Legal Status boxes to select “OR,” “AND,” or “AND/OR.” Record the current mileage on the form at the time of signing if the vehicle requires an odometer disclosure, and list any existing lienholder in the designated section.

Where to File and What You’ll Pay

You have three submission options. In person at an MVD office is the most straightforward, because both parties can appear together and hand over signed forms and ID at the counter. Authorized third-party providers handle MVD transactions in private offices and charge a convenience fee of around $1.00 for a title transfer on top of the state fees.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Third Party Fee Board You can also file by mail to the MVD in Phoenix.7Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title

The flat fees are small:8Arizona Department of Transportation. How Are My AZ Vehicle Registration Fees Calculated?

  • Title fee: $4.00
  • Registration fee: $8.00 for a standard passenger vehicle9ServiceArizona. ServiceArizona Fees Page
  • Air Quality Research Fee: $1.50

Arizona also charges a Vehicle License Tax in place of a personal property tax. For most passenger vehicles the assessed value starts at 60% of the manufacturer’s base retail price and drops 16.25% each year the vehicle has been registered. The rate is $2.80 per $100 of assessed value in the first year and $2.89 per $100 thereafter.10Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee. Vehicle License Tax On an older car the VLT usually works out to a few hundred dollars at most. Cash, check, money order, and cards are all accepted, though card availability depends on how you file. If you’re renewing registration at the same time as the title change, you’ll also need proof of Arizona insurance.

Update Your Insurance

The MVD transaction does not update your auto policy. Most insurers expect every titled owner to be listed on the policy or at least disclosed during underwriting, and an undisclosed co-owner involved in an accident gives the insurer grounds to argue the risk was misrepresented and to limit or deny coverage. Call your insurer before or immediately after the title change and add the new co-owner. If that person carries their own policy, it may act as secondary coverage behind yours.

When a Gift Tax Return Comes Into Play

If you’re adding someone to the title without getting fair market value in return, the IRS may treat that as a gift. For 2026, the annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 per recipient.11Internal Revenue Service. Frequently Asked Questions on Gift Taxes Adding a co-owner effectively gives away a share of the car’s value. If half the vehicle’s fair market value is more than $19,000, you’ll need to file IRS Form 709 to report the gift. You typically won’t owe tax on it because the excess simply reduces your lifetime exclusion, but the return still has to be filed.

Transfers between spouses who are both U.S. citizens are exempt from federal gift tax entirely, so adding a spouse triggers no reporting no matter what the car is worth.

After You File

Arizona issues an electronic title by default. Once the MVD processes the application, the updated title lives in your AZ MVD Now account under “My Vehicles,” and no paper title is printed unless you ask for one.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Transferring Ownership of a Vehicle (eTitle Transfer) If you file in person, you may receive temporary documentation to legally drive the vehicle while the record updates. Mailed applications take longer, and a paper title, when requested, can take up to six weeks to arrive. Status is available through AZ MVD Now or the MVD’s automated phone system.

When the new title posts, read it carefully. Confirm that both names are spelled correctly, that the co-ownership designation matches what you selected, and that any lienholder information carried over accurately. Fixing an error after the fact means another trip to the MVD and possibly another round of fees.