Arizona Form 46-8502, the state’s Sold Notice, must be filed with the Motor Vehicle Division within 10 calendar days after you sell, trade in, or otherwise transfer a vehicle. There is no fee, and the fastest way to submit it is online at AZMVDNow.gov. Filing creates a dated record that separates you from anything the vehicle does after it leaves your hands.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Sold Notice Form 46-8502
Why the 10-Day Deadline Matters
Until the sold notice is on file, MVD’s records still show you as the owner. Parking tickets, photo-radar citations, and toll violations can be mailed to you. If the vehicle ends up abandoned on state or federal land, you could be billed $600 or more in towing and storage. Law enforcement has also contacted previous owners whose vehicles were later used in crimes when no sold notice was on file.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Sold Your Car? Don’t Forgot to File a Sold Notice with MVD
The sold notice is not a title transfer. Signing over the title gives the buyer legal ownership; the sold notice is the separate step that updates your record so the state stops associating you with the vehicle. Both have to happen.3Department of Transportation. Sold Notice
What You Need Before You Start
The form is short. Pull your title or registration card and have these ready:
- The 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. Copy every character exactly; one wrong digit prevents MVD from matching the notice to the right record.
- Year and make, as they appear on the title.
- The license plate number that was on the vehicle at the time of sale.
- The buyer’s full legal name and street address, city, state, and ZIP.
- The exact calendar date of the sale. This date establishes when your liability ends.
- Your own legal name and current address.
- Your signature and the date you sign.
The form does not ask for a selling price, and it does not require the buyer’s signature. Its only job is to notify MVD of the transfer.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Sold Notice Form 46-8502
How to Submit Form 46-8502
Online at AZMVDNow.gov
Log in to AZMVDNow.gov (or create an account), open vehicle services, and choose the sold notice option. Enter the VIN, plate number, buyer information, and sale date. After you submit, the portal generates a timestamped confirmation receipt. Save or print it. Online filings update MVD’s records immediately.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Sold Notice Form 46-8502
By Mail
Complete the paper Form 46-8502 (available as a PDF on the AZDOT website) or use the tear-off sold notice section on the back of your vehicle registration card. Mail it to:
Sold Notice — Mail Drop 555M
Title Maintenance Unit
Motor Vehicle Division
PO Box 2100
Phoenix, AZ 85001-21001Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Sold Notice Form 46-8502
Certified mail gives you a tracking number proving the mail date. Mailed forms take longer because MVD staff enter the data by hand, so hold onto your copy until you can confirm the update.
In Person
You can bring the completed form to any MVD field office or to an authorized third-party provider. Third-party offices are private companies contracted by MVD and may charge a convenience fee on top of state fees.4Arizona Department of Transportation. Authorized Third Party Providers The state itself does not charge for filing the sold notice.
Deal With the License Plates Within 30 Days
Arizona law gives you 30 days after transferring ownership to handle the plates. You can transfer them to another vehicle you own, surrender them to MVD or an authorized third party, or destroy them and file an affidavit of plate destruction.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2058 – Transfer of Title; Odometer Mileage Disclosure Statement Do not leave the plates on the vehicle. Anything caught by plate number traces back to you until records catch up.
After You File
Online submissions appear in your AZMVDNow.gov account right away. Mailed and in-person filings take longer because of manual processing. Either way, keep your confirmation receipt or a copy of the completed form. That paperwork is your proof if a ticket or towing bill arrives weeks later for a vehicle you already sold.1Arizona Department of Transportation. Arizona Sold Notice Form 46-8502
Once the notice is on file, call your auto insurer to cancel or adjust the policy on the sold vehicle. Most insurers will ask for a copy of the bill of sale or the sold notice confirmation as proof the vehicle is no longer yours. If you are adding a replacement, you can usually handle both changes in the same call.