How to Fill Out Form 130-U: Texas Title Transfer, Fees, and Deadlines

To fill out Form 130-U, download the current version from the TxDMV website, check the box for the type of application you’re making, enter the vehicle and owner information exactly as it appears on the previous title and your government ID, sign the form in ink, and file it at your county tax assessor-collector’s office with the signed title, proof of ID and insurance, any lien release, and payment for fees and 6.25 percent motor vehicle sales tax.¹ File within 30 days of the sale to avoid a delinquent transfer penalty and a separate sales tax penalty.

Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration, is the document you use for almost every private-party title transaction in Texas: buying a vehicle from another person, bringing a vehicle in from another state, or removing a lien after paying off a loan.²

Before You Start

Download the form fresh from the TxDMV website rather than reusing a saved copy or a third-party version. County offices reject outdated forms.

At the top of the page, check one of four boxes to tell the county what you’re applying for: Title and Registration, Title Only, Registration Purposes Only, or Nontitle Registration.¹ Most private-sale buyers pick Title and Registration. Choose Title Only if you’re transferring ownership but not registering the vehicle right away, such as when you’re restoring it.

Fill the form out in black or blue ink, or type it. No white-out, no cross-outs. County clerks reject forms with corrections or mismatched entries.

Vehicle Information: Fields 1 Through 12

Fields 1 through 12 describe the vehicle itself.

Field 1 is the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number. You can find it on the driver’s-side dashboard where it meets the windshield or on a sticker inside the driver’s door jamb.³ Fields 2 through 7 ask for year, make, body style, model, and color. Copy these from the previous title.

Field 9 wants the odometer reading with no tenths. Field 10 asks you to mark whether that reading is actual, not actual, or exceeds the mechanical limits. Federal rules require an odometer disclosure for any vehicle from model year 2011 or newer; older vehicles are exempt.⁴

Field 11 is the vehicle’s empty weight, which usually appears on the previous title or the door-jamb sticker.¹

Applicant, Seller, and Lienholder Information

Fields 13 through 22 identify who’s applying and who they’re buying from.

In Field 13, select your applicant type: individual, business, government, trust, or nonprofit. Field 14 is your photo ID number and Field 15 is the type of ID. Your name goes in Field 16 and your mailing address in Fields 17 and 18. Field 19 asks for your county of residence, which matters because local registration fees vary by county. Field 20 records the previous owner’s name, city, and state.

If the vehicle has a lien, complete Fields 32 through 34 with the lienholder’s ID number, the lien date, and the lienholder’s mailing address.

The buyer must sign in ink. Photocopied and stamped signatures are rejected.¹ Every entry has to match the previous title and your government ID exactly, so check spellings and middle initials before you leave home.

If you can’t get to the county office yourself, Form VTR-271 lets you name someone to handle the transaction on your behalf for the specific vehicle you list on it.⁵

What to Bring With the Form

The completed 130-U is one item in a packet. You also need:

The previous owner’s signed title, with the assignment section on the back filled out, signed, and dated by the seller. A missing or incorrectly completed title is the single most common reason transactions get delayed.
A government-issued photo ID. Texas accepts a valid, unexpired REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID from any U.S. state, a U.S. passport, a Texas License to Carry a Handgun, or a U.S. military ID, among others. A non-REAL-ID license from certain states requires a supporting document such as a U.S. birth certificate or Certificate of Naturalization.⁶
Proof of insurance meeting Texas minimums: $30,000 per person for bodily injury, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. A physical or electronic insurance card is fine.
An original, signed lien release from the previous lienholder if the old title shows a lien. Photocopies, scans, and faxes are not accepted. After a loan is paid off, the lienholder has 10 days to release the lien. If the lien was recorded electronically, the lienholder handles the release directly with TxDMV and you don’t need to bring paperwork.⁷

Where to File and What You’ll Pay

Bring everything to your county tax assessor-collector’s office. TxDMV delegates title and registration services to all 254 Texas counties, so hours, appointment rules, and some local fees vary. Call ahead to confirm.⁸ You can also mail your packet, but an in-person visit lets the clerk catch errors on the spot.

Expect these charges at the counter:

Title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on your county. The form lists both amounts; the county tax office can tell you which applies.¹
Motor vehicle sales tax of 6.25 percent, calculated on the purchase price or the state’s Standard Presumptive Value, whichever is higher. If you paid less than the SPV, an independent appraisal from a licensed insurance adjuster or licensed motor vehicle dealer within 20 working days of purchase can be used instead.⁹¹⁰
Base registration fee of $50.75 for cars and light trucks, plus a $1 Insurance Verification Project fee, for a total of $51.75.¹¹
Local fees set by the county commissioners court, from $0 to $31.50.¹¹
Inspection replacement fee of $7.50 for non-commercial vehicles. Texas ended annual safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles in January 2025, and this fee took their place at registration. New vehicles that have never been registered pay $16.75 to cover two years.¹²
Processing and handling fee of $4.75.¹¹

Vehicles registered in an emissions-testing county owe an additional $2.75 emissions inspection fee and must pass an emissions test before registration.¹³

File Within 30 Days to Avoid Penalties

Texas charges two separate penalties for waiting too long to transfer a title.

The delinquent transfer penalty is $25 if you file on the 31st day after the seller signed the title over, with another $25 for each additional 30-day period, up to a $250 maximum. Active-duty military personnel get 60 days before penalties start.¹⁴

The sales tax penalty is separate. If you don’t pay the 6.25 percent motor vehicle tax within 30 days of the purchase date, a 5 percent penalty is added to the tax owed. Miss another 30 days and the penalty doubles to 10 percent. The minimum is $1, and it applies even if the delay was outside your control. A buyer who waits 65 days can owe both the $25 delinquent transfer penalty and a 10 percent sales tax penalty on top of the original tax. Neither penalty applies to exempt transfers, even-trade transactions, or gift tax transactions.¹⁵

After You Submit

The clerk processes your payment and issues a registration receipt that serves as temporary proof of ownership. Allow at least 20 business days for TxDMV to process and mail the title. If you haven’t received it within 30 business days, contact TxDMV directly.¹⁶ When a lienholder is listed on the application, the title is mailed to the lienholder rather than to you. Keep the registration receipt in the vehicle until the permanent title and registration sticker arrive.

1
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration
2
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle Tax Guide – Application for Texas Title and/or Registration
3
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. How to Find the VIN
4
Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association. Odometer Disclosure Exemption Update
5
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Limited Power of Attorney for Eligible Motor Vehicle Transactions
6
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration and Title Bulletin 001-26 – Identification Requirements for Vehicle Registration Transactions
7
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Add/Remove a Lien on a Vehicle
8
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Receiving In-Person Motor Vehicle Services
9
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle – Sales and Use Tax
10
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Standard Presumptive Values
11
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Register Your Vehicle
12
Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes Now in Effect
13
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Texas
14
Travis County Tax Office. Vehicle Title Transfer Fees and Penalties
15
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle Tax Guide – Penalty
16
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Buying or Selling a Vehicle