To fill out Texas Form 130-U, work through it top to bottom: vehicle identifiers copied from the title, buyer and seller names and addresses, the sale price, any lienholder information, and signatures. Then file it at your county tax assessor-collector’s office within 30 days of the sale date, along with the signed title, your photo ID, and proof of insurance. The form itself is available at TxDMV.gov or at any county tax office.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration – Form 130-U
Vehicle Information
The top of the form identifies the vehicle. Pull these fields directly from the existing title so the numbers match:
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) — the 17-character code on the driver-side door frame or the dashboard near the windshield. Copy it exactly from the title.
- Year, make, and model as printed on the title.
- Body style, such as sedan, pickup, SUV, or convertible.
Enter the odometer reading in whole numbers, no tenths. If the vehicle is subject to federal odometer disclosure, the seller has to certify the mileage at sale. A vehicle is exempt if its gross vehicle weight rating is above 16,000 pounds, if it is not self-propelled, or if it is old enough to fall outside the disclosure window. For 2011 and newer models, exemption begins 20 years after January 1 of the model year, so a 2011 model becomes exempt on January 1, 2031.3eCFR. 49 CFR 580.17 – Exemptions For 2010 and older vehicles, the threshold is 10 years. When the exemption applies, check the box for “Not Actual” or “Exceeds Mechanical Limits” as appropriate.
Applicant and Previous Owner
Both the buyer and the seller sections take full legal names and current mailing addresses. In the applicant ID field, Form 130-U asks for your photo ID number or, for a business, the Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN/EIN). It does not ask for a Social Security Number.2Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Detailed Instructions for Application for Texas Title and/or Registration For an individual, that means a driver’s license or passport number. A business, trust, government entity, or nonprofit uses its FEIN/EIN; if the entity has none, the person submitting the application enters their own photo ID number.
You also declare the county where the vehicle will be primarily kept. That controls which local fees apply and where the registration revenue goes.
Signing Through a Power of Attorney
If someone else is signing for you, they need Form VTR-271 (Limited Power of Attorney). Both the person granting the authority and the person exercising it must attach photocopies of their photo IDs. Only black or blue ink is accepted, and no alterations are allowed.4Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Limited Power of Attorney for Eligible Motor Vehicle Transactions – Form VTR-271 One limit worth knowing: VTR-271 cannot be used in a dealer transaction on a vehicle that requires federal odometer disclosure. The secure Form VTR-271-A covers that case.
Sale Price, Sales Tax, and the SPV Box
Enter the actual purchase price. The county tax office uses that figure to calculate the 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax due when you file.5Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Standard Presumptive Values
For a private-party used vehicle, Texas compares your stated price against the vehicle’s Standard Presumptive Value (SPV), a wholesale market value based on Texas sales data published by Black Book, and taxes you on whichever is higher. If you paid less than the SPV, you can pay tax on the SPV or obtain a certified appraisal from a licensed insurance adjuster or licensed motor vehicle dealer within 20 working days of the purchase date and pay tax on the appraised value instead.5Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Standard Presumptive Values
Several categories skip the SPV comparison entirely: new vehicles that have never been titled, vehicles bought from licensed dealers, vehicles from government or foreclosure auctions, vehicles 25 years or older, off-road vehicles like ATVs and dirt bikes, salvage and abandoned vehicles other than rebuilt salvage, and gifts.5Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Standard Presumptive Values
If the vehicle is a qualifying gift, check the gift box on 130-U and file Comptroller Form 14-317 alongside it (see below). The tax becomes a flat $10 instead of 6.25%.
Lienholder Section
If you financed the vehicle, record the lender on the form. Enter the lienholder’s name and mailing address in Section 34 and the date you signed the security agreement in Section 33. If the lender participates in the electronic title system, check the electronic title box in Section 31 and enter the lender’s 11-digit Certified Lienholder Identification Number in Section 32. Electronic title is not available when the vehicle has more than one lien.2Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Detailed Instructions for Application for Texas Title and/or Registration
For multiple liens, check the “Multiple (Additional) Liens” box in Section 30 and attach a completed Additional Liens Statement (Form VTR-267). If there is no lien, write “NONE” in the lienholder section rather than leaving it blank.
Documents to Bring With the Form
The county tax office will not process 130-U without the paperwork behind it.
Title or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin
For a used vehicle, bring the original Texas title signed over by the seller with a printed name and date of transfer. For a brand-new vehicle that has never been titled, you need the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO) assigned by the dealer.6Legal Information Institute. 43 Texas Administrative Code 217.5 – Evidence of Motor Vehicle Ownership If a lien is recorded on the title you’re bringing in, you also need a release of lien from that lienholder.
Photo Identification
Bring a government-issued photo ID with three elements: photo, unique identification number, and expiration date. A Texas driver’s license works, as does a U.S. or valid foreign passport. A foreign passport must be unexpired and accompanied by Department of Homeland Security documentation showing lawful admission to the United States.7Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Photo ID Requirements
Proof of Insurance
Texas requires proof of financial responsibility before registering a vehicle. The minimum liability policy is $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.8State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP 601.072 Coverage must be active on the day you apply. Bring your insurance card or a printed declaration page.
Out-of-State Vehicles
Texas ended its safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025.9Texas Department of Public Safety. Inspection Items for the Annual Inspection TxDMV still lists a VIN verification requirement for out-of-state vehicles, and vehicles garaged in emissions-testing counties still need an annual emissions inspection.10Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Out of State and Imported Vehicles Call your county tax office to confirm what they want to see, because the process is still catching up to the 2025 inspection changes.
Filing 130-U for a Gift
Between qualifying relatives, a vehicle transfer is taxed at a flat $10 rather than 6.25%. Qualifying relationships include spouse, parent or stepparent, child or stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, and guardian. Transfers to or from a 501(c)(3) nonprofit qualify, as do transfers involving certain revocable trusts.11State of Texas. Texas Tax Code 152.025 – Tax on Gift of Motor Vehicle In-law relationships fall under the parent, child, sibling, and grandparent categories.
To claim the $10 rate, both donor and recipient sign Comptroller Form 14-317 (Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer) and both signatures must be notarized. The person filing the affidavit must appear in person at the county tax office with valid photo ID. File Form 14-317 with the completed 130-U.12Travis County Tax Office. Vehicle Title Transfers, Giving or Receiving a Vehicle as a Gift
Filing 130-U After the Owner’s Death
If the owner has died and the estate has not been through probate, heirs use Form VTR-262 (Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle) with Form 130-U. A surviving spouse signs alone unless the deceased had children from another relationship, in which case those children sign too. With no surviving spouse, all of the deceased’s children sign. If neither a spouse nor children survive, an attorney should identify the heirs at law. Every signing heir has to be notarized on the Affiant Certification section, and that section cannot be signed under a power of attorney.13Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle – Form VTR-262 You also need proof of insurance and a release of lien if one is recorded.
If the deceased had previously filed a beneficiary designation on Form VTR-121 and the beneficiary survived by at least 120 hours, the beneficiary files 130-U with the existing title showing the designation and a death certificate, within 180 days of the owner’s death. Miss that deadline and the vehicle goes back into the heirship or probate process. Any existing liens carry forward.14Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Beneficiary Designation for a Motor Vehicle – Form VTR-121
Where and When to File
Submit 130-U and its supporting documents to the county tax assessor-collector’s office in the county where you live.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration – Form 130-U Most people file in person. Some counties accept mailed applications, so call ahead before putting anything in the mail.
You have 30 calendar days from the date the seller signed the title. Miss the deadline and penalty fees begin at $25 on the 31st day and increase by $25 for each additional 30-day period, up to $250. The county tax office cannot waive these penalties; they are set by state law.15Travis County Tax Office. Vehicle Title Transfer Fees and Penalties
Fees Due at the Counter
Everything is paid when you submit the application:
- Title application fee: $28 or $33, depending on the county.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration – Form 130-U
- Motor vehicle sales tax: 6.25% of the purchase price or SPV, whichever is higher, or $10 for a qualifying gift.
- Registration fee: base $50.75 for passenger vehicles and light trucks.
- Local county fees: up to $31.50, depending on the county.
- Insurance verification fee: $1.
- Processing and handling fee: $4.75.
On a $15,000 private-party purchase, expect roughly $1,025 to $1,060 before any late penalty, with the sales tax accounting for $937.50 of that. Payment methods vary by county, so confirm before you go if you plan to pay by card.