To remove a name from a car title in Washington State, you have to run a full title transfer through the Department of Licensing — the state does not let you simply strike a name off an existing title. The base cost is about $42.50 for a title-only transfer, and the new owner has 15 days from the date of transfer to file before late penalties start.1Washington State Department of Licensing. Buy and Register a Vehicle What paperwork you bring depends on why the name is coming off and how the two names are written on the current title.
Check the Conjunction Between the Names
Pull out your current title and look at how the owners are listed. The small word between the names controls who has to sign the transfer.
- “Or” between the names: either owner can sign and transfer the vehicle alone.
- “And” between the names: both owners must sign.
- “And/or” between the names: both owners must sign.
- No conjunction at all: both owners must sign.
If the title reads “or,” the person staying on can handle the whole transfer without the other owner’s cooperation. If it reads “and” and the other owner won’t sign — a common situation with an ex-spouse or an estranged co-signer — you cannot force a signature, but a certified court order can substitute for one in a divorce (see below).
Clear Any Lien Before You Start
A vehicle with an active loan cannot have its title freely transferred. The lender holds the title, or an electronic record of it, until the loan is paid. Washington runs an Electronic Titles Program in which many lenders keep title records digitally, and once the lien is released the DOL prints a paper title and mails it to the owner.2Washington State Department of Licensing. Electronic Titles
If your lender doesn’t send release documentation automatically after payoff, you can clear the lien yourself at a vehicle licensing office by bringing either the current Washington title with a releasing signature from the lienholder, or a completed Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest with the lienholder’s notarized signature.3Washington State Department of Licensing. How to Remove a Lienholder From a Vehicle or Boat Record Trying to transfer with an active lien stalls the whole process.
Documents by Situation
Every transfer needs the same core paperwork: a completed Vehicle Title Application (Form TD-420-001), the original Washington Certificate of Title signed in the assignment section on the back, and a Vehicle/Vessel Bill of Sale (Form TD-420-065).1Washington State Department of Licensing. Buy and Register a Vehicle What you add depends on why the name is being removed.
Selling the Vehicle to the Remaining Owner or a Third Party
The owner coming off signs the assignment section on the back of the title, filling in the buyer’s name, the date, and the sale price. The person keeping the vehicle (or buying it) completes the Vehicle Title Application.
Gifting Your Share
A gift uses the same paperwork, but the bill of sale reads “$0” or “gift” as the price. If the vehicle was already taxed in Washington and no money changes hands, the gift is exempt from use tax. If there is an outstanding loan, though, the DOL treats the transfer as a sale and use tax applies on the fair market value.4Washington Department of Revenue. Use Tax Facts for Vehicle Transactions
Divorce
Bring a certified copy of your Final Divorce Order from the court clerk. The order must identify the vehicle by year, make, model, and VIN. If those details aren’t in your decree, you’ll need to file a Motion to Clarify before the DOL will process the transfer. That certified order takes the place of the other spouse’s signature on the title.
Death of the Other Owner
A certified death certificate is always required. What else you bring depends on how the title was held:
- Joint tenancy with rights of survivorship: the death certificate alone is enough to move the title into the survivor’s name.
- Community property: the death certificate plus a copy of the community property agreement.
- Estate in probate: letters testamentary, letters of administration, or a certificate from the county clerk appointing the personal representative.
- Estate not in probate: the death certificate plus an Affidavit of Inheritance (Form TD-420-041) or an Affidavit of Succession.5Cornell Law School. Washington Administrative Code 308-56A-335 – Owner Deceased
Lost Title
If the original title is missing, complete an Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest (Form TD-420-040). All registered owners must sign it in front of a notary public or a vehicle licensing agent. Signing at the licensing office avoids the notary fee.6Washington State Department of Licensing. Replace a Lost Title or Registration
Odometer Disclosure for 2011 and Newer
Any transfer involving a model year 2011 or newer vehicle requires an odometer disclosure statement signed by both the person giving up ownership and the person receiving it. Federal law changed in 2021 and now covers the first 20 years of a vehicle’s life, not the first 10 as under the old rule. Model year 2010 and older vehicles remain exempt.7Federal Register. Odometer Disclosure Requirements
What It Costs
Washington charges three fees for a title-only transfer:
- Title application fee: $18
- Service fee: $18
- Filing fee: $6.50
That comes to $42.50. If you’re registering the vehicle at the same time, the filing fee rises to $12.50 and the service fee to $29, for a total of $59.50 before registration and tab fees.8Washington State Department of Licensing. Calculate Vehicle Tab Fees
Sales or use tax also applies unless an exemption covers your situation. The state base rate for motor vehicles is 6.8%, and local taxes push the total higher depending on where you live. Tax is calculated on the purchase price or fair market value.
Notary fees, if you need them outside a licensing office, are capped in Washington at $15 per signature for in-person notarization and $25 for remote notarization. Signing your documents at the licensing office itself avoids that charge entirely.9Washington State Legislature. Washington Administrative Code 308-30-220 – Fees for Notarial Acts
Where to File and How Long It Takes
You can submit the completed paperwork in person at any vehicle licensing office or by mail. Anything requiring notarization has to be notarized before you mail it, since an agent can’t certify your signature from a distance. Standard processing runs six to eight weeks for the new title to arrive.6Washington State Department of Licensing. Replace a Lost Title or Registration
If you need it faster, some offices offer Quick Title service for $89.50, which includes the standard title fees. You either walk out with the new title the same day or have it mailed immediately. Not every location participates, so check the DOL’s list before making the trip.10Washington State Department of Licensing. Quick Title Offices
The 15-Day Deadline
The new owner has 15 days from the date of transfer to apply for a new title. On day 16 the penalty is $50, plus $2 for every additional day, up to a maximum of $125.11Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.17.140 – Late Transfer of Title Penalty The penalty stacks on top of the normal fees and taxes, and there’s no routine waiver process. If you’re the one receiving full ownership, get the application in well before day 15.
File a Report of Sale to End Your Liability
If your name is the one coming off, filing a Report of Sale with the DOL within five business days is what actually severs your legal connection to the vehicle. It’s separate from the title transfer, and it protects you.12Cornell Law School. Washington Administrative Code 308-56A-525 – Vehicle Seller’s Report of Sale
Without a Report of Sale on file, you can still be held responsible for parking tickets, towing charges, toll bills, and involvement in accidents or illegal use of the vehicle after you handed it over. Filing costs $18 and can be done online, in person, or by mail. The online option processes immediately, so do it the same day the vehicle changes hands.13Washington State Department of Licensing. Sell a Vehicle
One more small thing worth doing: if you’re transferring the vehicle to someone outside your household, pull your license plates before handing over the keys. Plates belong to the person, not the vehicle, and leaving them attached can expose you to speed camera tickets and toll charges billed to the plate.