How to Transfer a Texas Car Title: Forms, Fees, and Deadlines

To transfer a Texas car title, the seller signs the assignment on the back of the certificate of title with an accurate odometer reading, the buyer files an Application for Texas Title (Form 130-U) at the county tax assessor-collector’s office within 30 days of the sale, and both parties pay attention to a short list of fees, forms, and notifications. Doing it right protects the seller from tickets and toll violations racked up by the new driver, and gives the buyer clean ownership to register and insure the vehicle.

What the Seller Signs and Hands Over

The core act is the seller’s signature in the “Assignment of Title” section on the back of the original Texas Certificate of Title. That is where ownership legally changes hands. The seller also fills in the odometer disclosure on the title. Federal law requires an accurate mileage reading at transfer for any vehicle less than 20 years old (for 2011 and later model years) or less than 10 years old (for 2010 and earlier model years).1eCFR. 49 CFR Part 580 – Odometer Disclosure Requirements

Write carefully. Erasures or whiteout on the title can void it, sending the seller back for a certified copy before the sale can move forward.

Plates come off the vehicle before the keys change hands. Texas law lets the seller move plates to another vehicle in the same classification titled in their name (car to car, or light truck to light truck), and plates that aren’t transferred should be destroyed.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 504.901 – Transfer and Removal of License Plates With the plates gone, the buyer can print a free Vehicle Transit Permit from the TxDMV website that is valid for five calendar days on passenger cars and light trucks, enough to drive the vehicle home or straight to the county tax office.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Transit Permit – Eligibility and Requirements

File the Vehicle Transfer Notificationh2>

Within 30 days of the sale, the seller should file a Vehicle Transfer Notification with TxDMV. Once it is on file, the agency’s records show the vehicle sold as of that date, and the seller is off the hook for parking tickets, toll violations, and other issues traced back to the license plate afterward.4Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Buying or Selling a Vehicle This is the step sellers skip most often, and it is the one that hurts. If the buyer never bothers to title the vehicle, every red-light ticket and unpaid toll comes back to the seller’s name until the notification is filed.

What the Buyer Brings to the County Tax Office

The buyer completes the transfer at their local county tax assessor-collector’s office. Bring:

  • The original Texas Certificate of Title with the seller’s signed assignment and completed odometer disclosure.
  • Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration, signed by both buyer and seller.
  • A valid government-issued photo ID for the buyer (and the seller, if they come along).
  • Proof of current Texas liability insurance in the buyer’s name covering the vehicle.
  • A release of lien, if the vehicle had a loan and the lienholder has not already notified TxDMV electronically that the lien was satisfied.5Cornell Law School. 43 Texas Admin Code 217.104 – Electronic Lien Title Program
  • A passing emissions inspection if the buyer lives in Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, or Williamson County.6Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Inspection Changes Coming Soon

Texas ended the annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025. A $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee is collected at registration in its place, and buyers no longer need a Vehicle Inspection Report to complete the transfer.6Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Inspection Changes Coming Soon

Filling Out Form 130-U

Form 130-U asks for the VIN, year, make, model, and full legal names and addresses of both parties. The purchase price goes on the form as well, and it needs to be accurate because it drives the sales tax calculation. Both parties sign, certifying the information is correct.7Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration – Form 130-U

The information on the back of the title has to match Form 130-U. Any mismatch in names, VINs, or dates can hold up processing. If one party cannot make it to the tax office, a Limited Power of Attorney (Form VTR-271) lets them authorize someone else, with photocopies of both IDs required at the counter. VTR-271 does not cover dealer transactions that require federal odometer disclosure; a secure form (VTR-271-A) is used in those cases.8Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Limited Power of Attorney for Eligible Motor Vehicle Transactions – Form VTR-271

How Much Sales Tax You Owe

Texas charges 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax on private-party purchases.9Texas Comptroller. Motor Vehicle – Sales and Use Tax On a $15,000 car that is $937.50. The complication is the Standard Presumptive Value (SPV) system, which the state uses to keep buyers from writing artificially low sale prices on the paperwork.

If you paid at least 80% of the SPV, the county calculates tax on your actual purchase price. If you paid less than 80% of the SPV, the county calculates tax on 80% of the SPV instead. You can look up any vehicle’s SPV on the TxDMV website before you buy, and it is worth doing so the number at the counter is not a surprise.10Texas Comptroller. Standard Presumptive Value – Motor Vehicle Tax Guide

If you legitimately paid well below market value because the vehicle is in poor condition, get a certified appraisal within 30 calendar days of purchase on Form 14-128 from a licensed dealer or licensed insurance adjuster. The tax office will use the appraised value in place of the SPV, as long as the appraisal is at least as high as what you paid. Already paid the higher tax? File for a refund with the Comptroller using Form 14-202. Active-duty military get 60 days rather than 30 on both the appraisal and the refund claim.10Texas Comptroller. Standard Presumptive Value – Motor Vehicle Tax Guide

Fees and the 30-Day Deadline

The buyer has 30 calendar days from the sale date to file the application. Miss that window and Texas adds a $25 late penalty automatically, plus $25 for every additional 30-day period (or portion of one) that the application sits unfiled. The penalty caps at $250.11State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 501.146 – Title Transfer Late Fee Active-duty military get an extra 30 days, for 60 days total before penalties start.12Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. State Law Requires Private Sale Vehicle Buyers to Title in 30 Days or Face Financial Penalties

At the counter, plan on paying:

Once the application is approved, the county issues new plates and registration on the spot. The title certificate itself is mailed to the buyer, or to the lienholder if the buyer financed the purchase.

Gifting a Vehicle

A gifted vehicle changes two things about the process: the tax and the paperwork. Gifts between eligible family members owe a flat $10 gift tax instead of the 6.25% sales tax, and community property transfers between spouses owe no tax at all.15Texas Comptroller. Family Transfers – Motor Vehicle Tax Guide A gift to a family member who does not qualify as eligible still owes the full sales tax.

Both donor and recipient must complete and sign a Motor Vehicle Gift Affidavit (Form 14-317), sworn before a notary or an employee at the county tax office. Both parties certify the transfer involves no consideration, including no assumption of debt. If a party cannot appear in person, their notarized signature can be faxed or scanned in. Filing a false statement on the form is a third-degree felony.16Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Form 14-317 – Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer

One trap catches families off guard. If the recipient takes over any remaining balance on the car loan, Texas treats the transaction as a sale and the full 6.25% tax applies. The only exception is a community property transfer between spouses.15Texas Comptroller. Family Transfers – Motor Vehicle Tax Guide

Inherited Vehicles

If the estate went through probate, the executor or administrator signs the title assignment, and the heir brings a certified copy of the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration along with Form 130-U, ID, and insurance to the county tax office.17Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle – Form VTR-262

When no probate has happened and none is necessary, the heir files an Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle (Form VTR-262) with the usual documents and can title the vehicle without going to court. If a court has specifically found no administration necessary, bring the original or a certified copy of that order and the portions of the will identifying the heir.17Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle – Form VTR-262 An inherited vehicle can also be processed as a gift on Form 14-317, with the executor signing as donor.16Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Form 14-317 – Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer

Lost or Missing Title

If the seller has misplaced the title, they need to order a certified copy before the sale can close. Application is Form VTR-34, signed by all recorded owners with photo ID. There is a 30-day waiting period after the last title was issued before a certified copy can be requested. Applying by mail costs $2 (check or money order to TxDMV); in person at a TxDMV Regional Service Center it costs $5.45. Any recorded lien requires an original release of lien as part of the application.18Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Copy of Your Vehicle Title

Bonded Titles

If you bought a vehicle and never received a title at all, Texas has a bonded title process. The buyer must be a Texas resident (or military stationed in Texas), and the vehicle must be complete, in the buyer’s possession, and not classified as junked or nonrepairable. You are not eligible if a lien less than 10 years old is recorded and cannot be released.19Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Bought a Vehicle Without a Title?

Submit Form VTR-130-SOF, any ownership evidence you have (bill of sale, invoice, cancelled check), photo ID, and a $15 fee to your TxDMV Regional Service Center. If approved, TxDMV issues a Notice of Determination stating the required surety bond amount, which is one and a half times the vehicle’s value. Buy the bond from an auto insurance agency or licensed bond company within one year. Within 30 days of buying the bond, take it, the Notice of Determination, Form 130-U, and the rest of the standard documents to the county tax office to complete the title.19Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Bought a Vehicle Without a Title?

Vehicles Bought Out of State or Abroad

An out-of-state purchase follows the same core process, though you may need to self-certify the VIN on Form 130-U. Vehicles imported from outside the United States require a formal VIN inspection by a law enforcement auto theft investigator or authorized National Insurance Crime Bureau employee, documented on Form VTR-68-A and submitted with your title application. U.S. military personnel and their immediate family members returning to Texas bases are exempt from this inspection.20Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Out of State and Imported Vehicles

The 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax still applies. If you already paid sales tax to the state you bought the vehicle in, Texas credits that amount, and you pay only the difference if the other state’s rate was lower.