How to Transfer a Vehicle Title in Washington State

To transfer a vehicle title in Washington State, the buyer takes the seller-signed title, a completed Vehicle Title Application, an odometer disclosure if the vehicle is model year 2011 or newer, valid ID, and the fees to a vehicle licensing office within 15 days of the sale. The seller has a separate job: file a Report of Sale with the Department of Licensing (DOL) within five business days. Miss the 15-day window and a $50 penalty starts, growing $2 a day; go past 45 days and it becomes a misdemeanor.¹

What the Buyer Brings to the Licensing Office

Gather everything before you drive over. The transfer will not go through if a signature or a form is missing.

The Certificate of Title, with the release-of-interest section on the back signed by every owner listed on the front.²
A bill of sale showing the purchase price, VIN, and the names of buyer and seller. Washington also accepts a bill of sale as a valid release-of-interest document.²
Vehicle Title Application, Form TD-420-001, filled in with the VIN, year, make, model, color, and the buyer’s full legal name and Washington address.³
Odometer disclosure for any vehicle from model year 2011 forward. Federal rules changed in 2021, and disclosure is now required for 20 years after the model year; 2010 and older vehicles are exempt.⁴⁵
A Washington driver license or state ID for both parties.

If the original title has been lost, the seller uses an Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest (Form TD-420-040) in its place. That signature must be notarized, or made in front of a Washington vehicle licensing agent, who can certify it at the counter.⁶

Signatures and Powers of Attorney

Any signature not made in front of a licensing agent has to be notarized.³ If the buyer or seller cannot show up in person, Washington accepts a Power of Attorney for vehicle transactions (Form TD-420-050). The owner’s signature on the POA must itself be notarized or agent-certified, and the form needs the vehicle’s make, model, year, and VIN, plus the name and driver license number of the person who will sign on the owner’s behalf. A POA generally cannot be used to make the odometer disclosure; the person on the title has to handle that.

Fees

The DOL stacks several line items, so the total is higher than the “$15 title fee” people expect. For a standard title transfer:

Title application fee: $18.⁷
Filing fee: $6.50 for title only, or $12.50 if you also register the vehicle.⁷
Service fee: $18 for title only, or $29 combined with registration.⁷
License plates: $50 per plate for new ones ($20 for motorcycles), $10 to transfer existing plates.⁷

A title-only transfer without new plates runs about $42.50 in fixed fees before tax. If you are also registering and getting new plates, plan on roughly $160 or more in fees alone.

Sales and Use Tax

Washington charges sales or use tax based on the sale price or fair market value, whichever is higher; the purchase price has to be within $2,000 of fair market value.⁸ The state portion is a 6.5% retail sales tax plus a 0.5% motor vehicle sales/lease tax, for a combined state rate of 7.0%. That motor vehicle rate rose from 0.3% to 0.5% on January 1, 2026, under SB 5801.⁹ Local rates add another 0.5% to roughly 4%, so total tax on a Washington vehicle purchase typically falls between 7.5% and 11% depending on where you live.

Residents of King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties inside the Sound Transit district pay an additional 1.1% Regional Transit Authority tax. That tax is not calculated on the purchase price; Sound Transit uses a depreciation schedule tied to the vehicle’s original MSRP and its age, so older vehicles owe considerably less.¹⁰

How to Submit the Transfer

You have two ways to file:

In person at a vehicle licensing office. A licensing agent can certify signatures on the spot, verify your documents, and hand you plates the same day if you are also registering. The new title itself arrives by mail in about six to eight weeks.¹¹
By mail. Send the completed documents and payment to the DOL. Every signature has to be notarized in this case, since no agent is present to certify them.

Quick Title

If you cannot wait six to eight weeks, some offices offer Quick Title service. You walk out with the title the same day, or receive it by mail within a few business days. The total cost is $89.50 for vehicles, which includes a $50 quick title fee on top of the standard title and service fees. Not every office offers it; the DOL keeps a list of Quick Title locations on its website.¹²

The 15-Day Deadline and Late Penalty

The buyer has 15 calendar days from delivery to apply for the new title. On day 16, a $50 penalty attaches, and it grows by $2 per day up to a $125 cap.¹¹ Past 45 days, the state treats the failure as a misdemeanor, and it is a continuing offense that does not reset.¹

What the Seller Has to Do

The seller’s job is not finished at the handshake. Under RCW 46.12.650, the seller must file a Report of Sale with the DOL within five business days.¹ Until the buyer applies for a new title, the seller is still the last titled owner on record, which means parking tickets, toll violations, and even accident liability can land on the seller if the buyer stalls.

Filing is straightforward. You can do it online at the DOL website without creating an account, or through License Express if you have one. You can also mail a completed Vehicle Report of Sale form with an $18 check to any vehicle licensing office, or drop it off in person.¹³ Keep the confirmation together with your bill of sale. Those two documents are your proof that the vehicle left your hands on a specific date.

If the Vehicle Has a Loan

A vehicle with an active loan cannot transfer with a clean title until the lienholder releases its interest. Pay off the loan, then bring the title with the lienholder’s releasing signature to a licensing office. If the title is gone, a notarized Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest signed by the lienholder works instead.¹⁴

When the lienholder has gone out of business, you can petition a Washington superior or district court to order the DOL to remove the lien and issue a clear title; you will need proof the loan was fully paid. If the defunct lienholder was a Washington vehicle dealer, you can also file a complaint directly with the DOL.¹⁴

Gifts and Out-of-State Vehicles

The paperwork for a gifted vehicle is identical to a sale: signed title, application, licensing office. The tax treatment differs. Washington charges no sales or use tax on a genuine gift as long as the previous owner already paid Washington sales or use tax on the vehicle and no money changed hands. One catch: the vehicle has to be owned free and clear. If a loan is still attached, the DOL treats the transfer as a sale and use tax applies based on fair market value. Pay off the loan first, then gift the vehicle. If it was previously registered in another state, you get credit for tax already paid there.¹⁵

If you are moving to Washington or buying from another state, you have 30 days to get a Washington driver license and register the vehicle. Bring the out-of-state title to any licensing office. If a bank still holds the title on an active loan, call the office first; they will provide a fax number so your lender can send a copy of the title directly.¹⁶ Write down your odometer reading before you walk in. You will pay the same title application, filing, and service fees as any transfer, plus sales or use tax if Washington tax has not already been paid on the vehicle. In person, plates are issued the same day.

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.12.650 – Releasing Interest, Reports of Sale, Transfer of Ownership, Requirements, Penalty, Exceptions
2
Cornell Law School. Wash. Admin. Code 308-56A-265 – Releasing Interest
3
Washington State Department of Licensing. Vehicle Title Application
4
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert – Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements
5
Federal Register. Odometer Disclosure Requirements – Final Rule
6
Washington State Department of Licensing. Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest
7
Washington State Department of Licensing. Calculate Vehicle Tab Fees
8
Skagit County. Licensing Frequently Asked Questions
9
Washington State Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Rates and Changes
10
Washington State Department of Licensing. Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Tax
11
Washington State Department of Licensing. Buy and Register a Vehicle
12
Washington State Department of Licensing. Quick Title Offices
13
Washington State Department of Licensing. Sell a Vehicle
14
Washington State Department of Licensing. How to Remove a Lienholder From a Vehicle or Boat Record
15
Washington State Department of Revenue. Use Tax Facts for Vehicle Transactions
16
Washington State Department of Licensing. Moving to Washington – Vehicle Registration and Plates