Kansas Vehicle Title Transfer Forms: TR-212a, TR-312, and Filing Steps

Transferring a Kansas vehicle title takes a small stack of forms filed in person at the county treasurer’s motor vehicle office within 60 days of the purchase date. The buyer completes a Title and Registration Application (Form TR-212a), files it with the seller’s assigned certificate of title, documents the sale price on an Affidavit of Purchase Price (Form TR-312), shows proof of insurance, and pays the title fee, registration, and sales tax at the counter.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Titling a Used Vehicle Additional Kansas vehicle title transfer forms come into play for family gifts, lien releases, out-of-state vehicles, and salvage titles.

The Core Forms Every Buyer Files

Form TR-212a: Title and Registration Application

This is the buyer’s main application for a new Kansas title and registration. Write the VIN exactly as it appears on the dashboard plate and door jamb sticker; one wrong digit and the application gets kicked back. Record the mileage and check the box for whether the odometer reflects actual mileage, exceeds the mechanical limit, or is not the actual reading. Enter your full legal name and mailing address, because that’s where the permanent title will be sent.2Kansas Department of Revenue. Title and Registration Manual Application

Form TR-312: Affidavit of Purchase Price

Both buyer and seller sign this sworn statement affirming the dollar amount exchanged. The county treasurer uses it to calculate sales tax. Don’t understate the price to lower your tax bill: the treasurer can reject a stated price that doesn’t bear a reasonable relationship to fair market value and instead compute tax on the NADA guide value.3Cornell Law Institute. Kansas Admin Regs 92-19-30 – Motor Vehicles or Trailers; Isolated or Occasional Sale If the title assignment already has a space for the purchase price and you filled it in there, the treasurer’s office may not require a separate TR-312, but bring one anyway.4Kansas Department of Revenue. TR-312 Affidavit of Purchase Price

Form TR-59: Odometer Disclosure Statement

Older titles don’t have a dedicated odometer section. When that’s the case, use Form TR-59. The seller certifies the current mileage and checks whether it’s actual, exceeds mechanical limits, or reflects a known discrepancy. Both parties sign.5Kansas Department of Revenue. Odometer Disclosure Statement Federal law requires odometer disclosure for every ownership transfer during the first 20 model years of vehicles with model year 2011 or newer; model year 2010 and older follow the previous 10-year rule.6National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements

What the Seller Fills Out on the Title

Kansas law requires the seller to complete the assignment section printed on the back of the current certificate of title. This area has spaces for the buyer’s name, date of sale, purchase price, odometer reading, and the seller’s signature.7Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Kansas Code 8-135 – Transfer of Ownership of Vehicles Fill it out in ink and legibly. The county treasurer will reject an application if the assignment is incomplete, altered, or hard to read.

The seller has 60 days from the agreement date to deliver the assigned title to the buyer in person or by certified or registered mail.8Kansas Department of Revenue. Vehicle Ownership Transfer Agreement TR-39 Kansas does not require most title assignments or bills of sale to be notarized. The Division of Vehicles can ask for notarized documents in unusual situations, but for a standard private sale, original ink signatures are enough.9Kansas Department of Revenue. Frequently Asked Questions – Titling a Vehicle

Forms for Specific Situations

Form TR-215: Family Transfer Affidavit

When a vehicle is sold or gifted between immediate family members, Kansas exempts the transaction from sales tax. “Immediate family” means lineal ancestors and descendants and their spouses: parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, and each of their spouses. The exemption applies to cars, light trucks with a gross weight of 12,000 pounds or less, trailers, and motorcycles.10Kansas Department of Revenue. Pub KS-1526 Business Taxes for Motor Vehicle Transactions To claim the exemption, complete Form TR-215, the Affidavit of Relationship, and submit it with your title application. Siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins do not qualify; the exemption follows a straight family line up and down.

Form TR-150: Lien Release

If the title shows a lienholder, you cannot transfer ownership without proof the debt has been satisfied. For a paper title, the lienholder can either complete TR-150 and attach it to the title, or sign the lien release section printed directly on the face of the title. For an electronic title, the lienholder can provide a completed TR-150 to the buyer or fax it to the Titles and Registration Bureau.11Kansas Department of Revenue. TR-150 Lien Release A letter on the lienholder’s letterhead confirming the lien is cleared also works.

Form TR-39: Vehicle Ownership Transfer Agreement

TR-39 is not a lien release. It’s the transfer agreement the buyer keeps in the vehicle while driving under a 60-day temporary permit or while using a license plate transferred from a previously owned vehicle. It documents that you legitimately own the car during the gap between purchase and receiving your new title, and it spells out the seller’s obligation to deliver the assigned title within 60 days.8Kansas Department of Revenue. Vehicle Ownership Transfer Agreement TR-39

Form TR-41: Power of Attorney

If you can’t visit the county treasurer’s office yourself, someone else can handle the transaction using Form TR-41, the Kansas Power of Attorney for vehicles. All signatures must be in original ink. No photocopies or digital signatures.12Kansas Department of Revenue. Power of Attorney TR-41

Out-of-State Vehicles: VIN Inspection

Vehicles titled in another state or country need a Motor Vehicle Examination (MVE-1) before the county treasurer will process the application. The Kansas Highway Patrol conducts these inspections, and you need to complete one before your treasurer’s office visit.13Kansas Highway Patrol. Regular VIN Inspection

Salvage and Rebuilt Titles

Salvage adds steps. The buyer must apply for a salvage title within the same 60-day window, with a $10 fee (plus a $2 late fee past the deadline). Before a rebuilt salvage title can be issued, the Kansas Highway Patrol must inspect the vehicle and attach a notice to the left door frame confirming the VIN and the rebuilt salvage status. That inspection carries a $5 fee on top of the title fee.14Kansas State Legislature. Kansas Code 8-198 – Rebuilt Salvage Title Skipping the rebuilt salvage title application is a Class C nonperson misdemeanor.

What to Bring and What It Costs

File everything in person at the county treasurer’s motor vehicle office in the county where the vehicle is garaged.15Kansas Department of Revenue. Titling a New Vehicle Bring:

All forms are available from the Division of Vehicles forms page or in person at any county treasurer’s motor vehicle office.16Kansas Department of Revenue. Vehicles Forms and Publications

Kansas charges a flat $10 title fee statewide.17Kansas Statutes. Kansas Code 8-135 – Transfer of Ownership of Vehicles Additional charges include a $6.50 transfer fee if you’re moving a plate from a vehicle you sold or traded, a $4.00 modernization fee, a $2.00 Kansas Highway Patrol surcharge, a $1.25 law enforcement training surcharge, and a $1.50 lienholder processing fee if the new title will show a lien. Registration is weight-based, starting at $42.50 for passenger cars under 4,500 pounds and $52.25 for heavier vehicles.18Kansas County Treasurers Association. Titling, Fees and Refunds

Sales tax on a private-party sale is collected by the county treasurer when you apply for the title; the seller doesn’t collect it. The state rate is 6.5%, but your actual rate will be higher because it includes combined city, county, and special jurisdiction taxes. The treasurer applies the highest rate between the location where the sale happened and your registration address.10Kansas Department of Revenue. Pub KS-1526 Business Taxes for Motor Vehicle Transactions On a $15,000 vehicle in a jurisdiction with a combined 9% rate, that’s $1,350 due at the counter.

The 60-day clock starts on the date the title was assigned to you. Penalties begin on the 61st day. Don’t wait until the last week; county offices get backed up, and you may need a second trip if something is missing.1Kansas Department of Revenue. Titling a Used Vehicle

After You File

Once the county treasurer accepts your paperwork and payment, you’ll receive a 60-day temporary registration permit. Only one permit is issued per purchase, and it cannot be renewed.19Kansas Department of Revenue. Temporary Vehicle Registration Information Keep the permit displayed on the vehicle and carry Form TR-39 inside the car while you wait for your permanent title and plates.

For titles without a lienholder, the permanent certificate typically arrives by mail within 10 to 40 days after the application date. If further documentation or research is needed, the timeline stretches. Contact the Titles and Registration Bureau if you haven’t received your title by the end of the sixth week.9Kansas Department of Revenue. Frequently Asked Questions – Titling a Vehicle