Kentucky’s TC 96-183 dealer assignment form is officially titled the Notice to County Clerk of Vehicle Acquisition, and a licensed motor vehicle dealer files it with the county clerk whenever the dealership acquires a vehicle but does not apply to put the title in the dealership’s name. You can download the current PDF from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s TC 96 Forms Library or pick up a printed copy at any county clerk’s office.1Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Forms Library (TC 96) The form fits on a single page and carries a March 2014 revision date.
When a Dealer Needs to File This Notice
Kentucky law lets a licensed dealer hold a properly assigned certificate of title from the previous owner and make further reassignments on it without ever titling the vehicle in the dealership’s name.2Justia. Kentucky Code 186A.220 – Requirements for Motor Vehicle Dealer Upon Receipt That is how most dealer inventory moves. A car arrives through trade-in, wholesale purchase, or auction, sits on the lot, and leaves to a retail buyer or another dealer without the dealership ever appearing on a title.
The TC 96-183 is what keeps the county clerk informed during that holding period. Filing it creates an official record of who holds the vehicle and when the dealer took possession. That record matters because Kentucky’s titling framework under KRS Chapter 186A depends on an unbroken chain of assignments; a gap can cause a clerk to reject a title application when the vehicle is eventually sold at retail.3Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 186A
What Information Goes on the Form
Completing the TC 96-183 is straightforward. You will need:
- The full 17-character Vehicle Identification Number, copied exactly from the certificate of title. A single transposed digit can cause the clerk’s system to reject the filing.
- The year, make, and model, matching the existing title.
- The dealership’s name, physical address, and dealer license number.
- The date the dealer took possession of the vehicle.
Check every entry against the original title before you file. A misspelled name, wrong model year, or transposed VIN digit can delay future title transfers and sometimes requires a corrected affidavit to clean up.
Where and When to File
File the completed form with the county clerk’s office in the county where your dealership is located. Most dealers do this in person since the clerk can verify the entries on the spot. Kentucky gives buyers, including dealers, 15 days from acquiring a vehicle to complete title-related paperwork, so the notice should not sit on a desk.4Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Vehicle Titling
Signatures on Kentucky title documents must be notarized.4Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Vehicle Titling County clerks can notarize on the spot for $2 per notarization. Whoever signs has to sign in front of the notary and present valid photo identification; a driver’s license is standard.
Odometer Disclosure With the Acquisition
Any transfer of a motor vehicle in Kentucky triggers an odometer disclosure obligation. State law requires the transferor to provide a written statement of the cumulative mileage registered on the odometer at the time of sale, and the statement must indicate whether the reading is accurate, exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits, or is unknown.5Justia. Kentucky Code 190.300 – Disclosure of Mileage Upon Transfer of Motor Vehicle or Motor Home When the disclosure doesn’t fit on the title itself, the Transportation Cabinet provides a separate Odometer Disclosure Statement, Form TC 96-5.6Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. TC 96-5 – Odometer Disclosure Statement Providing false mileage information carries serious consequences; Kentucky treats odometer tampering as a consumer protection violation, and the Attorney General’s office investigates rollback complaints.
Keep a Copy in Your Dealership Records
Kentucky dealers must retain records of vehicle transactions, including assignment forms and acquisition notices, for at least two years.7Kentucky Motor Vehicle Commission. Dealer Handbook Records have to stay at the licensed place of business and be available for inspection by the Kentucky Motor Vehicle Commission. Every TC 96-183 you file should have a copy in your files, alongside the assigned title and any odometer disclosure tied to the transaction.
Sloppy record-keeping is one of the fastest ways for a dealership to run into trouble during a commission audit. When a title chain has a gap, say a vehicle moved through three dealers but only two filed their notices, the last dealer in line is the one stuck fixing it before a retail buyer can get clean title.
A Note on Fees
Filing the TC 96-183 is a notice, not a title application, so the usual title-transfer costs do not attach to this step. The $9 title application fee, the six percent motor vehicle usage tax, lien filing charges, and plate and registration fees come due later, when the vehicle leaves dealer inventory and a new title is actually issued to a retail buyer or to a dealer who chooses to put the vehicle in the dealership’s name.8Jefferson County Clerk. Motor Vehicle Fees9Kentucky Department of Revenue. Motor Vehicle Usage Tax At the notice stage, your out-of-pocket cost is typically the $2 notarization if the county clerk handles it.