A Texas vehicle title transfer happens at any county tax assessor-collector office, and the buyer has 30 days from the date of sale to file the paperwork and pay the taxes. The buyer brings the title signed by the seller, a completed Form 130-U, a photo ID, and proof of Texas liability insurance, then pays a 6.25 percent motor vehicle sales tax plus a title application fee of $28 or $33 depending on the county.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration The seller has a separate job: filing a Vehicle Transfer Notification online with TxDMV so tickets and tolls run up by the new owner don’t come back to haunt them.
What the Buyer Brings to the Tax Office
The original Texas certificate of title is the core document. The seller signs the assignment section on the back, the buyer signs the purchaser space, and the date of sale goes on the title. That date starts the 30-day clock.2Tarrant County, TX. FAQs Motor Vehicle Titles
The buyer fills out Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration. It records the VIN, the sales price, and the details the tax office uses to process the transfer and calculate tax.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration Bring a valid government-issued photo ID and proof of liability insurance that meets the Texas minimums of $30,000 per person for bodily injury, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.3Texas Department of Insurance. Auto Insurance Guide
Texas doesn’t require a bill of sale, but keep one anyway. A written record showing both parties’ names, the VIN, the price, and the date is your backup if the terms of the deal are ever disputed.
For any vehicle from model year 2011 forward, expect the seller to record the odometer reading on the title at delivery and sign the disclosure. Federal rules extended the odometer disclosure requirement to the first 20 years for those vehicles, while 2010 and older models remain under the previous 10-year rule.4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements Misrepresenting mileage is a federal offense, and the signed disclosure is your evidence against a rollback.5Texas Public Law. Texas Code Section 501.072 – Odometer Disclosure Statement
How the Sales Tax Is Calculated
Texas charges 6.25 percent motor vehicle sales tax on private-party purchases, but the taxable amount isn’t always what you paid. For used vehicles bought from anyone other than a licensed dealer, the state taxes the higher of two figures: the actual sales price, or 80 percent of the vehicle’s standard presumptive value (SPV).6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Private-Party Purchases and Standard Presumptive Values
SPV is the state’s estimate of what the vehicle is worth on the used market. Negotiate a price well below that estimate and the tax office will still calculate your tax against 80 percent of the SPV. You can look up any vehicle’s SPV on the TxDMV website before you buy.7Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Standard Presumptive Values
If the SPV overstates what the vehicle is actually worth (heavy damage, mechanical problems), you can get a certified appraisal from a licensed dealer or insurance adjuster within 30 calendar days of purchase. The tax office will use the appraised value instead, though never below what you actually paid. If you already paid tax on the SPV and later get an appraisal, file for a refund of the difference using Comptroller Form 14-202.6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Private-Party Purchases and Standard Presumptive Values
Gift Transfers and the $10 Gift Tax
When a vehicle is given rather than sold, the recipient can pay a flat $10 gift tax in place of the 6.25 percent sales tax, but only if the donor is on the state’s approved list. Both parties complete a joint notarized Form 14-317, the Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer, along with Form 130-U.8Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle Tax Guide – Required Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer
Eligible donors include spouses (separate property only), parents and stepparents, grandparents, children and stepchildren, siblings, in-laws, foster parents, guardians, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, qualifying revocable trusts, and estates where the vehicle was inherited.9Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Motor Vehicle Gift Transfer A car given to a friend, an unmarried partner, or anyone else outside that list gets taxed as a sale based on the SPV, no matter that no money changed hands.
Filing and Fees at the County Tax Office
The buyer takes the full package to any county tax assessor-collector office within 30 calendar days of the seller signing the title over. Most offices handle transfers in person, though some accept mailed applications for certain transaction types.
You pay the title application fee ($28 or $33 depending on the county), the 6.25 percent sales tax, and any applicable registration fees.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle – Sales and Use Tax The clerk issues a temporary registration receipt on the spot. Allow at least 20 business days for the printed title to arrive by mail; if you haven’t received it within 30 business days, contact TxDMV.11Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Buying or Selling a Vehicle
As of January 2025, Texas eliminated mandatory safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles, so you no longer need a safety inspection before registering a car or light truck. Emissions testing is still required if the vehicle is registered in a designated emissions county. Bexar County was added to that list in 2026, joining the existing counties around Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, and El Paso.12Texas Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect January 2025 Commercial vehicles still require a full safety inspection regardless of county.
Penalties for a Late Transfer
Miss the 30-day window and a $25 late fee hits on the 31st day. If the application still isn’t filed after 60 days, another $25 accrues for each 30-day period (or portion of one) that passes, capping at $250.13State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 501.146 – Title Transfer; Late Fee The fees are set by state law, and county offices cannot waive them.
The narrow exception: vehicles eligible for classic or antique license plates are exempt from these late transfer penalties.13State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 501.146 – Title Transfer; Late Fee For everyone else, the cheapest move is to file promptly.
What the Seller Must Do
After handing over the keys, the seller should file a Vehicle Transfer Notification (Form VTR-346) through the TxDMV online portal. It isn’t technically mandatory, and skipping it doesn’t create liability on its own.14State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 501.147 – Vehicle Transfer Notification Skipping it is still a serious mistake. Until the buyer titles the vehicle in their own name, the seller’s name stays on the state’s records, which means toll violations, parking tickets, and even criminal issues connected to the vehicle can land back on the seller.
Filing the notification within 30 days creates a rebuttable presumption that the buyer is the owner and is responsible for anything civil or criminal that follows. A seller who files gets a complete defense against any action arising from someone else’s use of the vehicle after the filing date.14State of Texas. Texas Code Transportation Code 501.147 – Vehicle Transfer Notification The online form takes a few minutes: enter the license plate number and the last four digits of the VIN, then the buyer’s name, address, and the sale date.11Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Buying or Selling a Vehicle
Special Situations
The Title Is Lost
A missing title doesn’t kill the sale, but it adds a step. The seller (and any other recorded owners) applies for a certified copy on Form VTR-34 before the transfer can go through. The fee is $5.45 in person at a county tax office or $2 by mail. All recorded owners sign and provide photo ID.15Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Copy of Your Vehicle Title
There is a 30-day waiting period between the date the last title was issued and when a duplicate can be requested. If a lien is still on record, an original release of lien from the lienholder is required first; faxes and photocopies aren’t accepted.15Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Copy of Your Vehicle Title As a buyer, don’t hand over money for a vehicle without a title in hand or a clear plan for the duplicate. “The title is on its way” is a classic red flag.
The Vehicle Still Has a Loan
If the seller hasn’t paid off the loan, the lienholder’s name is on the title and no transfer happens until the lien is released. The lienholder has 10 business days after receiving the final payoff to release the lien.16Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Add/Remove a Lien on a Vehicle
With a paper title held by the lender, the lender mails the title to the seller after payoff and the seller signs it over normally. With an electronic lien (increasingly common), the lienholder notifies TxDMV, which then converts the record to a paper title and mails it to the registered owner.16Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Add/Remove a Lien on a Vehicle The safest approach for both parties is to complete the payoff at the lender’s office together so the buyer can verify the loan is satisfied before any money changes hands.
Inheriting a Vehicle
How a vehicle transfers after a death depends on whether the title carried a right of survivorship and whether the estate is probated.
If the title includes a right of survivorship (established through Form VTR-122), ownership passes automatically to the surviving co-owner. The survivor submits Form 130-U with a copy of the death certificate. No probate is needed.17Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rights of Survivorship Ownership Agreement for a Motor Vehicle
If the deceased was the sole owner with no survivorship agreement, the vehicle is part of the estate. When the estate has been probated, the executor or administrator signs the title assignment and attaches a certified copy of the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.18Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle
When no probate is needed, the heirs use Form VTR-262, the Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle. A surviving spouse typically signs alone, unless the deceased had children from another relationship, in which case those children also sign. Without a surviving spouse, all of the deceased’s children sign as affiants. The affidavit must be notarized, and each heir who cannot appear before the same notary on the same date completes a separate copy.18Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle
Signing by Power of Attorney
When the buyer or seller can’t sign in person, Form VTR-271 (Limited Power of Attorney for Eligible Motor Vehicle Transactions) authorizes someone else to sign for them. The form requires original signatures in black or blue ink and allows no alterations. A separate secure form, VTR-271-A, is required when the transaction involves federal odometer disclosure. Both the person granting and the person using the POA must provide copies of their photo ID.19Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Limited Power of Attorney for Eligible Motor Vehicle Transactions
Check the Title for Brands Before You Buy
Before any private-party purchase, look at the paper title for brand notations. Texas brands titles as “Salvage,” “Rebuilt Salvage,” or “Flood Damage” to warn future buyers, and failing to disclose a flood-damage brand violates the law.20Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Warning: Flood Damaged Cars
A vehicle with a salvage title cannot legally be driven on public roads until it has been repaired, inspected, and issued a rebuilt salvage title through the county tax office. A buyer who takes on a salvage-titled vehicle inherits that work. Running a vehicle history report through an approved National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) provider can also surface brand history from other states that may not appear on the current Texas title.