For sale
Selling a car privately
Title steps published by Nevada, California, and Texas motor vehicle agencies, and how to meet.
CraneBoard Team · · For sale
A private car sale is a title problem first and a classifieds problem second. Use the motor vehicle agency for the state on the title. The notes below are from pages we opened. Fees and forms change, so read the agency page before you sign.
Nevada
The Nevada DMV's vehicle title and ownership page says a buyer should not purchase from a private party unless the seller can provide a title in the seller's name. It says a bill of sale by itself is not acceptable proof of ownership for registration.
The same page tells a buyer to match the seller's ID to the name on the front of the title, check for liens, and get the seller's signature in the seller section. For a 2011 or newer vehicle it says the odometer reading goes on the title, and that the seller must provide a paper title. It also says the DMV lists a fee for a complete change of ownership. Read the current figure on that page rather than trusting a copy of it.
Las Vegas sellers and buyers use the Las Vegas board.
California
The California DMV page How to Register Vehicles Purchased in Private Sales says buyers have 10 days after the purchase to transfer ownership, and sellers have 5 days to report the transfer. It says the buyer needs the title signed by the seller on line 1, an odometer record when the vehicle is less than 10 years old, a smog certification, and the fees and use tax. It says you can submit by mail or at a field office.
Los Angeles and San Diego cars belong on the Los Angeles and San Diego boards.
Texas
TxDMV's buying or selling page says vehicles are required to be titled in the buyer's name within 30 days from the date of sale. It tells a seller to file a Vehicle Transfer Notification, and says filing that notice within 30 days is what keeps the seller from being held responsible for later parking tickets and tolls. The FAQ repeats the 30-day title transfer and says penalty fees may apply after that. It also says to ask the county tax office for exact fee amounts.
Dallas-Fort Worth listings are on the Dallas-Fort Worth board. Houston listings are on the Houston board.
The meetup
Do the key handoff in a public place after the title is in hand. Where to meet when you buy used covers police lots we could verify. Do not wire a deposit to a seller you have not met. If the name on the ID and the name on the title do not match, stop.
Other states have their own motor vehicle sites. Use those sites for Arizona, Florida, Utah, and Colorado titles. We are not restating their deadlines here.